8/16/10

Monday Manna

I do not believe in luck or in happenstance or even in coincidence. I also don't believe that any possession that I have or anything that I have accomplished has been obtained by my own devices.  I believe that God has had a hand in all of it!  I believe that everything that happens whether big or small, good or bad, is a part of God's plan for our life.  I think one of my last Monday Mannas pointed out the fact that all things that happen in your life may not be good, but they work together for good (Romans 8:28).

This may be hard for a lot of people to grasp.  Especially those who don't believe in divine intervention.  Or those who believe in God but choose to think that He just sits on a throne somewhere high above, not caring about the little things that happen in our lives.  Or for those who have suffered a major loss or catastrophic event in their lives.  Or those who look at all of the violence, crime, wars, etc. and wonder....Where is God in all of this and how could He allow this to happen?

I think an important thing to remember is that God has given us free will.  The choices that we choose to make in life affect not only us but everyone around us in some degree whether in a a negative or in a positive way. God mourns our bad choices but He also doesn't stop us from making them. 

It is also important to know that we may not always be privy to God's bigger plan in our lives. Take for example the mother who loses her child in an accident involving a drunk driver.  That mother in turn chooses to be a spokes person for M.A.D.D. and speaks at a high school about her loss and ways to keep in from happening to others.  Later that night, a kid who heard the lecture chooses not to drink and drive at a party he attends.  Maybe her loss prevented others from experiences that same loss.  Maybe God knew she could handle such a tragedy and turn it around for good.  Who knows?

God is too awesome and omnipotent to just allow luck to control our lives.  He knows the exact number of hairs on our head (Matthew 10:30) and He has planned our lives from the womb (Jeremiah 1:5). 

I say all of this because I know a few people who have given up on God or who are angry with God because of something terrible that has happened in their life.  I want to challenge them to look at the bigger picture instead of the here and now.  I know it's hard when you are in the thick of it to think past your current state of emotion but this is where real faith kicks in.  It's knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that God has your back.  God wants to know that you not only love Him when everything is going your way and life is just peachy.  He wants your love and trust through thick and thin. So don't give up on God because He hasn't given up on you!



No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts with Thumbnails