Tag: godissovereign

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Is God Fair or is He Gracious?

The Kedge Anchor
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How does it make you feel when you have worked so hard for something only to not achieve it or just fail at it. Perhaps you were working hard for a promotion at work. You stayed late when you had to without complaint, went above and beyond to prove your abilities, you were honest and loyal and someone else who was far less experienced and than you got the promotion. Hardly seems fair.

Maybe all your friends are getting married and having babies and you are having a hard time finding the right guy or girl or experiencing miscarriage after miscarriage. You take care of yourself, eat healthy, exercise, and still no baby. Or maybe it’s your marriage. Your friend’s marriage crumbled but now, they are back together but your marriage seems like there is no hope that any reconciliation is possible. How is this fair? But it happens and God allows it. It seems like the wicked prosper and the righteous suffer. Life just isn’t turning out how you had planned. Sometimes God’s actions clash with what we expect.

Habakkuk saw injustices happening and what appeared to be the evil ones succeeding. Read the book of Habakkuk, it’s only four chapters. In this book, God offers hope, as He always does.

Habakkuk makes no bones about complaining to God and asking questions like, why and how long. Habakkuk had to posture himself before God. Be it on your knees or not, the most important the posture of your heart – humility. Philippians 2:3-8 offers some insight into the posture Jesus had. Habakkuk also had to be patient and wait on God – Psalm 46:10 – this can be hard but so necessary. I sometimes wonder if “being still” means not frantically worrying and worshipping the problem we face, but instead frantically worshipping our Father. How many times does a solution comes to us when we aren’t thinking about it. For me I could be cooking dinner, driving, reading a book, in the middle of writing a blog post or serving Him and God will hit me with the answer to my problem. Most times, that’s how God speaks to me, when I’m not solely thinking about my problem.

God replies to Habakkuk in 1:5; “Look at the nations and watch and be utterly amazed.
For I am going to do something in your days that you would not believe, even if you were told …”. Then in Chapter 2, verse 2 God tell Habakkuk to write down His answer to warn others. God is telling Habakkuk in verse 3 to wait, wait for what He is going to do. God will make everything right, but we have to wait. We need to continue to have the right posture and be patient.

God’s ways are not our way- Isaiah 55:8 “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.” “Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.” – Psalm 115:3. God is sovereign, He sees the big picture. What appears to be unfair to us now, God is delivering us grace. That can be a hard pill to swallow. Through all the injustices we see now, God sees, He knows what He is doing. We need to have faith and trust Him.

Here’s something to think about, what is the difference between grace and fairness? Leave a comment below, what are your thoughts?

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Pray for Ukraine

The Kedge Anchor

Sometimes it seems like our prayers aren’t enough. But most times that’s all we can do. It’s hard to process all that is happening over in Ukraine, in our world. I feel for those families that are there living through this, it’s scary. I feel for those who have lost lost loved ones, I feel for our troops and their families. My heart goes out to all of them and this mere social media post… what can it do?

In the millions of posts, stories, and articles flooding news feeds asking for prayers for Ukraine I hope that this small post will bring hope. Because there is Hope. Jesus is our only Hope. That alone brings me encouragement. God knew long before the foundations of the very universe He created what would happen. This is no surprise to God. Hebrews 4:13 – “Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” (KJV). In the later part of this verse the NIV says “…Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

Proverbs 11:21 “Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but those who are righteous will go free.” (NIV).

God sees all, nothing goes unnoticed, He noticed everyone of us being formed in our mother’s womb – Psalm 139:16. He sees EVERYTHING and we all we give an account one day to the choices we make today. We can choose heaven or hell. Our leaders and world leaders will all be held accountable for their choices and actions, no one is exempt from this.

But God loved us so much to save us from His wrath He provided a way out for us. He sacrificed His only Son to pay the penalty of our sin. Jesus willingly sacrificed His life for us. And it’s through a simple prayer, inviting Jesus into your heart and choosing to follow Him, will save you from His judgement and wrath. See God doesn’t choose to send people to hell. People choose to reject Him and choose hell. Harsh words? Maybe. But it’s the truth. But God also gives us grace. Mercy is not getting what you deserve; grace is getting what you don’t deserve. And He gives us the Hope in in Son Jesus Christ that one day, this old earth will pass away and there will be a new heaven and new earth – Revelation 21:1

Jesus is alive today, He conquered the grave! He is our only Hope this we have in this world and it’s our choice. You can believe or reject it. God gave us a free will.

Pray. No matter how small or short the prayer is, God sees your heart. Nothing goes unnoticed.

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Surrendering

The Kedge Anchor
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What is it you are struggling with today? Has it been for a while? I am sure you are tired and exhausted and just want the whole thing to just go away. I can guarantee that you have asked God to remove it. And I bet it seems like nothing is changing your situation. In our reality it can seem that way but in God’s reality everything is right on time. I know those are likely the words you did not want to hear. But, that is the truth. It’s hard for me to accept sometimes.

The Bible says in Proverbs 5:21 – “The Lord sees everything you do. Wherever you go, he is watching.” Nothing gets past Him. Ecclesiastes 3:11 – “He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end.” Isaiah 55:8, the NLT versions says, “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the LORD. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”

Every time those verses are brought to my mind, my reaction; ugh! It means if I love God and am choosing to follow Him, then it’s His will on earth as it is in Heaven, as the Lords’ prayer states in Matthew 6:7-15. At this point I have to surrender if I am choosing to follow Him. Is can be easy, sometimes, if we are trusting God, but most of the time I want something done and immediately. I am sure Jesus felt the same way in the Garden the night before being nailed to the cross.

I need to rely on what I know, not what I think, not what I speculate, not what I guess, not on someone else’s opinion, not what I feel, but on what I know to be true of God and what He says in His Word. So I know that He sees me and nothing goes unnoticed. I know that He is sovereign, I Colossians 1:16-17 – “For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” Job 42:2 – “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.” Our country’s current state of confusion, division, and unrest, God is aware of it and has His reasons for it happening. In John 16:33 Jesus says, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

It can be so hard to let go and surrender all to God. And you can choose to hold on to whatever it is that you are struggling with. God is waiting patiently for you to give it to Him, when you are ready. He will not force you to do anything, He’s not that kind of God. God will work things out, Romans 8:28 – ‘And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” After you choose to hand over your struggles, keep an opened mind to how God works things out. The outcome is most likely going to be different than you expected but still right on time.

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“…let words of prayer be on our lips.”

The Kedge Anchor

Nothing, nothing surprises God. There is nothing new under the sun. A new administration has begun in our government and some citizens are feeling disappointment whiles others maybe celebrating. One thing holds true and remains the same, God still sits on the throne. He knew before the foundations of the world how this election was going to play out and He knows the future. Daniel 2:21 – “He changes times and seasons; he deposes kings and raises up others. He gives wisdom to the wise and knowledge to the discerning.” God is in control.

Now, whether or not we agree with the outcome, we have a new president. We don’t have to agree on anything and we don’t have to resort to violence or name bashing and tearing other people down. What we need to do as Christians is pray for our leaders. The Bible tells us in 1 Timothy 2:1-2 – “Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men, 2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.” And in Romans 13:1 – “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.” We need to pray for our leaders. As hard as that may be, we need to pray for them.

When authorities begin to cause us to go against scripture and disobey God that’s when we need to resolve who we are worshipping. Who will we obey? As Daniel resolved to do when King Darius ordered that everyone worship him, if anyone was caught praying to any other god or man beside Darius, they would be thrown in the lion’s den. Daniel had been getting down on his knees praising and worshipping God three times a day and he resolved that nothing was going to change that. It cost him a night in the lion’s den, but God protected him and shut the lion’s mouth. The next morning, King Darius saw no harm was done to Daniel. He recognized that the God Daniel worshipped was indeed God.

Philippians 4:8-9 – “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.’ ” When we think bad of others, we are dishonoring God. We are to take every thought captive. – 2 Corinthians 10:5. Will you resolve with me to think good of others and pray for our leaders? We won’t be perfect at it, we will have days. But God is gracious, just and willing to forgive us. – 1 John 1:9

God still sits on the throne, He is in control and He is sovereign.