Facing Affliction (Part 3)
God is Sovereign

Last week we considered the value of knowing that God is good. If God is good and yet limited in power or ability, we are in big trouble. Of course this is not the case. God is always in complete control and will fully accomplish His eternal purposes.

In Job 38-41 God responds to Job’s disappointment in his circumstances. In his disappointment Job began to make judgments on God that were far from the truth.

When we find ourselves in the midst of unsettling circumstances, reading these chapters can help us avoid foolish thinking. After God speaks at length to Job, Job responds as follows:

Job 42:1-6
Then Job answered the LORD and said, “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted. ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’ Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know. ‘Hear, now, and I will speak; I will ask You, and You instruct me.’ I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.”

Think about Job’s opening words: I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted.

Often times our struggle has to do with wanting God to do all things that we request and to fulfill the purposes that we prefer. While as sinful, finite beings we might wish this, still we know that God’s ways are always best.

As believers we must be resolute in our confidence that God is absolutely sovereign. He is not reacting to the unexpected events in this world. On the contrary, He is intentional in all that He does.

We might look at circumstances through our sinful eyes and struggle to see or understand the good that God can bring from them, but if we were looking through the eyes of God, we would see that all He does is the absolute best.

Often time people will indicate a desire to question God upon arriving in heaven, to seek a better understanding of the events that transpired in their lives. I believe that when we see God in His glory, the questions will immediately vanish because we will see God in all His perfection. It will not be a time to question, only a time to bow in worship.

Rocky Wyatt
2012-01-30

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What is Staying the Course all about?

There is an overwhelming amount of material on the internet today. Who could possibly keep up? There are not sufficient hours in the day to read all of the books, blogs and tweets, or to listen to all of the CDs, mp3s and podcasts.

The purpose of XL Ministries is quite simple: We desire to train people for ministry within the context of the church. We are also committed to providing encouragement and ongoing training for those who are currently serving in the ministry.

Staying the Course is simply another avenue to accomplish these purposes. Our desire is to offer, in a brief format, biblical encouragement and practical insights to remind us of who we are in relation to who our great God is, what we are doing, and why we are doing it. The intent is to provide some scriptural thoughts for meditation for the week.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB.