The days are getting longer. The snow has melted. The birds are chirping. The grass is becoming green. All of these are signs that spring has sprung -- they happen every year, consistently. What a great reminder this has been that my God is faithful and constant, even when I falter and doubt Him.
Gen 8:22: “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease”
Have you ever tried to grasp the concept of God’s total and complete sovereignty? It’s not an easy topic to wrap my mind around, and I think I’ve often reverted to just trusting it in the moment rather than totally understanding it. More often than not, Romans 8:28 is quoted to give hope to someone in the midst of a challenging and stretching situation: “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”. And that’s true! But what does “for the good” mean and, more importantly for the person in the middle of the chaos, what does it look like? Well... keep reading! Verse 29 states, “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.” ...How have I missed this crucial part of why God allows me (and all believers...) to go through hard times, or allows others to mistreat me? This verse clearly shows that God allows things to happen and uses situations to give me the opportunity to become more like Christ! In the moment, it’s hard to see that though, isn’t it?
I recently read a book discussing the sovereignty of God. Here is an excerpt:
While growing up in Texas, I enjoyed my mother’s buttermilk biscuits made from “scratch” every morning for breakfast. But there was not a single ingredient in those biscuits that I would have enjoyed by itself. And even after they were mixed together, I would not have cared for the raw biscuit dough. Only after they were mixed together in the right proportions by mothers’ skillful hands and then subjected to the fire of the oven were they ready to be enjoyed for breakfast.
The “things” of Romans 8:28 are like the ingredients of the biscuit dough. By themselves they are not tasteful to us. We shun them. And we certainly shun the heat of the oven. But when God in His infinite skill has blended them all together and cooked them properly in the oven of adversity, we shall one day say it is good.
Pg 162, Trusting God, Jerry Bridges.
After reading this, I had one of those moments where it wasn’t exactly a full-out lightbulb moment, but it definitely brought the concept a little more into the light...Maybe it will for you too.
I still struggle reconciling some of the terrible things that have happened to the residents here at Vision of Hope. But the truth that I need to dwell on is that God does have a perfect plan for each one of them; He has allowed, is allowing and will continue to allow circumstances in their lives to make them more like His son Jesus Christ. In the same way, God has brought me into this internship, an opportunity that is not only challenging and stretching me in multiple areas, but most importantly, allowing me the opportunity to choose to become more like Christ in and through my interactions with the residents.
