For believers these days, we might be concerned when we look around us. Nations rise against nations. Conspiracies, real and imagined, abound. Prices rise and morals fall. We're not even happy with our own government. And that's just generalities. In each experience we're encountering trials and difficulties.
So we ask, "Why?" and "What can we do?" and "Where is God in all of this?" What we don't seem to ask is "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain?" (Psa 2:1). We don't see God as sitting in heaven laughing (Psa 2:4). We don't seem to know that our God reigns.
Things look difficult. From poverty and sickness and race relations to wars and global economics and pandemics, the world has reason to be thin-skinned and worried. We do not. "If God is for us, who can be against us?" (Rom 8:31). Indeed, "We are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Rom 8:37-39). Let that truth settle into your being.
12 comments:
Really good post. It's easy to let what's happening in the world get us worried, it's hard to surrender our desire to control things to God. Yet somehow He keeps demonstrating that He actually does have everything under His control.
I ran into a stream of passages on the topic and thought, "You know, I can really use this right now in our world. I wonder if anyone else can, too?"
Stan, amazing Holy Spirit, yesterday and today was studying psalm 2:1-4 and reading verse four with God laughing! I read from a commentary by Albert Barnes....Shall laugh - Will smile at their vain attempts; will not be disturbed or agitated by their efforts; will go calmly on in the execution of his purposes. Compare as above Isa_18:4. See also Pro_1:26; Psa_37:13; Psa_59:8. This is, of course, to be regarded as spoken after the manner of men, and it means that God will go steadily forward in the accomplishment of his purposes. There is included also the idea that he will look with contempt on their vain and futile efforts.
I thought it was funny that God laughs. I thought it was funnier that God laughs at the wicked and their vain attempts at countering Him. It's comforting that God is amused when evil people try desperately to run against Him because otherwise I might find it disturbing.
I think it's natural to be concerned about the problems in the world and their impact on us in the here and now, while at the same time not losing sight of the fact that God is in control. It might indeed be part of His plan that I get hit by a truck or shot by a thug, but to live in a manner which reduces our risk of those possibilities is wise. We are not absolved of our duty to control what we can to that end. We are just as worthy of God's laughter for doing so, as He is ultimately in control...however that control might manifest itself.
I didn't mean to imply anything like, "Don't even think about it ... what will be will be ... God is in charge." I hope you didn't hear that. I meant to say that we can go through our lives doing what we believe we should do without 1) worrying about what we can't fix and 2) fearing that God's plan will fail if we don't do what we ought. We don't need to worry about our meager personal resources or capabilities. We DO have to live our lives, as Paul says, making our aim to please Him (2 Cor 5:9).
Art's comment sounds a little like the Muslim concept of Insha Allah. A kind of fatalistic approach that allows people to blame everything on God. I don't see God's sovereignty, or plan, or whatever as being fatalistic at all. More like comforting because God is on control and has everything worked out. I also find it comforting that we get to participate in what God's doing. He uses us to work out His will. Fortunately, He doesn't rely on us.
I don't understand why Christians seem to see doing everything to prolong this life as something so wonderful and to be held on to.
Because the Bible says, "To live is Christ and to die is gain." Paul said he would prefer to die and be with Christ, but it is better for others that he remain (Php 1:23-24). For the Christian to live means fruitful labor. Paul says, "whether we are at home or away, we make it our aim to please Him" (2 Cor 5:9). So we prolong this life as long as He enables us to not to prolong life, but to serve Him here as long as we can.
That's not the impression I get from people though. They seem to think that they need to stay here as long as possible for say they're loved ones. I'm not saying we should pursue death, but if I have to choose between wasting away in a hospital for 6 months or die in my bed in 6 days, I'm staying home.
Yes, there are certainly wrong reasons people pursue staying alive.
David, I agree that pursuing life at any cost seems antithetical to what scripture tells us. Especially as we get older. I've just gone through this with my aunt, who's choosing not to pursue chemo/radiation for her recently diagnosed cancer.
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