Tag: sovereignty of God

The Rich Will Fade Away

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

As a society, we tend to revere the wealthy even while denying that fact, don’t we? Sure, some may say, “Down with the rich!” But even then, their actions demonstrate they actually want to be the rich. Think about how much focus is on the wealthy in our news media. If a wealthy couple walks into a restaurant, don’t they tend to get special treatment? Even closer to home, isn’t this often the case in a church?

Many churchgoers today assume that wealth is an inherent sign of God’s blessing. Some will even assume that those who have great faith will have great wealth. But the Book of James says nearly the opposite:

“Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?” (James 2:5, ESV)

Shattering Expectations

Certainly, this is a general statement, not particular to every case, but we shouldn’t let that diminish the force of what James is saying here. Contrary to expectations, God has chosen the poor to be rich in faith. This is ironic, because isn’t it our natural tendency to look down on the poor? Of course, we see great importance in supporting and caring for the destitute. But who are you more likely to ask for advice: a wealthy man or a poor man? How many times have you come to a street corner, seen someone holding a sign asking for something, and immediately thought: Man, I sure wish he would just get a job and contribute something to society?

Isn’t that how we tend to think?

Earlier in James, we read something else unexpected:

“Let the lowly brother boast in his exaltation, and the rich in his humiliation, because like a flower of the grass he will pass away.” (James 1:9-10, ESV)

You see what James is doing here? He’s flipping the script. He says it’s the little guy of little means who really has reason to boast. Why? Because his confidence is in God. Without money, it has to be! He knows full well that he can’t count on his financial resources, so he’s truly rich because he’s relying fully on God. Meanwhile, the rich will fade away like the wildflower.

Fading like the Flower

“For the sun rises with its scorching heat and withers the grass; its flower falls, and its beauty perishes. So also will the rich man fade away in the midst of his pursuits.” (James 1:11, ESV)

If you consider yourself a gardener, you know how much work is involved with the endeavor. You might spend hours just in preparation. After weeks of waiting, you finally see those buds of your favorite flower first begin to open. You’ve given much time and effort to reach this moment, and now you get to see that beautiful chrysanthemum open up, with all its beautiful and tiny petals reaching out.

Or maybe you’re more into peonies, and you see your flowers bloom in May, with all the soft pinks and whites. It’s exquisite. But then what happens? The summer heat of June and July comes and that once-glorious flower ever so quickly wilts, turns brown, and fades away.

What a picture. All the beauty and glory of that flower lasts for only a very short time – sometimes only a handful of days – and then it’s gone.

In the Middle East, where James is writing, this is even more evident. There will be times in the spring where you can look out over a hillside and see all kinds of wildflowers in bloom, a beautiful sea of purples, oranges, and yellows. But in a very short time, that east wind will come and the desert sun will beat down on them and those beautiful flowers will fade, just as quickly.

James says that those who put all their stock in their material possessions are like those flowers. They are certainly beautiful; there is a glory about them. But it’s oh so temporary.

And the image of a flower is perfect because flowers are so flimsy and fragile aren’t they?

My boys will often pick flowers for my wife Whitney from the park or our backyard. Their intentions are great. They want to give their mom a flower. But sometimes, before making their floral delivery, they will climb the slide or roll around in the grass. By the time they give the flower to Whitney, it’s limp and pulled apart. Why? Because they are boys and flowers are fragile.

In God’s economy, the rich and powerful of this world are like that flower. Although there is a beauty and glory to their wealth and luxury, they are actually very lowly because nothing they own will last. In reality, their lives are so fragile.

It’s been said… Money will buy:

A bed, but not sleep.
Books, but not brains.
Food, but not appetite.
A house, but not a home.
Medicine, but not health.
Amusement, but not happiness.
Finery, but not beauty.
A crucifix, but not a Savior.

And notice James says, “the rich will fade away” even while they are going about their business, even in the midst of their spending endless hours studying the stock market, coordinating deals, or spending many nights away from home. The world has taught them to define their lives by their financial gains, but it all will eventually fade away.

This is a warning to all of us about the dangers of relying on material wealth. Of infinitely greater value are the spiritual riches that come from reliance on Christ.

The True Riches of Christ

Way back in the 1890s, Youssuf Ishmaelo, was an international wrestling sensation known as “the Terrible Turk.” Ishmaelo was a man of enormous proportions, known for his incredible strength. And of course, as his popularity rose, so did his wealth. At one point, he demanded his winnings in gold and strapped them into his belt, which he never removed.

On his way back from a victory match in America, he was sailing across the Atlantic and his ship sank. According to the surviving eyewitnesses, Ishmaelo was “like a wild beast,” barreling through crowds and knocking people out of his way. At one point, he jumped onto one of the life boats already full of passengers, and the force of his enormous weight capsized the boat and knocked everyone into the water. Ishmaelo was an incredible swimmer, but he alone sank under the waves, dragged to the bottom by the weight of his $10,000 gold belt.[1]

Many people have eternally sunk because they were clutching so tightly to their wealth and looking to money for the security that only our sovereign God can give.

But this isn’t just a warning for the rich. It’s a warning for anyone who would bank all their hope on how much they have. When things get tighter financially, our hearts are being tested, aren’t they? Are we really trusting that God can provide for our every need, or does our confidence in God rise and fall with the stock market or the amount in our bank account?

But in the midst of this warning, God wants to encourage us. He wants us to see that we who have Christ are truly wealthy. We have eternal riches in Him, and He is worth more than anything that money could buy. As Jesus so memorably put it:

“What does it profit a man to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his soul?” (Mark 8:36, BSB)

If you have Christ, you really do have everything. He is the mainspring of all true joy. You can find your identity in Him. And when you are in Christ’s family, the new heavens and the new earth are your future inheritance. God’s children are headed for nothing less than unhindered access to the unfading glory and beauty of God Himself. Even today, God promises to care for His own.

Keep your lives free from the love of money; and be satisfied with what you have; for God himself has said, “I will never fail you or abandon you.” (Hebrews 13:5, CSB)

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] Randy Alcorn, Giving is the Good Life: The Unexpected Path to Purpose and Joy.

No Ultimate Accidents

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for Life2 Comments

Here’s a fun thought experiment. Think through all the things in your life that had to occur just so in order for you to be where you are today, including where you live and who is nearest and dearest to you. Films and novels have captured this fact that every event in our lives is but one link in a long chain (or network) of causes and effects that stretches back to the beginning of the world.

In my own life, I can think through the long series of notable events that had to take place in the precise order and time that they did for me to end up at the church college group where I met my wife, Whitney. If any one of these events had occurred even slightly differently, there is little reason to think I would have met her when I did.

If you are a Christian, the same thought experiment can be done for considering how you came to faith in Christ. Whether you consider the home in which you grew up, the time in history in which you were born, or the church where you ended up, there is a convergence of events that had to take place for you to even hear the gospel. We like to use the word “fortunate” when we think about all this, but we need to understand that according to the Bible, all these necessary events took place according to God’s design, not mere happenstance.

God Determines the When and the Where

When Paul preached to the Athenian philosophers, he said that there is one sovereign Lord and Creator who is responsible for all we have—including the very breath in our lungs. Paul then says God “made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him” (Acts 17:26-27a).

What a profound statement! God determined the when and where of every nation. But what is true of nations is also true of individuals. After all, He is a personal God who deals not merely with nations in general, but with individuals in particular.

Consider how personally God deals with King David’s life:

“For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb... Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.” (Psalm 139:13, 16, ESV)

Nothing about our lives—not even the when or the where—is accidental. God can tell Jeremiah the prophet that even before He formed him in his mother’s womb, the Lord had already set him apart for his life’s task (Jeremiah 1:5). Is this only true of Jeremiah? Or does God form each of us in the womb having already planned what our life would look like? Job speaks of everyone born of woman when he says, “A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed” (Job 14:5, NLT).

None of this teaching on God’s providential planning of every human life nullifies the truth that we make real choices as image bearers of God. We are not just mechanistic cogs in a grand machine, but precious individuals with loves and fears, who are responsible for our actions.

J. I. Packer uses the word “antinomy” to describe this apparent incongruity between God’s absolute sovereignty and the genuine choices of His creatures.[1] While we tend to pit God’s sovereignty against human responsibility, the Bible never does. Both truths are taught in Scripture, so the Christian must accept both. Whatever cannot be reconciled in our finite minds can and is reconciled in the mind of God (Isaiah 55:8-9; Romans 11:33-36).

If God is absolutely sovereign, there can be no accidents. Nothing about your life can be chalked up to mere happenstance or dumb luck.

“Forbidden by the Holy Spirit to Speak”

In the book of Acts, we read the story of Paul’s first journey to the city of Philippi. It’s fascinating to see all the events God used to providentially bring His Apostle to these people.

It all starts with Paul, Silas, and Timothy setting out to reach the people of Asia (the northwestern region of modern Turkey) with the gospel. They know God has called them to proclaim this message of grace, but they aren’t exactly sure where yet. Consider how the Holy Spirit sovereignly directs their steps:

“And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.” (Acts 16:6-10, NIV)

It can seem kind of strange at first when we read that they were “forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia” (v. 6). We might think, Why wouldn’t God want Paul to preach the gospel there? And then we find out that they wanted to go to Bithynia, but again “the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them” (v. 7). We wonder, What’s the deal? Doesn’t God want those people to hear the gospel and be saved, too? Elsewhere, we read that God does not wish “that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9, ESV).

But we can forget at this point that God in His perfect grace is also sovereign. He is King over all, and He never acts arbitrarily or on a whim. And while we don’t understand all the reasons, what we need to see is that God had a sovereign appointment for Paul. It wasn’t in Asia, and it wasn’t in Bithynia. But it was in Macedonia, and Philippi was smack dab in the middle of Macedonia. This reminds us that ultimately the salvation of the lost is not up to us; it is up to God. He is the One who does the sovereign work of salvation, and He’s working out His perfect plan according to His timetable.

We aren’t called to debate with God about what is best. He alone is God. Scripture tells us that He is the Potter; we are the clay.[2] We don’t get to tell God what to do. He is the One in charge of this whole show, and the more we get on board with His plan, the better things will go for us in the long run.

It’s intriguing to me that God gets Paul’s attention here by appealing to his compassion. In Paul’s dream, he sees a man from Macedonia pleading with Paul, “Please, Paul. Come here and help us!” We know this is primarily about meeting their need for salvation, because verse 10 says that Paul immediately concludes God called them “to preach the gospel” to those Macedonians. So this man in the vision is saying, “Paul, we’re lost and without hope! We are doomed if you don’t come tell us about the risen Lord.”

All by Grace

When they come to Philippi, things initially go very well. Paul and his buddies find a group of women just outside the city meeting together by the river. And Paul begins to open the Word of God to these women, telling them the good news that forgiveness of sins is freely offered to them through the Lord Jesus. Wherever Paul goes in the book of Acts, he calls people to repent of their sin and trust in Jesus as their sin-bearing Lord and Savior. He nearly always gets a mixed response from people when he preaches the gospel.

But for whatever reason, the author Luke zeroes in on one particular individual, a woman named Lydia and her response. “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul” (Acts 16:14). Isn’t that beautiful? “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what” Paul said.

As Christians, we can wonder, Why does God have me where I’m at right now? Why this job? Or maybe, Why can’t I find a job? Why this neighborhood? Why this health issue? Why this hardship? But what if God has you exactly where He wants you right now? It may not be where you’ll be forever or for very long, but what if God has a purpose in putting you in the situations you face every day? What if God wants to use you where you are right now in a way that He couldn’t use you otherwise?

If we see nothing else from Lydia’s conversion, we need to see this: God is sovereignly orchestrating His plan in every person’s life. No one comes to Christ by accident. God is working out His plan. When you take a step back, it’s amazing to see how this all worked out. Remember, Paul wanted to go to Asia. God said no. Paul wanted to go to Bithynia. God said no. Finally, God gives Paul a vision to bring his band of merry men to Macedonia, and finally to Philippi.

And when they get to Philippi, it just so happens that they find a group of women meeting by the river outside the city. What a coincidence, right? What good luck! And it just so happens that God was preparing the heart of a woman in that group named Lydia who was about to receive the gospel. Amazing, isn’t it? All along, God was setting Paul up. He says, “I’m going to use you to bring My gospel to Lydia, Paul. And Lydia’s going to believe. Lydia’s Mine.”

There are no ultimate accidents. There are no coincidences in God’s mind. He is working out His perfect plan for the good of His people and the glory of His name. We serve a sovereign God, a God far more powerful and good and merciful than we could possibly imagine.

If you are a Christian today, it is because God worked out all the details for you to encounter the gospel of the crucified and risen Lord. He brought the light of truth into your heart, where before there was only spiritual blindness (2 Corinthians 4:4-6). If someone led you to Christ, it wasn’t sheer luck that you happened to know that person. God is in the business of rescuing people from their sin according to His perfect and sovereign plan. In evangelism, we have an essential part to play, but we didn’t write the script.

And when we share the gospel, we are simply jumping on board with His plan that is already in motion. We’re not the master engineers here. He’s the One who wrote the blueprint for His plan of redemption. So what does that mean? That means all the glory goes to Him for saving us. We don’t even get a smidgen of the credit. Because it’s all by His grace.

J. I. Packer points out that this is actually good news. When we share the gospel with others, we are participating in a mission that cannot fail. And the fact that we pray for the lost to be converted is proof that we really do believe He is sovereign in salvation. Packer writes:

“When you pray for unconverted people, you do so on the assumption that it is in God’s power to bring them to faith. You entreat Him to do that very thing, and your confidence in asking rests on the certainty that He is able to do what you ask. And so indeed He is: this conviction, which animates your intercessions, is God’s own truth, written on your heart by the Holy Spirit.”[3]

“But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:4-5, NLT). You have been saved by grace! Not human effort.

Have you repented and trusted in the Lord Jesus for salvation? If not, I urge you to do that today. If you have, have you thanked God for your conversion?

Soli Deo Gloria.

Have thoughts on this post? Feel free to comment below!

[1] J. I. Packer, Evangelism and the Sovereignty of God, 23-24. As Packer explains, an antinomy is something in theology that has “an appearance of contradiction,” but “is not a real contradiction.”

[2] See Jeremiah 18:5-6; Romans 9:19-21.

[3] Packer, 19.

Making Sense of the Coronavirus

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life4 Comments

By Jason Smith

For many of us, the Coronavirus has become a source for fear and anxiety. In addition to the countless large events and meetings that have been canceled across the world and in the U.S., many churches have felt the need to cancel services and small group meetings, including my own.

Even for those who aren’t experiencing all-out panic at the current crisis, there is a growing undercurrent of uncertainty and bewilderment about how to proceed with life. Since I work at a hospital, I’ve seen firsthand the level of frustration and panic that has arisen in response to the spread of this disease. I’ve also spoken to many Christians who have said, to one degree or another, they don’t understand why God would allow such a terrible disease like the Coronavirus to spread.

The first thing I would want to say to my fellow Christians is that God really is in control of every circumstance we face in life. Even if all the public health and safety officials, human leaders and government officials seem incapable of stopping the spread of the Coronavirus, God is just as sovereign over His world today as He always has been. The Coronavirus does not pose a threat to God and His reign.

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is Yours. Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come from you, and you rule over all” (1 Chronicles 29:11-12a).

There is a part of us that actually despises the truth of God’s sovereign reign over all. We love the thought of having control over our own lives and to admit God’s sovereignty is to cede ultimate control to someone else. People may say things like, “God didn’t have anything to do with this disease” or “God is trying His best to stop it,” as if to defend God in the matter. These statements may come from good intentions, but to deny God’s absolute sovereignty is to deny the plain teaching of Scripture.

Consider just a handful of passages that plainly affirm God’s limitless reign over all:

“The Lord kills and brings to life;
    He brings down to Sheol and raises up.
The Lord makes poor and makes rich;
    He brings low and He exalts.” (1 Samuel 2:6-7)

“Our God is in the heavens, and He does as He wishes.” (Psalm 115:3, NLT)

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, And His sovereignty rules over all.” (Psalm 103:19, NASB)

“But you, Belshazzar… have not humbled yourself… Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven… But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.” (Daniel 5:22-23, my emphasis)

It’s also important to affirm from Scripture (rather than just assume) God’s goodness and love. The psalmist tells God, “You are good, and You do what is good” (Psalm 119:68, HCSB). Similarly, we read, “For Yahweh is good, and His love is eternal; His faithfulness endures through all generations” (Psalm 100:5, HCSB).

So, we come back to the question: Why has God allowed the Coronavirus to spread? While I don’t pretend to have all the answers, Scripture does offer us a place to begin when considering this important question.

In the story of Scripture, we find that the human race first fell into ruin because we flouted God’s right to rule over us as His creatures. The original temptation was “to be like god” and reject His lordship over our lives (Genesis 3:5). When we cut ourselves off from the One who is the Source of life, the inevitable result is death. “For the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). In fact, suffering of all kinds — including viral diseases — is the result of the fall.

Because “we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose,” we also know that God must have a good purpose in allowing the Coronavirus to spread (Romans 8:28, NASB). While we tend to see things only in terms of their short-term consequences, God is able to take the long view and see the good that can come out of pain and loss. That’s why it’s so important to affirm God’s sovereign rule in the midst of crises, because that is the only thing that can give meaning and purpose to what we’re going through. Knowing that our loving God is working all things for our good offers us tremendous hope in the midst of so much uncertainty.

When some Jews told Jesus about certain Galileans that the Roman governor Pilate slaughtered, they wondered if this indicated they died because they were a bad lot that especially deserved it. Jesus replied, “Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans because they suffered this way? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish. Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them — do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem? I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish” (Luke 13:2-5, NIV).

Jesus is saying that when you see terrible suffering around you, don’t merely assume that suffering only happens to the worst of us. See it as another reason to be aware of your own need to get right with God. We tend to push away all thought of death and eternity in the everyday grind of life. So when a fast-spreading viral disease affects our loved ones and us, we feel especially vulnerable and aware of our own mortality. But the reality of suffering and death has always been there, even when we don’t allow it space in our consciousness.

C. S. Lewis said, “God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: it is his megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”[1] That is precisely Jesus’ point. God allows pain and suffering and diseases to get our attention, to alert us of our desperate need for Him. Suffering is a call to repentance. We should recognize times of health and peace as undeserved gifts of God’s common grace.

D. A. Carson writes, “It is a mark of our lostness that we invert these two. We think we deserve the times of blessing and prosperity, and that the times of war and disaster are not only unfair but come perilously close to calling into question God’s goodness or his power — even, perhaps, his very existence. Jesus simply did not see it that way.”[2]

What a comfort it is to know that God did not abandon us to this disease-ridden world. He actually entered into this mess and experienced the worst kind of suffering when He went to the cross on Golgotha Hill. On that hill, the real hammer of sin’s judgment came down on Him, so that we — through faith — might be spared. Through His death and resurrection, Christ provides a way for us to live forever one day in a place that is free of all suffering and disease. On that day, God “will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:4, NIV).

In the end, we should see the Coronavirus as a summons to seek refuge in the God who made us and in the Savior who suffered in our place.

[1] C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain (New York: Macmillan, 1962), 93.

[2] D.A. Carson, How Long, O Lord?: Reflections on Suffering and Evil (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1990), 67.

The Waiting Is the Hardest Part

On By Jason SmithIn DevotionalLeave a comment

By Jason Smith

“A person’s days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed.” (Job 14:5, NIV)

What are you waiting for? I frequently find myself wishing things were happening faster. Maybe it’s because I’m naturally an impatient person, or maybe it’s because I love the thrill of seeing things get done. Either way, I often feel that one of the greatest struggles in life is living in the tension of waiting.

So what are you waiting for? A new job? A new house? A new relationship? A call from your doctor? Take inventory of your heart for a moment. Have you ever noticed how the other highway lane or the other grocery line always seems to be moving faster than the one you’re in? What tends to happen to you when you feel like something you’re waiting for is taking too long? Do you grow agitated by your circumstances? Do people start to rub you the wrong way?

It’s very easy to be short with others when life seems to be stuck at a red light. It gets worse when others seem to be finding or achieving the very things for which you are most longing. It’s as if you’ve been stuck in the back of the line for a ride at Disneyland, and you keep watching one person after another jump ahead of you with their fast pass. You begin to wonder, Where’s my fast pass in life?

It can be discouraging to the point of debilitating when you live in a fast-paced world, yet seem to be stuck in slow motion. We think, Boy, wouldn’t it be nice to have a fast-forward button for life? We all know what it’s like to experience the unwelcome tension of waiting. Millennials like myself probably struggle with this even more than former generations. After all, we are enmeshed in the world of fast food, next-day delivery, and real-time news alerts. Every bit of information we need is merely a click away. Our culture has programmed us to view waiting as an unpleasant part of life. When we do have to wait for something, we see it as nothing but an inconvenient obstacle to our life plans.

But what if waiting is part of the plan? What if God intends to do something in us while we wait that could not otherwise happen? This is where a healthy view of God’s sovereignty can be indescribably freeing. “My times are in Your hand” (Psalm 31:15).

Scripture offers this promise to our restless hearts: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Read that promise again, only slower. The first thing we need to see is that God is working out “all things” for the good of His beloved children. “All things” has to include even the tiniest details in life. How we choose to respond to waiting reflects our confidence in God’s sovereign goodness and wisdom in that moment. I intentionally say we choose how we respond, because while we cannot always change our circumstances, we can always change our attitude (Philippians 2:14).

Over a dozen passages in the Bible talk about waiting on or for the Lord. To wait for the Lord is “to put your hope in the Lord with great anticipation.”

“Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!” (Psalm 27:14)

“For the evildoers shall be cut off, but those who wait for the LORD shall inherit the land.” (Psalm 37:9)

“Do not say, ‘I will repay evil’; wait for the LORD, and He will deliver you.” (Proverbs 20:22)

“…but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)

The oft-repeated cliché “Good things come to those who wait” could be amended to “Great things come to those who wait on the Lord.” But let’s be careful not to reduce waiting on the Lord to some version of hyper spiritualized laziness. It is an act of faith, whereby we live in the present in full reliance on the One who holds the future. It’s not an excuse for passivity. Followers of Christ are to be passionately involved in loving service in the midst of the waiting (Romans 12:6-13). “Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically” (Romans 12:11, NLT).

While the late Tom Petty was talking about his romantic relationship, the chorus from his song “The Waiting is the Hardest Part” can well apply to our situation: “You take it on faith, you take it to the heart/ The waiting is the hardest part.”

We see many examples in Scripture of those who had to wait a long time for their prayers to be answered. The woman with a bleeding problem had to wait twelve long years for healing (Luke 8:43-48). Despite their faithfulness and courage, Joshua and Caleb had to wait 40 years to enter the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 2:7; Joshua 5:6). Abraham and Sarah had to wait until they were 100 and 90 to have children (Genesis 21:5-7). The lame man at the Pool of Bethesda waited 38 years before God healed him (John 5:5-9).

In each of these cases, God was doing something in those who were waiting while they waited. Think of it. The man of John 9 who had been blind from birth had the unspeakable privilege of not only being healed by Christ but coming to know Jesus as Messiah and Savior (John 9:35-39). In the words of Jesus, all those years of blindness “happened so the power of God could be seen in him” (John 9:3).

Treasure this truth: God is never idle. He is doing something in and through you today to reveal His power in you tomorrow. He is always at work in the waiting.

Photo courtesy of Metiza

Is God Really in Control?

On By Jason SmithIn Devotional, Theology for LifeLeave a comment

By Jason Smith

“I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the LORD, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:5-7)

Just how sovereign is the God of the Bible? When one considers the endless stream of chaos, violence, and injustice reported on both local and national news stations, it could be very hard to believe that God really is in control.

The Bible describes God as infinitely loving, righteous, and good (Psalm 34:8; 145:17; 1 John 4:8).  In fact, Scripture reminds us that if there is one thing we can absolutely count on, it is that every single good thing we have has come to us from the loving hand of our Father in heaven (James 1:17). Friendship. Love. Family. Income. Health. A loving community of believers. The food in our stomach. The mocha I drank this morning. The car I drove to work in. Even the seemingly insignificant trivialities in life that brighten my day. They all come to me as undeserved gifts from a Father who delights to shower me with His love. This is important for me to remember, because apart from God’s grace, I would quickly lapse into the worst kind of pessimism.

That being said, what are we to make of all this evil and perversity in a world run by a good and holy God? In light of all the suffering in the world, atheists such as Richard Dawkins frequently say the burden of proof is on those who claim an all-powerful deity exists. Psalm 115:2 says that the nations may taunt, “Where is their God?” But our response will always be, “Our God is in heaven and does as He pleases” (v. 3). However, if we are honest, we can admit it is sometimes difficult to see this.

Repeatedly, Scripture reminds us of God’s all-pervasive sovereignty. “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” (Psalm 103:19, NASB). “The Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whom He will and sets over it the lowliest of men” (Daniel 4:17). In fact, God’s sovereign control is so meticulous that every roll of a dice or flip of a coin is determined by Him (see Proverbs 16:33). Thus, God decides the outcome of every NFL game that goes to overtime.

Why So Much Suffering?

But the question remains: If God really is in total control, why is the world so filled with evil and suffering? Upon a moment’s reflection, one can see that this is a tragedy-stricken world. We see bitter racism, hostile international aggression, lawsuits filed between those who once professed undying love for each other, and terrible diseases afflicting little babies. How are we to make sense of this conundrum? This question quickly flees the realm of the theoretical when either you or someone you love is struck by grief, tragedy, or betrayal.

In the biblical worldview, we are reminded that all suffering, disease, and death is the result of Adam’s fall into sin (see Romans 5:12). Although he was one man, that rebellion had a cataclysmic effect on all creation. We may downplay the seriousness of sin, but it always has consequences that extend even to the creation we inhabit. The natural world is subject to frustration, in “bondage to corruption,” and “groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now” (Romans 8:20-22). Adam led the way, but by extension, the whole human race is described as being in revolt against our Maker, suppressing the truth that He is righteous and we are not (Romans 1:18-21; 3:10).

It is into this broken world that God sent His dearly beloved Son to suffer alongside us as a human being and ultimately bear the infinite debt we owed for opposing God’s design and purpose, so that we might be totally forgiven and reconciled to Him (2 Corinthians 5:18-21). God loved us even when we hated Him (Romans 5:8-11). Jesus, the God-man, can “sympathize with our weaknesses,” pain, and frustrations, because He lived as one of us, “yet without sin” (Hebrews 4:15). In other words, God has proven through the cross that He has not abandoned us. Because of Christ’s atoning work, one day He will usher in a new creation where there will be no more pain, tears, or death (Revelation 21:1-5). We must cling to this unspeakably precious truth. At this point, you may be thinking, That is all true, but what about the suffering we still have to deal with today?

“I Am Yahweh, Who Does All These Things”

Many have proposed the solution is admitting God’s limited ability or knowledge, but Scripture everywhere rules that out.[1] Apparently, our comfort in suffering cannot be that God tried His best, but was simply unaware or unable to do anything about it. Remarkably, God often emphasizes the extent of His sovereignty in the very context in which the most heinous evil is described (see Genesis 45:5-8; 50:15-20; Acts 2:22-23; 4:27-28). Isaiah makes this very point when he quotes God declaring how He will equip the ungodly King Cyrus to accomplish His purpose.

“I am the LORD, and there is no other,
besides me there is no God;
I equip you, though you do not know me,

that people may know, from the rising of the sun
and from the west, that there is none besides me;
I am the LORD, and there is no other.

I form light and create darkness,
I make well-being and create calamity,
I am the LORD, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:5-7)

Notice God intentionally describes the full spectrum over which He has control: “I form light and create darkness, I make well-being and create calamity, I am the LORD, who does all these things” (v. 7). The Hebrew word for “calamity” is ra (רָע) , which is most often translated “evil.” Although we may hesitate to credit God with having perfect control over all evil, our Lord is not. God seems to be going out of His way in Isaiah 45:5-7 to declare His sovereignty in all its fullness. Both good and evil occur according to His providential will. God is obviously not the direct cause of evil — He is spotless and holy. Nevertheless, He indirectly permits every instance of evil. If He did not, He would not really be sovereign. In fact, if something happened outside of His control, He would not truly be Yahweh, the God of Scripture. That is the whole point of saying, “I am Yawheh, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am Yawheh, who does all these things” (vv. 6b-7). God is the one who purposefully “works all things according to the counsel of His will” while nevertheless remaining perfectly righteous in all His ways (Ephesians 1:11).

The Greatest Comfort in Suffering

So, what’s the point? Just this: there is untold comfort in knowing and believing that God really is in control over all of creation. When pain and suffering rock our world, we can easily feel like we are drowning in a current of chaotic emotions. Fighting desperately to keep our head above water, we can struggle to believe that God is even real in those moments. Isaiah says Yahweh is a God who at times seems to hide Himself (Isaiah 45:15).

However paradoxical it may seem initially, the thing that will bring us the most hope and solace in the midst of our suffering is the reality of God’s absolute control – the truth that nothing can ultimately thwart His sovereign will. No matter how many times we get knocked to the ground, we can know that our King is never knocked off His throne. That is why we can trust Him when He says, “Turn to me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other” (v. 22). This is not a provisional salvation, but an assured “everlasting salvation” (v. 17). If God truly is sovereign, then we can bank on His promise to use every instance of evil in our life to bring about His good purposes. We can be certain that our suffering is not meaningless. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28). Perhaps no truth is more comforting while we walk through pain and suffering than knowing that in the midst of all the chaos and confusion, God is working for our ultimate good and His everlasting glory.

Obviously, His moral will can be resisted by His rebellious creatures.[2] We’re not merely pawns on the cosmic chessboard, but free moral agents who are responsible for the choices we make. Yet, even this is only because He, the omnipotent Creator, allows us to go our own way. God’s providential plan for the universe — even His meticulous sovereignty — can never be thwarted by human evil. Think of it: He can even choose to rescue His people through a wicked man like Cyrus, who doesn’t even know Him (Isaiah 45:1, 4-5). That is why He is a God worthy of our total allegiance and worship (v. 23).

When suffering afflicts us, we are often surprised by it, but God never is surprised by our suffering. And that is the truth that will be our lifeline pulling us through the agony of hardship.


[1] “Ah, Lord GOD! It is you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you” (Jeremiah 32:17; also see v. 27; Matthew 19:26; Luke 1:37). “Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O LORD, you know it altogether” (Psalm 139:4; also see Jeremiah 23:24; Daniel 2:22; Matthew 6:4).

[2] Think of any time we break one of the Ten Commandments, which are an expression of His holy will for human life.

How Should Christians Vote?

On By Jason SmithIn Theology for Life2 Comments

By Jason Smith

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God” (Romans 13:1).

Vote-Here-Marg Johnson

You might be wondering if I really have the gall to tell you how you should vote in the sense of recommending for whom or what specifically you should vote. But that is not my intention here. In fact, to do so would undermine much of what I have to say in this post. Instead, my aim is to challenge followers of Jesus Christ to consider thoughtfully both the manner and mindset with which they will vote this year.

It is a painful truism to say that our nation is deeply divided, particularly in the sphere of politics. Rarely has our nation witnessed such stark and severe polarization between conservatives and liberals. In the United States, one’s “political party” has practically become a euphemism for which side of the nation’s battle lines you have decided to take your stand. In the wake of the 2016 presidential election, a seemingly endless stream of vitriolic verbal attacks were lobbed back and forth like hand grenades on social media. In the midst of all the upheaval, many simply tried to duck for cover, fearing the next venomous insult might strike them.

How did it come to this? While the two-party structure has been in place in the United States since before the Civil War, rarely has so much hatred been spewed between the two parties. Like a sailor struggling to cross the deck of a ship being rocked by an intense storm, the nation feels unsteady. The Right and the Left have become ideological fortresses so cemented in their way of thinking that there seems to be no signs of fruitful dialogue. As a nation, I fear we have lost the art of civil persuasion. Instead, we have resorted to mindless mud-slinging and sardonic put-downs. Simply put, we need help.

I want to encourage you to think carefully about who you are as a Christian and how this should utterly transform the way we approach the voting booth. To do this, we need to look at Scripture. God has offered us the help we so desperately need in these politically trying times.

Christians Should Vote Biblically

The Christian’s source for truth and wisdom is Scripture. Therefore, in every area that we vote, we should be asking, “What does the Bible say on this matter?” The Bible is an ancient book, but it is never outdated. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17, NIV). That statement is as true today as it was when Paul wrote it. It is because of that first clause — all Scripture is God-breathed — that everything else follows. We can be fully “equipped for every good work” (including voting) because our God has actually spoken to us and not left us to work out everything according to our own fallible wisdom. Political opinions come and go. Cultural controversies have their day in the sun. But “the word of our God will stand forever” (Isaiah 40:8, ESV). On any issue we vote on, we should make it our goal to seek biblical wisdom on the matter.

Your Identity Is in Christ, Not a Political Party

This world is constantly trying to stuff people into certain categories, be they social, political, economic, or ethnic. You must be this and not that. But the cross of Jesus Christ forever stands as a witness against this way of thinking. “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Your most fundamental identity is not dictated by whether you check the red or the blue box. Rather, it is found in Christ alone.

Don’t fall into the trap of thinking of yourself most fundamentally as belonging to either the Republican party or the Democratic party. Recognize the deeper and eternal reality underneath all those transitory layers. Here’s an important question to consider: At the absolute core of who you are, do you identify more as an American or as a follower of Jesus Christ? Just remember that earthly kingdoms, by their very nature, will not stand forever. Only the kingdom of God will last into eternity.

Your Vote Is Important, but Not Ultimate

When Jesus stood before Pilate, bleeding and in chains, the Roman governor viewed his own power as ultimate. Did he have to answer to Caesar? Of course, but Caesar was over 1,000 miles away. When Jesus refused to respond to his interrogation, Pilate was indignant.

So Pilate tried another tactic, reminding Him who was in charge here. “You will not speak to me? Do you not know that I have authority to release you and authority to crucify you?” (John 19:10). In today’s vernacular, Pilate was confidently asserting, “Just remember, I’m the big cheese around here.” As is often the case for those in seats of power, Pilate hoped Jesus would at least acknowledge his supremacy.

Instead, Jesus calmly turned to him and replied, “You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above. Therefore he who delivered me over to you has the greater sin” (v. 11). Wow. In other words, “Pilate, you wouldn’t even be standing in this position unless My Father had given it to you. You are actually a servant of God’s greater purposes in spite of yourself.” This is true of every government official according to Romans 13:1: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”

Our votes are important, but they are not ultimate. Why? Because human governments are not ultimate. God alone is sovereign over the nations (see Psalm 2). As Daniel said of the one true God while living in a land full of false gods, “Blessed be the name of God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings; He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to those who have understanding” (Daniel 2:20-21). The only reason anyone is in any government position at all is because God determined it so. “He removes kings and sets up kings.”

Pilate was a wicked man willing to slaughter Jews in order to reassert his power (Luke 13:1). Yet Jesus says that God had good purposes for this evil man in office. Voting matters, but only because God can use even the most heinous persons to accomplish His mission in the world. Human freedom does not nullify the sovereignty of God. So vote, but vote with the recognition that ultimately you do not place anyone in any position of authority. That is the job of our sovereign God alone, and we should be thankful for that.

Vote with the End in Mind

Politicians promise many things. After a while, many of these promises seem a bit empty. However, there are promises found in Scripture that the follower of Jesus can bank their life on. The brightest, fullest, and most audacious hope one can ever dream of is found in the pages of Scripture. I’m talking about resurrection, the ultimate goal of the Christian life. On that Day, when the curtain rolls back, the world will see Jesus for who He truly is, and His kingdom will be unveiled and finally consummated in full. It will be said, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:3-4).

Even today, however, Jesus rules from His throne in heaven. He’s not in the tomb; He hasn’t been for nearly 2,000 years. From the moment He conquered death in history, Jesus “must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death,” (1 Corinthians 15:25-26). As we vote this year, followers of the risen Lord must vote with this hope in mind. This settled peace and assurance will keep us from angry name-calling and hostile aggression whenever the volatile topic of politics comes up. Ultimately, we are not awaiting our candidate’s election. We are awaiting the trumpet blast, and the return of our now reigning Lord (v. 52).

Photo Credit: Marg Johnson