A Closer Walk

A CLOSER WALK
Emily Keller
My name is Emily Keller and I am the granddaughter of Greg Worthen. I agreed to write for the column for a few weeks as a guest contributor.    
Sometimes it seems the entire world is out of control. On a large scale, there are always wars and great crimes and evils happening all over the earth. On a smaller scale, our personal plans go awry, or unexpected disasters occur. However, when it seems all has gone wrong and everything is out of control, there is One who is in control and has been from the dawn of time. All of Scripture points to God’s sovereignty as one of the greatest assurances when difficulties come.
One passage in the Bible regarding God’s sovereignty and trials is Psalm 46:9–10.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
        he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
        he burns the chariots with fire.
     “Be still, and know that I am God.
        I will be exalted among the nations,
        I will be exalted in the earth!”
When everything seems out of control, we can know that when the Lord says enough, our current trial or tribulation will be finished. Nations and powers may rise, and the world may seem to be spiraling into chaos, but at any moment God could say to the world powers desiring to exalt themselves, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (verse 10, emphasis mine). Nothing comes about that the Lord does not allow, and when He decides it is time for a trial to end, it will end.
    Let’s consider Job for a moment. His story is told in the Bible in the book of Job, and it begins wonderfully. Job is a very wealthy man with many children and is righteous in God’s eyes. However, everything changes when Satan wants to take away everything Job has, thinking that then Job will no longer be righteous and will curse God. The Lord allowed Satan to take away Job’s livestock, children, servants, and even his health. It is a comfort to note as we read Job 1-2, where Job loses everything, that Satan had to receive permission from the Lord to accomplish his evil deeds. The Lord specifically told Satan to spare Job’s life, and he did. Satan can only do as much as God allows him to do. Job also realizes that God is in control of the situation and says after losing his property and children, “The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21). After he becomes sick and covered in horrible sores, he tells his wife, “Shall we receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10). Job understands God’s sovereignty, and while there are other areas he struggles with, he does accept God’s control over his situation.
    However, since we see all over Scripture that God is sovereign and does what He wills, it may be easier for some of us to doubt God’s goodness. How do we reconcile God’s sovereignty with His goodness when He seems to be allowing a lot of confusing trials? Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” For a Christian, there is hope in that while God may require painful things from us, He is using it for good. How can God use trials for good? Paul continues in Romans 8:29 to say, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” One thing that can be difficult to remember is that what God sees as good is different than what we see as good. What we as humans tend to see as good is having what we want, whether that be a spouse, children, grandchildren, a home of our own, good health, or numerous other wants. While all of these things are good things and good gifts God gives us, the best thing for us, which takes precedence over all else, is that we become like Christ. Romans 8:29 reminds us that all of God’s children must become more like Jesus, God’s Son. In the words of twentieth century thinker and writer C.S. Lewis, “But the great thing to remember is that, though our feelings come and go, His love for us does not. It is not wearied by our sins, or our indifference; and, therefore, it is quite relentless in its determination that we shall be cured of those sins, at whatever cost to us, at whatever cost to Him.” If you are a Christian, you are God’s child and saved through Jesus’s death and resurrection, but God’s goodness and salvation doesn’t stop there. God loves us so much and is so good to His children that He will not allow us to keep living in sin and wrongdoing. There are ways we must grow and sin we must face that we will only recognize through trials. However, even if we are not walking in sin, there are things we can only learn about God through suffering, which He reveals to us in His goodness.
Even when life feels like chaos, God is in control. Even when nothing seems good in the world, God is still good and still working for the good of those who love him. Let us be still and wait for the Lord to end our trials, all the while not wasting what we can know of our good Shepherd while we are in the valley.
***All quotes taken from the English Standard Version (ESV)