10-9-2014

Good Morning All,

       Philippians 4:7; “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

      Why does “stuff” happen?  I get that a lot.  From confirmation kids to our oldest members, why does “stuff” happen?  Why do small babies have to be born sick or weak?  Why do some people, who only seem to suffer, keep on living?  Why does it seem that the bad people succeed while the good people seem to struggle?  Why do some people seem to only hate?  Why do so many seem to not care about anybody or anything?  Why does it seem that the world is falling apart?

     We have lots of questions and we seldom have any answers.  Why did this person die so young?  I really do not know.  Why does that person continue to live when it seems that they are only suffering?  I really do not know.  There is much that I do not know.  Sometimes that can be troubling but in reality I can find a lot of comfort in this fact; I really do not know.  Many people, especially non-believers, cannot understand why or how a Christian can take comfort in not knowing everything.  It is really pretty simple.  We only need to remember one thing and always keep that in our mind.  We need to remember one of the most fundamental facts of the Bible.

    God is God and I am not.  Throughout the Bible we are reminded of this; God is God and I am not.  God is the creator, we are the created.  In the Book of Job, God asks Job, “where were you when I laid out the foundation of the world?”  In Isaiah we are told that God’s ways are not our ways and that he is higher than us than we are over grasshoppers.  God is God and I am not.  I can take comfort in that fact.

    Since God is God and I am not, I can turn all the responsibility of keeping everything straight over to God; I don’t need to do it; even if I could, I don’t have to worry about that.  God is God and I am not.  I trust that God, who has been merciful to me and to all mankind, will continue to shower us with that mercy even if it does not make sense at the time because God is God and I am not.  I take hold of the faith that God gives to me and cling tightly to him because he has promised to love me and to care for me and to let nothing tear me from his hand.  I trust this because God is God and I am not.

    God gives us the peace that the world cannot give us because when we cling to him in faith, we cling to the God who is God over all and who has all things in his hands.  He has promised me mercy and salvation so no matter what is now; no matter what now looks like; I can rest assured that God has everything under control because God is God and I am not.  That is His promise, that is his truth and that is our comfort.

Father of love, in you we have peace.  We have peace because you give us that peace that the world does not know because you give us the faith to hold onto you.  Guard us by your mercy and keep us mindful that you are the God of love who delivers us and protects us.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret