God is in Control

James 1:2 - 3
"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance."

I have been listening to God today. I have been considering all that Job endured, and I have been trying to better understand how God works. What I am beginning to understand more and more each day is when we say we trust God to take care of our needs His way in His time - we should not necessarily expect that everything is going to be "good" as we see it. It does not mean that something we view as a "need" will be taken care of immediately. It does not mean things will turn out perfect or good (in our eyes). Allow me to illustrate.

You have just used the last of the milk. You do not have the money to buy another gallon today. There's nothing saying we will not go a week or 2 without milk. Does this mean God isn't meeting our needs? I don't think so. He is still in control.

Let's say that you forget to write something down in your checkbook and over-extend yourself. If a certain amount of money does not come in before the check clears, does that mean God is not watching out for your needs? I don't think so. He is still in control.

Just because we may go through troubles at times does not mean that God has forgotten that we have needs. He is still in control.

We preach and teach that God uses trials to grow us. Why, then, should we believe that we will not encounter these trials. What Job went through was bad stuff. But God was still in control.

Job 1:12 (NIV)
"All right, you may test him," the LORD said to Satan. "Do whatever you want with everything he possesses, but don't harm him physically." So Satan left the LORD's presence.

I have always heard it preached that a righteous man named Job went through these trials and suffered through no fault of his own but why? Was it just a demo for the rest of the world? Was it just for us to have something to say to those going through trials? Or was it because Job had something to learn about God that He wasn't learning in his present situation? Maybe God said the things he did to satan in order to entice him to attack Job in order to teach Job something new about Himself.

Bottom line God is in control. There are things that are going to happen that are hard to live with. There are going to be times of struggle. Our responsibility is to learn to trust God completely through it all. And by trusting God, I mean maintaining the good attitude as well - through the good and bad alike. What better way to glorify God than to be a positive spirit in the midst of troubling times.

James 1:12 (NIV)
Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.



From: Delve Unto Jesus - Donald B