The sermon we heard this morning really rocked us. It resonated into the deep well of our suffering and grief. The pastor said, "We are all broken, shattered, and scattered shards of colored glass spread out on the floor. Most people would just come along and sweep up the mess and toss them. God doesn't do that. He picks each piece up lovingly, cleans it off and puts it in a beautiful stained glass. We are a piece of God's magnificent whole." Nothing is random, although it might appear so and when bad and dark things happen we wonder where is God. Why is this happening? Is God even good?
The fact is, God is not shocked or surprised by anything any one of us is going through. He had a cosmic plan in place before the beginning of time. He is sovereign - over all - absolutely. The living out of our faith, especially during the hard and dark things is what Paul talked about so much. The Bible - both Old and New Testament - is replete with stories of profound suffering. Why are we shocked when we experience it? We must not despair - God is in control - even when it doesn't make any sense to our small minds. He isn't caught off guard or shocked. He isn't stepping back shocked and saying,"oh well, you are on your own there!" Jesus should become more precious to us than before we suffered. He, who was absolutely without sin and guilt, suffered ultimately and profoundly more than we ever could. He is well acquainted with suffering. There is nothing in this world that we are to experience or endure that isn't designed by our loving heavenly Father to cause us to prize Christ more! Isn't that a remarkable, incomprehensible statement?! It's true though. We can suffer in absolutely 100% full confidence that God is FOR us, not against us. Nothing can happen to us apart from God's will. God is for you! That's easier to say than it is to believe, and easier to believe than it is to feel. God doesn't waste suffering - so we shouldn't. So, why is there suffering in the world - the fallen world? Three things - 1. Our sin; 2. The sins of others; 3. Satan's activity. BUT GOD IS SOVEREIGN OVER ALL OF IT BECAUSE HE APPOINTS ALL THINGS ACCORDING TO HIS OWN WILL!! Hard to accept isn't it?
Sovereignty.God is the supreme authority and all things are under His control. ... Sovereignty is an Attribute of God based upon the fact that God as the creator of heaven and earth has absolute right and full authority to do or allow whatever He desires.Let that sink down inside you. Apply it to whatever you are going through that is hard or painful and dark. Yeah - pretty profound isn't it. I can't understand it with my brain, but I believe and accept it with my heart and because I love Him and ultimately trust him. It gives me incredible HOPE! He is in control - even when it doesn't appear He is - that you are just being acted on by evil in some random scattered destructive way that makes you feel anxious, depressed, out of control. You are out of control! BUT THE GOOD NEWS IS - HE ISN'T! That just encourages me so much and I hope it does the people I'm sending this to. Study suffering in the Bible - there's a lot about it in there.
We all need to hear this because if we aren't now, we will suffer in this life.
At New Life Presbyterian this morning, Pastor Ted announced that next week a man named Dr. J. Ligon Duncan would be preaching, after giving the commencement address at Westminster Seminary. I looked him up and found a 4- part series seminar he did on Suffering that is so, so, so good. I wanted to share it in case you were interested. I numbered them in order starting with the last one which is #1 "Why Me?". It's the answer to the abiding question of so many - me included at times - Why do bad things happen to good people? Why do we suffer if God is for us? I'm listening back to back and will most likely listen again. God's sovereignty is my hope when I ask, Why us? What For? click on each below to listen (there is a transcript to). It's worth your time if you are experiencing or have experienced suffering.LoveCheryl
https://www.fpcjackson.org/resource-library/seminars/suffering-why-me
https://www.fpcjackson.org/resource-library/seminars/suffering-what-for
3. Suffering - How So?
https://www.fpcjackson.org/resource-library/seminars/suffering-how-so
4. Suffering - Him Too?
https://www.fpcjackson.org/resource-library/seminars/suffering-him-too
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