Winter Faith

I am mulling over some of what I heard at church yesterday and some of what I read this morning and trying to reconcile it all with present circumstances in the lives of loved ones. I have (again) come to the realization that I’m not able to reconcile anything since I’m not God. His ways don’t always make sense…

Max Lucado in his book Come Thirsty quotes a Rabbi Kushner in his disturbing conclusion of Job, saying that he was “forced to choose between a good God who is not totally powerful, or a powerful God who is not totally good.” It would be so easy to come to that conclusion when we are in the midst of something that we know only God can fix, but He doesn’t.

In order to point us to God's ultimate sovereignty, Lucado goes on to remind us of Joseph who was sold into slavery by his brothers and how God used it for good in the end, Lazarus whom Jesus allowed to face death in order that the Son of God may be glorified and even our Lord Jesus who prayed in Gethsemane, “Father, if you are willing, please take this cup of suffering from me. Yet I want your will, not mine.” God did not spare his Son. And if He did not spare His Son, should we not be able to also trust Him to give us what is best in all things? (Mathew 7:11)

We want things to be for our own benefit, while God desires His glory. Not an easy pill to swallow. . . but once we do and trust Him to take us through the fire, we will learn things we never do when everything goes well.

I love the title of a book that Max Lucado refers to: Grace Grows Best in Winter by Margaret Clarkson. She wrote:
The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident: they may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God . . . . all evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His children unless He permits it. God is the Lord of human history and the personal history of every member of his redeemed family.”

In the same way that we know the snow will melt and spring will come, I want to believe that one day we will see and understand all that God has allowed, or not allowed, in order to grow us and glorify His Name. May our baby steps of faith allow us to experience some of God’s glory here on earth as well.