Previous Challenge Entry (Level 3 - Advanced)
Topic: CONTROL (02/18/21)
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TITLE: God's At The Wheel | Previous Challenge Entry
By Doug Laird
02/23/21 -
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Yet, the Doctrine of Sovereignty and God's divine attributes clearly places God in ultimate control, 24 - 7.
Accordingly, nothing has ever taken place, is taking place now, or will ever take place that did not or will not first pass through the controlling hands of God.
Our faith, trust, and confidence in God and/or the things of God can be put to the test when bad things happen to good people and vice versa.
God's omniscience, omnipresence, and omnipotence means that whatever events do take place, they did/do so in His presence, with His knowledge, and that He had the power, the means and the opportunity to intervene.
Therefore, everything that happens is an expression of God's direct, permissive, or over-ruling will.
Accepting (Job 2: 10) the challenges associated adversity, tragedy, and losses that God's permissive will allows is one of the many mile stones along the road to spiritual maturity.
Discovering the fact that some of the "all" things" that work together for good (Romans 8: 28) scenario can or will include disappointments, rejection, torture, humiliation, danger, prison, losses, and death (2Cor. 11: 23 - 29/Heb. 11: 35b - 38) can be an eye-opening experience.
Having retired from a law enforcement career that spanned three decades, I witnessed the reality of what life here in the devil's world can bring to people.
In my personal life, I have been no stranger to loss, tragedy, trials, adversity, tribulation, and life-threatening health issues.
Throughout my personal and professional life, I have been a student of the Bible and have been told that I have a way with words.
In God's timing, He would make use of my experiences, my study, and writing skills.
Along the way, I became totally convinced that God was/is in control of HIS plan, but not necessarily supportive in OURS (Luke 12: 18 - 20). What we might think (or hope) is God's plan for us and what His plan (Matt. 28: 19, 20/1Cor. 12: 7, 18/ 2Cor 5: 20) actually is and actually calls for ( Luke 9: 23/2Tim. 3: 12) can be quite different.
With my family being raised and my career winding down, I felt like I had been put through the ringers.
I have a history of rapid pulse rate and elevated blood pressure. Just before retiring from the second law-enforcement agency in my career, I was diagnosed having Type 2 Diabetes.
A few months after retiring, I was diagnosed with stage three colon cancer, with the odds of survival not being in my favor. Major surgery, months of chemo, and permanent residual effects were awaiting me.
Once again, my "God is in control" approach to life kicked in. If it had been my time to go I was ready, but as it turned out, God's plan for my earthly life was not yet over.
Seven years later (2008), I was ordained to do the work of a pastor teacher. Combining my experiences, my knowledge of Scripture, and my writing ability, I established an on-line, Bible-teaching ministry.
God gives most of us great latitude with what we do with our lives, but there are some things over which we have NO control.
Our biological parents may or may not have had a baby in mind when what would become our humanity was conceived. Humans reproduce bodies (John 3: 6a) through the means that God created. But it is God who creates the soul (John 3: 6b/Eccl. 12: 7) and places the soul in the specific body of HIS choosing at birth (Gen. 2: 7).
This choice of body made by God sets the stage for much about what our personal experiences here on Earth will be.
God determines the length of time that each soul will indwell the body of His choosing (Psalms 31: 15/Ecclesiastes 12: 7/Heb. 9: 27).
Between our birth date and appointed death date, God has a perfect plan in mind for each one of us. The devil desires to keep as much of that plan that he can from taking place (1Pet. 5: 8/Mark 4: 17-19).
Struggling with the driver of a car for control of the steering wheel can lead to disaster. If we use the free will that God has given us to take independent control over the direction of our lives, it too could end in disaster.
The opinions expressed by authors may not necessarily reflect the opinion of FaithWriters.com.
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