No, it’s not a mistake!
If you look closely you’ll see I have turned the page from Part 4. Let me introduce you to another friend of Sam’s and mine – his name is ‘Erb.
I have come to appreciate ‘Erb’s wisdom more and more over the years (which is a shame because much of what is said is directed to us in our youth!) Handily ‘Erb comes in 31 sections, so it’s easy to know where you are on this monthly cycle of conversations!
The 16th of each month is one of my favorite mornings with ‘Erb. for here are at least three verses in that chapter that reinforce to me the Soverignty of God over all things.
4. “The Lord works out EVERYTHING to it’s proper end – even the wicked for a day of disaster.”
9. ” In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps.”
33. “The lot is cast into the lap, but it’s EVERY decision is from the Lord.”
So how much does that leave to ‘chance’?
Another verse on this theme that is a favorite of mine is,
“From Him and Through Him and to Him are ALL things.” (Rm 11:36)
“EVERY” and “ALL” to me, is pretty clear!
As I was pondering this on the way home from the grocery store the other morning, a song rose up in my spirit. The words were very simply:
“Nothing is wasted
Nothing is lost.”
As I was singing it I found I had just come to a halt as Road Works had made my usual throughway a “Dead End”. As I pulled off the main road to turn around my thought was, “It would have been helpful for them to have given notice of this further back.” (which they now have!). But then I noticed a truck parked (photo below) and I realized that even this “Dead End” had a purpose.
Gilbert is a family name, my father’s, my own, and Gilbert’s (formerly Joshua) middle names. It means “Bright Hostage’. Immediately I knew it was Father confirming what he had been speaking to me about through these circumstances that I had no control over, but that he was completely in control of!
We are indeed at present held “Hostage” to death and decay. That is all we see with the natural eye. But with the eye of faith we see Him who has been raised to a position “above ALL rule and authority.” (Does that mean the Sovereignty of God even trumps the authority he has delegated to me?), and so we can be “Bright” – “rejoicing with unutterable and exalted joy” (1 Pt.1:8) knowing that Jesus, the Son of God and the Son of Man, is the kinsman-redeemer for the whole of creation and it is through Him that EVERYTHING that has come from Him must pass, in order that everything can return to Him……with absolutely “NO LOSS”.
We often hear, for example, of a young life cut short,”What a waste?” So indeed it appears to our natural eye, but by faith we know we can trust, that the one who is over ALL things, from the littleness of a “Dead End” for a shopping trip to the largeness of a “dead end” for a young loved one, will, in THE VERY end, make it ALL good and make it ALL clear.
As if to affirm and encourage me in this “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble…” (Phil.4:8) line of thinking, Father then had me pass these as the next two street signs on the detour!!:
Next week we will continue with the third ‘S’ of Sovereignty.