What a week in the life of one small congregation! One family lost a dear little one far too soon; another is rejoicing in the birth of a healthy baby, after a similar loss not two years ago. All that following an Easter celebration coinciding with the anniversary of yet another loss of little ones. God gives and God takes. We rejoice and we mourn.
And really, when you look around, you see that this goes on all the time, all around us. Some are sick and some are well. Some are too anxious to deal with life, while others are moving along happily, even if the two lives are not that different from an objective point of view. Some are too busy to rest; others are bored and desperate for work to do. One person begs God for something, while the next begs Him for the opposite. Only God knows which prayers to answer. Only He knows how those answers will mold us and shape us into His will for us.
God does all His holy will for His own glory. The sovereignty of God is what comforts me. I am sure I do not know what I would do without that knowledge. God has taken care of me all the days of my life, even the ones that rank as the worst. He has given to me and taken from me. And joy really does come in its time. When I have gone through hard things it has seemed that life will never settle, will never be happy. Yet time passes, and God's plan marches on. The hard things are not forgotten, but our view changes over time.
God has given me joy, and for that I am so grateful. But looking back over hard times I see that He was giving me joy then, too. I have been blessed to have the joys and sorrows mingled in such a way that this many years later I can look back with joy. Not everyone handles grief in the same way. To some a much harder road is given. We don't know why; only God knows His reasons. But we know that He loves His children. And I know that He loves me because of the way He has taken care of me, moving me along both in joy and in sorrow.
To God be the glory!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Posts
2 comments:
Yes. To God be the glory.
Amen. Looking back on the very good God has given and the bitter providence he allows, I can still always say God has been good to me. Great is Thy Faithfulness.
Post a Comment