Who is Really in Control?

Psalm 34:4-8 & Romans 8:28

Intro

2014 has been, so far, an incredible year of world dramatic disorder and havoc. The middle-east battle with Hamas and Israel. Now we have this terrible terrorist group called ISIS who are eliminating savagely innocent people who don’t believe in their ideology. We also have the conflict between Ukraine and Russia. We have passenger jets downed and missing. We also have the world threat of the Ebola disease. And now a polio like virus called Enterovirus D68 is invading North America. EV-D68 is a cold-like bug that is showing up mostly in children. It is causing paralysis and serious respiratory complications and some have wound up on breathing machines.

WOW! With all this stuff happening in the world it is enough to scare anyone! Many people are gripped by fear and anxiety.

Dr. Gregory Jantz, founder of The Centre for Counselling and Health Resources says, “We’re enveloped in global events that are wreaking havoc all over the world. The uncertainty and feelings of powerlessness are leaving people to worry about their safety.” (Source: Overcoming Anxiety, Worry and Fear: Practical Ways to Find Peace by Gregory Jantz).

It seems the world is going out of control and we feel powerless to do anything.

We all like to be in control. Let me rephrase that. We like to have the illusion of being in control. But in reality, we have very little control over the things that happen in the world and in and around our lives.

Think about the weather – can we make it rain or make it sunny or make it windy or make it calm? Think about driving a car down the road and how much control can we possess over the other drivers. We live under the illusion of control but in essence we have very limited control.

Storms of life

Issues, trials, problems, pain, sickness, fears and confusion seem to swirl around us, buffeting us on every side. Sometimes we feel that things are out of control.

Fear and anxiety produce physical and emotional stress, but the longer and pervasive, the greater chance this stress will find ways for release of the pressure – and often times not in very healthy ways. Psychologist Dr. Gregory Jantz says, “Some people will walk around with volcanic anger and emotional venting while others will numb their painful stress through alcohol and drug use, and still others will smoke to quiet their fears or eat to soothe their jangled nerves.” (Source: Overcoming Anxiety, Worry and Fear: Practical Ways to Find Peace by Gregory Jantz).

We search for a bright side somewhere and the waves of trouble, heartache, and pain sweep over us. We try to reach for a quick fix, a pill, a drink, food, or give in to our selfish ego. And the storms just keep coming. The hurricanes of illness, the showers of loneliness, the hail of doubt, or the sleet of "I don't know" are coming. Storms are coming and no way to escape them. The storms are here.

Life is strange. Sometimes we wonder if God is in control. Everything can be going along just great and then from out of nowhere havoc strikes. We are knocked down sometimes with a single blow, sometimes with repeated blows which come so quickly we don't have time to react.

If God is in control why do bad things happen to good people? Does God really care?

Problems of all sizes and degrees happen to everyone. Are they just unfortunate things which must be endured or can they work for our good? How much is God in control?

In Romans 8:28 we find a well known verse which a lot of Christians are familiar with. “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Can all our problems and disasters really work out for the best? That seems pretty incredible!

We should note from the beginning, this verse is talking about Christians. Unbelievers have no claim to this promise until they accept Jesus as the Lord of their lives. Negative things may work out for good in their lives, especially if faced with a positive attitude, but there is no guarantee. God is in control but His promise of working the good out of problems applies to His own children.

The Lives of Biblical Characters

Before we examine how this works in our personal lives, let's take a brief look at the lives of some Biblical men and women. Did God work the good out of tragedy in their lives? Was God in control when their lives spiraled out of control in hurt and confusion?

Moses was a man who knew the will of God. He knew God wanted Israel delivered from slavery, and he knew God had called him to do it. However, as a young man of 40, he decided to help God and killed an Egyptian. He ended up fleeing for his life…so much for his dream of being a great deliverer. For the next 40 years he was hiding in the wilderness as a shepherd. Had his over-anxiousness thwarted the purposes of God? Was God in control?

God did not forsake Moses. Whether Moses knew it or not, he was learning vital lessons in the wilderness. Although Moses didn't believe it, when God called to him from the burning bush, he was ready for the job. The 40 "wasted" years in the wilderness were a necessary part of God's plan. God was in control.

Ruth, what about her? After about 10 years of marriage her husband died. The man of her dreams was suddenly gone. Not only that but also she was left a poor widow. How could she survive? In those days a single woman couldn't just go out and apply for a job and there was no welfare office. She was totally helpless. Still, in spite of the grief and pain, she decided to go to a strange country with her mother-in-law, Naomi, and commit herself to the God of Israel.

Was God in control? In the end God gave her a new and wealthy husband. She also became one of the ancestors of Jesus. She was honoured by having her story told in the Scriptures. None of this would have been possible if not for the first tragedy. Naomi was likewise blessed with a daughter-in-law like Ruth and the joy of grandchildren even though she had lost her husband and her two sons.

Daniel was a young man when war came to his country. Violently he was torn from his parents, friends, and home. He was taken to a strange land where he was tempted to compromise his faith and was trained in a God forsaken culture. His life would never be the same. Whatever dreams he had were gone forever. And yet out of a lonely, young man's tears, was God in control? Over the years Daniel became a top man in the land. He was able to advise different world rulers and influence the course of history. More importantly, he developed a close, intimate relationship with God.

Joseph was a young man of 17 when his own brothers sold him as a slave. He was violently taken from his beloved father and home. All his dreams of the future were destroyed. In Egypt God blessed him and he rose to be the head slave in the house of a wealthy man named Potiphar. And then disaster strikes again! He is falsely accused of raping Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison. For 13 long years he was a slave and a prisoner. Was God in control? In God's timing Joseph rose to be second-in-command of all Egypt and saved many people from starvation.

But in the end Joseph saw that all the hardships he went through had a divine purpose and that God was in control.

God Works Out His Purpose

When we come face to face with the problems, disasters, and tragedies of life, we need to remember God is in control. Our lives are in His hands. If we are walking in fellowship with Him, then nothing can touch us unless it is allowed by God for His good purpose.

God does not rescue us from the 'challenges of life.' We face the same problems everyone else faces. Even when evil people deliberately harm us, God is in control. He doesn't always stop it but He takes what they mean for our harm and turns it around for His purpose in our lives.

I like what Joseph said to his brothers in Genesis 50:20: “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” Notice, they pre-mediated harm against Joseph, and God allowed them to carry out their plans. But God took their plans, turned them around, and worked good out of it. Even when we find ourselves victims of people who are out to hurt us in every possible way, God will take their plans and work them out to our benefit and for a greater purpose.

God is in Control of Destiny

God will work out His purpose in the end. It’s like we are on this cruise ship where we have our moving and our being. We have free will to decide where we want to go on the ship and what we want to do but we are confined to the ship. But the wonderful thing is that God is in control of the destination of the ship. He determines where it will end up. He will fulfill His purpose according to His plan.

Romans 8:28-29 states this well, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. 29 For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…”

What is the end result of God’s purpose? IT IS to be conformed to the likeness of Christ!

Look At Jesus

Look at Christ and all that he went through here on earth. The suffering, the pain, the trials, the hurt, the abuse, wrongfully treated and being killed on a cross. He went through hell. Yet, in the midst of all that suffering He endured it because He knew that the Father was working His perfect purpose in it – the REDEMPTION of many souls. Yes, God is in control and He is working out His perfect will.

Hebrews 12:3 says it well, “Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”

Suffering Has Purpose

Some Christians are afraid to admit when they are hurting. There is no point in denying when unpleasant things happen to us. Denying something doesn't change it. We can be free to admit when we are hurting and receive help and encouragement from others. No one said we had to go it alone. It is important that we remember even when we are hurting that in some way, God will work the good in our lives. That is trust. That is realizing that pain has purpose - it is not wasted. Trust doesn't happen overnight. It is built one step at a time, one stepping stone at a time.

We do serve a good God. He is in control. It is our unswerving faith in the goodness of God which will pull us through experiences which would crush others. God is in control and He never loses control. We cannot see the future but God sees it as surely as He sees the present and the past. As we face the problems and difficulties of life in the Spirit of God we will be gaining eternal benefits.

I like how J. B. Phillips translated 2 Corinthians 4:16-17, “This is the reason why we never lose heart. The outward man does indeed suffer wear and tear, but every day the inward man receives fresh strength. These little troubles...are winning for us a permanent, glorious and solid reward out of all proportion to our pain. For we are looking all the time not at the visible things but at the invisible.”

Conclusion

Through all these years since I have been a Christian, I finally concluded: If God’s in control, why am I going to worry? If I really believe that He’s in absolute control and He loves me unconditionally, and always chooses the best for me, and is engineering the circumstances of my life…what am I going to worry about?

Suppose you made a big mess of your life? Let me remind you of something. God can handle the mess. He can put the most destroyed, broken pieces back together. He knows how to do that.

Be encouraged, for God is in control. Be encouraged, for God can and will work miracles. Be encouraged, even if you have had a let down in faith. Our God picks us up; He doesn't allow us to be continually beat down. Be encouraged, and allow your faith to trust God and give Him control of your life. You won't be disappointed.

Psalm 34:4-8, “I sought the LORD, and he answered me; he delivered me from all my fears. Those who look to him are radiant; their faces are never covered with shame. 6 This poor man called, and the LORD heard him; he saved him out of all his troubles. 7 The angel of the LORD encamps around those who fear him, and he delivers them. 8 Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the man who takes refuge in him.”

When we seek the Lord He delivers us from our fears.

Always remember that God is in control!

Questions

1. Why do you think some people find it hard to put their faith in God or to trust Him?

2. If God is in control why do bad things happen to good people? Does God really care? How would you answer someone who asks questions like these?

3. Sometimes it is hard to see if the bad will turn out good. Why is it hard sometimes?

4. When you reflect on the biblical characters such as Moses, Ruth, Daniel, Esther and Joseph, what encouragement can you learn from their lives?

5. What does it mean to you that God has predestined our lives?

6. What can we learn from Christ’s life journey?

7. What should be our outlook on life according to 2 Corinthians 4:16-18?

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