In part and in whole
When life throws you a curveball, oftentimes we still swing for a hit. The unexpected is difficult for us to accept. If you’re anything like me, you try to pretend that life is normal until you can’t anymore. Then have a toddler style emotional break down when you finally are forced to accept it.
I prefer the expected, routine… normal even. Mostly I prefer something I can predict and control (or at least fool myself into thinking I can).
If I can’t control it, I try my best to understand it. Find purpose in it.
So as the whole world simultaneously embraces the universe's biggest curveball, there have been a fair amount of conjecture on the meaning of it all. I’m sure you have seen them too. Some say this is God’s judgement on the world. Or it is a call for us to slow down and be with our family. Hypothesizing about the timing of it all happening during lent. Or even the conspiracy theories about the government or China or any other ridiculous theory.
I am not innocent. I spent a good chunk of the first few weeks trying to make sense of it all. What was I supposed to get out of this? What was God trying to do? How should I respond?
My theories have changed by the minute.
But the reality is that God does have a purpose in this. He probably has about a thousand. He might have multiple purposes for me. And a plethora of purposes for each one of us.
God has been doing things since the beginning of time. Just because this situation feels unprecedented to us does not mean that God is any more or less active now than any other time in history
He has been accomplishing His purposes since before creation. He is never thrown off. He is never scrambling to make it all work out.
He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
God is not working harder during this time. Maybe we are just seeing it more clearly. We are looking to Him more. We have quieted our life enough (somewhat) to make out more glimpses of the awesome things He is working on.
The Lord of the universe uses all things to accomplish His good purposes. All things… Not just pandemics or catastrophes.
But what a gift to be a little more in tune to it.
So let’s stop trying to figure out what is happening. And let’s start to ask him to keep doing it. Because He always has been. And He always will.
He doesn’t expect us to figure it out or understand it.
That is part of Him being sovereign God and us being human. He wants us to be a part of what He is doing. He never intends for us to be in the dark. But He reveals the things to us that we need to know when we need to know. No more and no less.
So if you feel the Spirit urging you to pray for someone’s salvation, do it! God is working.
If you have the desire to check in on someone you haven’t in awhile, do it! God is working.
If you are reading your Bible and want to investigate a passage further, do it! God is working
God is always working. And now we have gotten a taste of looking for it.
We don’t need to fully understand. “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Corinthians 13:12, NIV
We will see all the purpose in it one day, when we are with God in Heaven for eternity. And for now, we can trust that even in what we don’t see, God is good and He is working.
