In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,
- Ephesians 1:11
In their hearts humans plan their course,
but the Lord establishes their steps.
- Proverbs 16:9
I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’
- Isaiah 46:10
All the peoples of the earth
are regarded as nothing.
He does as he pleases
with the powers of heaven
and the peoples of the earth.
No one can hold back his hand
or say to him: “What have you done?”
- Daniel 4:35
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.
- Romans 8:28
Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil. And he still maintains his integrity, though you incited me against him to ruin him without any reason.”
“Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. But now stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”
The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord and afflicted Job with painful sores from the soles of his feet to the crown of his head. Then Job took a piece of broken pottery and scraped himself with it as he sat among the ashes.
His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.
- Acts 2:3-10
“11. In another respect, it is special; which appears in regard to contingent events, so that if any person is visited either by adversity or by any prosperous result, he ought to ascribe it wholly to God; and with respect to those things which act according to a fixed law of nature, though their peculiar properties were naturally bestowed on them, still they exert their power only so far as they are directed by the immediate hand of God.”
- John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, Aphorisms
John Calvin did not write these aphorisms. They are a summarization of what he wrote in Institutes of the Christian Religion. There are 100 aphorisms.
God is sovereign. This world is broken. Does God do bad things?
In Job 2, we get a glimpse into what happens in the heavenly realms. Satan has to ask permission. And God grants that permission not to punish believers, but to test the believer’s faith.
I could talk about the many, many times that I have fallen, but God keeps allowing Satan to test me again, so I must be doing something right. I at least get back up each time.
I know there are theological names for what I want to say, but my brain is fried today. There is God’s sovereign master plan. At some point that only He knows, the Great Tribulation will begin. The Rapture will happen, and within that seven year bracket, this world will be ripped apart, and in the End, there will be judgment and a new beginning. Geopolitical things have to happen and God will ensure that they happen.
God also has a plan for our lives, but we have a sin nature and free will. We can monkey with the minutia, but I have seen things come full circle in my life in the past. I am not on the perfect path now, but I am much better off than I used to be.
So, there is the Big Picture that will be done. There is a best path for us. But then there is the path that we take and God’s will for our lives helping us get back on the right track, maybe a little wiser the next time, maybe with a few more aches and pains.
But I see those aches and pains preparing me for the life with no pain. I am not wanting to rush into that world. If God has work for me, I will keep doing that work. But when the time comes, I will welcome it. I am even excited about it. Think about it! No more unanswered questions. We are in God’s presence and the Scriptures tell us that whatever we imagine, Heaven is beyond what we can imagine. I have seen the Grand Canyon, Old Faithful, Mount Rainier, and Carlsbad Caverns. I have walked and worked on three continents. NOTHING, in this world compares in the slightest as to what will be in store for us.
But if I can aid in one more person being there with me, I will gladly endure the pains of this life a little more.
If you like these Tuesday morning essays about philosophy and other “heavy topics,” but you think you missed a few, you can use this LINK. I have set up a page off the home page for links to these Tuesday morning posts. I will continue to modify the page as I add more.
Soli Deo Gloria. Only to God be the Glory.
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