Dear Missionary Lady,
Greetings in the name of our sovereign God. What a comfort it is to know that God is in control, both of the world at large and of me individually.
Job knew this truth. He didn’t always land on the right side of the application of that truth, but he knew it. Whenever Job remembered it and thought on it properly, the truth was a stabilizing comfort, as well it should be.
One of Job’s statements of this truth comes in chapter 23, which is somewhat of a high point for Job. Certainly, it is more hopeful than many other chapters. Regarding God, Job accurately declared, “What his soul desireth, even that he doeth. For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me” (Job 23:13b-14a).
It is interesting that these statements capture both the universal and the personal aspects of God’s sovereignty. The first sentence covers the universal side. God does whatever He desires to do. There is no limit on the scope of that. In the context of the entire world (and beyond), God is able to accomplish everything that He desires.
The second sentence is very personal. God had a desire (appointment) for Job, and nothing stopped Him from performing that desire. There is comfort in knowing that God does have a personal plan for each of us. What happens in our lives is not random or accidental. It is designed by God. God never makes a plan or design and then fails to carry it out. When God designs a plan, He is perfectly able to bring it to pass.
I once heard a wise preacher say something that I have always remembered and in which I have often taken comfort. He said that when we pray about a situation, about something that we would like to see happen, and we sincerely ask for God’s will to be done, then what happens is God’s will.
God is going to work out the outcome that He has desired and intended to do. When we pray sincerely, not trying to manipulate the situation or circumvent God’s leading, we can be confident in the divine nature of the outcome. Whether that means we get the job with the greatest of ease or whether that means we are turned down from the job, we can know that God did what He intended. Satan (or any other enemy or opposition) is not going to stop God.
Sometimes we will be amazed and filled with wonder and rejoicing by God’s answers. Even when it is something we have prayed for, God can answer with a result that is far more than what we had imagined. Sometimes we will be disappointed, discouraged, or confused by God’s answers. They are still just as much God’s answers. They are still just as carefully carried out in complete fulfillment of His desire.
May God allow you to rejoice this week in the appointments that He is working out for you, and may He give you peace and confidence in His control, regardless of the outcome.
Love in Christ,
Peggy Holt
member at Open Door Baptist Church in Lebanon, PA
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