Don’t Blame the Devil
Sometimes rotten things happen to us; but God is sovereign and He knows what we face. He’s here to comfort, to encourage and to help us overcome our obstacles .
When you put these these two ideas together: that God is sovereign and that rotten things can happen, that suggests that God allows rotten things to happen to us, right?
Theology can be argued in so many ways. But if you believe as I do, that God is God – all powerful and all knowing – that implies that He knows when we suffer. So, if He knows, why does He let it go on anyway?
In the past I’ve written that “without opposition, we don’t become strong.” I believe that to be true. Further, while God doesn’t orchestrate rotten things happening, sometimes He allows it, because that is the only/best way to ensure we learn and grow from where we are now, toward who He has created us to be.
When we pursue the Call of God, there will be challenges we must face. I think it’s very important that we don’t get tricked into thinking these obstacles must only be endured or fought. Rather, if we reckon they are for our good, they won’t seem so large, we get a head start on overcoming, and we use the opposition to hurl us forward. When we accept God is in all things, we are spurred on; when we embrace opposition, we discover what God has for us and grow.
Holiness is an old word and a new aim when we are seeking to live a surrendered life which will bring fulfilment, satisfaction in our life’s work, and internal peace – the peace that passes all understanding. As we live a life surrendered to God, we will encounter opposition. We can “do Spiritual Warfare”. But it’s important to note, I think, that before we battle the heavenly realms, we also recognise the LORD is trying to teach us something. If we only look at opposition as something to be fought, rather than something to learn from, we miss God’s reason for allowing the trouble in the first place. If we miss the point, we miss the lesson, and that is a pity. Further, like school, if we miss the lesson, we probably have to face it again, so that ultimately we can overcome.
I believe it is through overcoming, that we draw closer to fulfilling God’s Call in our lives.