His will?

 

 

I wonder
(by R.P.Edwards)

I wonder if it bothers
God, being blamed, for all
Murder, pain, and mayhem
“His sovereign, chosen, call!”
But Scripture speaks of choices
A thief,
who steals,
and kills
Methinks we have a portion
Not His
But our own
Will

Not much time. Work beckons. To the miles. To the mill. To the hours…to fill.  Anyway, there’s a disturbing train of thought in Christendom that has to do with the Sovereignty of God.  Now, “Sovereignty” is a fancy word that says God is all powerful (not many will dispute this).  And, coupled with the Biblical acknowledgment that “His ways” are above “our ways;” we, understandably, may encounter happenings in our lives that leave us scratching our heads and saying, “Why God?” or even, “God must have a reason.”

However, I think, if we’re not careful, we’ll use the above reasoning as a cop out.  An excuse.  And, frighteningly; a misrepresentation.  And, last week, I heard the word “sovereignty” tied in with the murders of the six in Tucson.  The question perhaps phrased as, “Why did God allow…” and the answer phrased as “God is sovereign, and I don’t know…”

Some observations.  Jesus said that the “thief comes to steal, kill, and destroy.  But I came that they might have life…”  Jesus also said, in the Lord’s prayer, “Thy will be done, on earth, as it is…in heaven.”  Now, I’m not a theologian.  Not a pastor, or priest or any kind of backward-collared guy, but there is, apparently…evil in the world.  And, Jesus is the self-declared counter to that.  And, in the Lord’s prayer, Jesus seems to infer that God’s will is “not” always being done down here, as it is “up there.” 

So, let’s go ahead and make the leap; it appears, for some reason, that, for the time being, God’s influence is limited in certain areas.  I believe it’s a contractual thing; the whole “God gave man authority, and man…sold Him out; gave the keys to the evil one.”  And yes, there will come a day when everything is made totally right (read the book of Revelations), but, it seems that at the moment, a lot of bad things happen that don’t have anything to do with God’s will.

Conclusion: do I think the grisly events in Tucson had anything to do with God’s sovereign--I decree this should happen--will? I say…NO!  Just as I believe God had nothing to do with the sixty-nine babies that were ripped to pieces in my home town’s abortion clinic last week.  But, let me offer this, I believe He saw it coming, and perhaps tried to alert some of “His” to intervene (even if it was just prayer); and, sadly, and all to often…we let Him down.   

A slight add on.  Do I believe good can come out of this tragedy?  Of course.  But I believe the same “good” could have come…without six dying at a madman’s hand.

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