Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his,” and, “Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness.”** 2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV)**
Christ loves His own with an intimate and personal love. Indeed, He calls His sheep by name. It is a different love compared to the sensational Hollywood variety. Indeed, He loves us through our afflictions and our triumphs, our messes and our victories – our best and our worst selves - allowing only things in the lives of His heirs of mercy, His beloved, that is for their best. Indeed, the promise is clear, everything allowed in the lives of His saints is working towards their ultimate good, and that is to be more and more like the Lord Jesus. John tells us in 1 John 2:6 (NIV): “Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.” All permitted is towards this perfect goal.
Nothing is chance, random or happenstance for the child of the King of kings and Lord of lords. It does us well to remember that it is He Who makes known the end from the beginning, from ancient times what is yet to come. His purposes will always stand and He does all that He pleases. And what He pleases – what He allows - is always ultimately good whether we can ascertain this or not. It is true Truth as God neither changes His mind nor His ways. All sorrows and trials have purpose just as all pleasures and peace.
Outward blessings or afflictions are not a specific sign of the love and approval or hatred from the Lord. Yet, all He allows is pregnant with purpose and is not to be clung to or distained rather we are to seek to discern through prayer and petition how God desires to use this, even this, to make us more like His Son. Think the Bible’s Hall of Fame in Hebrews Chapter 11. Think Job. Think Jesus. The promise is that the people of God lack only what is bad for them. God has told us He withholds no good thing. Remember as well, if you are sick of your sins, no sinner is too bad to be saved and the gate is never too narrow for entrance into the Kingdom.
Remember as well, Job tell us in Job 12:10 (NIV): “In his hand is the life of every creature and the breath of all mankind.” As children we used to sing “He has the whole world in His Hands”, and indeed this is true.
“To God belong wisdom and power; counsel and understanding are his. What he tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man he imprisons cannot be released. If he holds back the waters, there is drought; if he lets them loose, they devastate the land.”** Job 12:13-15 (NIV)**