Scripture

Isaiah 46:10 (New International Version)

“I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’”

Consider

At times the weight of our world can seem overwhelming. Greed and dishonesty dominate the political landscape. We turn on the news only to witness another atrocity committed in our own neighborhoods or in communities on the other side the globe. Against a rising tide of evil and moral confusion, we well may ask, What are we to do? How would God have us respond?

God’s Word tells us to remember that our God is sovereign. Nothing happens outside of his attention. No force can stand against his purpose. Not only does he know how history will write itself, he unfolds it in exactly the manner and timing that he has decided.

Like a powerful train, God’s will for this world is already heading toward its destination. We cannot stop it or turn it aside by anything we do. Neither can anyone else, not those who work evil and make plans in the dark to take what they want and bring harm to others. No human can stop or slow the train or alter the track on which it runs.

So, again, what are we to do when it seems that evil has the advantage over us?

Answer: We stay as close to God as possible, hiding ourselves in the shelter of his wings. We do this by following Jesus’ example in three practical ways:

Make sure you’re on the train with God. He allows us to choose against his will, but all other paths lead to misery and destruction. Jesus is our model for making the Father’s will our own and aligning ourselves with his purpose. We can know the same peace and certainty that Jesus experienced in the face of hostility when our hearts and minds are facing forward, our gaze fixed on God, on his greatness and his unshakable plan for our good and the good of his creation.

Pray for the reign of God’s kingdom on earth. “Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Jesus not only spoke these hopeful words but worked toward their fulfillment moment by moment, in his every interaction with people. Through his deep and constant prayer life, Jesus followed the psalmist’s advice to seek God’s counsel before making plans and allowing God’s wisdom to foster attitudes and decisions consistent with God’s great purpose.

Persist in doing good. Our natural inclination is to strike back when we’ve been hurt. In our humanness we don’t want to do good to those who harm us, to forgive the unrepentant, or to pray for the good of those who consider us enemies. Under God’s sovereign rule, however, evil can never be defeated by evil but only by goodness. God’s truth exposes the devil’s whispering lies and frustrates his schemes. God’s love outlasts hatred and touches the need in every human heart for compassion and forgiveness. Like Jesus, we align ourselves with God when we return kindness for insult and goodness for the evil we receive.

God’s train is headed for a redeemed and perfect creation bathed constantly in his glorious presence. Because of Jesus we are invited to board the train and share in that kingdom glory even now, right here on earth, in our everyday circumstances.

Pray

FATHER, sometimes the events of this world seem overwhelming. I look for You but see only the face of evil winning and your people suffering. Help me to trust in your promise of ultimate good in this world by the incremental good we do every day. Your timing is not our timing, yet I praise you for the reality of your sovereignty over our lives and your unstoppable will that moves us steadily toward the redemption of your created world.

Reflect

Psalm 16:7-8; 17:8-9; Romans 1:28-32

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How might your belief in God’s absolute and unshakable sovereignty reshape your response to distressing news?