The Sovereignty and Goodness of God

The reach of COVID-19 has been daunting – it has touched virtually every part of our lives.  Yet we are assured from its Author that it can and will only go so far as its intended purpose.  God reminds us, “I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7)  Both tranquility (“peace”) and calamity (“evil”) are of the LORD and they each serve Him Who “works all things after the counsel of His own will.” (Ephesians 1:11)

What can be said then about God’s purpose in the ebb and flow of this virus in our community?  We can say with scriptural authority the same of which we can say of all the threads that are woven into the tapestry of our lives, i.e. “…that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  Here, again, we are reminded of God’s sovereign control working in perfect harmony with His goodness to accomplish His purpose and His purpose is always good.

We can add a further dimension to His purpose by reflecting on Paul’s remarks to the believers at Rome.  “O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God!  How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!  For who hath known the mind of the Lord? Or, who hath been his counselor?  Or, who hath first given to him, and it shall be recompensed again?  For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things:  to whom be glory forever.  Amen.”  (Romans 11:33-36)

We conclude that God created all things, sustains all things, and works all things according to His will for His purpose.  This purpose in all things accrues unto His glory first and foremost.  And, this glory is uniquely and necessarily manifest in his goodness to those who love Him for it has pleased Him to make us like unto His dear Son.

For the child of God, the crisis of the moment is part of God’s eternal plan and we can be assured that He is too wise to make a mistake and too good to be unkind!  Therefore, we give thanks in all things for “this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.”  (I Thessalonians 5:18) 

What We All Really Need

When Jesus stood before Pontius Pilate prior to his crucifixion, he made an amazing statement concerning his purpose for coming.  He asserted, “I have come into this world to bear witness to the truth.” (John 18:37)  It could be argued that truth is mankind’s greatest need, for truth gives light and light shows the way through darkness.  The very world in which we live and wherein we walk daily is engulfed by darkness.  Friend, we need truth and, by that, I mean the kind of truth on which we can rely and govern not only our days, but our lives.

There are many voices that claim to be the truth – our government, the news media, our educational institutions, churches, the ever ubiquitous internet, and even our own opinions.  We hear them daily and, yet, we are left wondering, “Can I rely upon this wholly?  Can I place my full weight upon this with undiminished confidence?”

The truth to which the Lord bears witness rises above the clamor of these voices and invites all who will hear his voice to come unto him and find the rest their souls desire.  Why is that?  Because he is both the truth and the light and when we have truth and light, the way is plain and the turmoil of uncertainty vanishes. 

These are very uncertain times for sure.  But, frankly, there have been no times that did not have their share of uncertainty.  Now, as always, one voice rises above the rest.  Jesus, after declaring to Pilate his purpose immediately added, “Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  May we find ourselves listening to the truth that can satisfy our souls, even in the midst of turbulent times.

A Door of Hope

The first city to fall to Joshua and the Israelites when they crossed into Canaan was Jericho.  God gave very specific instructions for its overthrow.  The Israelites circled the city six days, but on the seventh day they were instructed to circle it seven times.  After the seventh time, the trumpet sounded, the people shouted and the wall of the city fell “down flat.” (Joshua 6:2-5)

God also gave instruction concerning the inhabitants of the city and their belongings.  The city was counted as “accursed…and all that are therein, to the LORD…But all the silver and gold…are consecrated unto the LORD: they shall come into the treasury of the LORD.” (Joshua 2:17-19)  God had instructed the people to keep themselves from the “accursed thing” lest they themselves would be accursed.  This brings us to Achan.

Achan took from among the spoils a “garment…silver and…gold” and hid them in his tent.  This disobedience led to the downfall of the Israelites in their attempt to take the city Ai. God exposed Achan’s sin to Joshua and Achan and his family and all of his belongings were stoned and burnt in the Valley of Achor and a pile of stones placed over them.  Achor means “trouble.”  Achan had “troubled” Israel by taking the accursed thing and promoting their initial defeat at Ai.

Fast forward about 665 years.  God’s earthly people, Israel, had departed from Him and He looked at them as an adulterous wife.  Even so, He spoke through His prophet Hosea, of His future restoration of her to Himself by His grace.  In His promise to the nation, He states “I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her.  And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth.” (Hosea 2:14-15)

The valley of trouble in the day of Joshua has now become a door of hope!  Only God can do this.  God can take us through troubled and difficult times and lead us to a door of hope.  The COVID-19 virus hangs over our community, our nation, and our families as a shroud.  But God is in control.  He alone knows the path this will take us.  If we belong to Him, all the paths He leads us through come out at the right place.  He is our Door of Hope!