(05.26.21 – Who’s In Control? -John 11:47-57)
My friend, may I ask you a question? Sometimes, do we just sit down and try to think our problems all through, but it soon becomes apparent that sometimes it just hard to grasp what's the illusion and what is fact?
My friend, Life’s a story, welcome to This Passing Day.
I'm M. Clifford Brunner.
What is God’s role in bad news? Is he guiding it to a conclusion or allowing it to run its course? We say that God is sovereign, that he is in control. But, what does that mean? Does that mean that sometimes He's looking the other way and stuff just happens? Or, does He just like to keep us on our toes with an occasional "fly in the ointment?' And, there are times when it sometimes seems that Satan is in control, or, perhaps, that the World has stepped between God and us. Can that be possible? Confusing, isn't it? We just sit down and try to think this all through, but it soon becomes apparent that sometimes it just hard to grasp what's the illusion and what is fact?
Here's a story: It was Christmas Eve 1875, a decade after the conclusion of the Civil War, and Ira Sankey, a song writer and singer, was traveling on a Delaware River steamboat when some passengers asked him to sing a hymn. He broke into, "Savior Like a Shepherd Lead Us." When he finished, a man stepped from the shadows and asked, "Did you ever serve in the Union Army?" "Why yes," Mr. Sankey answered. The stranger then asked, "Can you remember if you were doing picket duty on a bright, moonlit night in 1862?" "Yes," Mr. Sankey answered, very much surprised and beginning to wonder just who this stranger was. "I was on picket duty as well, but I was serving in the Confederate army. When I saw you standing at your post, I raised my musket and took aim. I was standing in the shadow, while the full light of the moon was upon you. At that instant, just as in that moment ago as you were singing, you raised your eyes to heaven and began to sing: 'Let him sing his song to the end,' I said to myself, 'I can shoot him afterwards.' But the song you sang then was the song you sang just now. I heard the words perfectly. They stirred up many memories. When you had finished your song, it was impossible for me to take aim again. I thought, 'The Lord who is able to save that man from certain death must surely be great and mighty.' And my arm of its own accord dropped limp at my side." (K. Hughes, Liberating Ministry From The Success Syndrome, Tyndale, 1988, p. 69.)
"Man proposes but God disposes." Try as we might to make things happen, if it isn’t in God's plan, it won't. The realities in this life, the things that seem to happen of their own without guidance from above, are real but the illusion is that someone other than God is in control. When the devil, the world and even our own devices contrive to mess things up, the strong hand of the King of the Universe is always there to guide the results. His strong will, our limp ability to change the course of His outcomes; a mismatch of grand proportions. Thank God the good is on His side.
We pray. Heavenly Father, "Man proposes but God disposes." Try as we might to make things happen, if it isn’t in Your plan Lord, it won't. The realities in this life, the things that seem to happen of their own without guidance from above, are real but the illusion is that someone other than You is in control. When the devil, the world and even our own devices contrive to mess things up, Your strong hand is always there to guide the results. Your strong will, our limp ability to change the course of His outcomes; a mismatch of grand proportions. Forgive us when we think we can do it on our own. Thank God the good is on Your side. In Jesus name we pray. Amen!
Therefore my friend, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry for itself; each day has enough trouble of its own. (Matt 6:34) This Passing Day. May this passing day honor our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and be a blessing to you and everyone you meet. Find a stranger and say hello. Don't let another day pass without your day blessing someone else.
If you have a special prayer request, please send your request to ”This Passing Day!”
<thispassingday@gmail.com> From Beech Springs, God bless you for Jesus sake.