A thought by Charles R. Swindall, from his book, What if…God Has Other Plans?: Finding Hope When Life Throws You the Unexpected (p. 41). Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)
He really does, He really does!
Charles says, “He’s not some crusty old man with a long beard blowing wind out of the north. God is incomprehensibly great. He’s omniscient. He’s omnipotent. He’s omnipresent. He’s eternal. He’s ageless and timeless. He’s good. He’s gracious. He’s loving and just. And He’s always right . . . even when you feel like what happened to you was all wrong.”
He goes on, “God is so profound that I’ve spent most of my ministry years as somewhat of a theologian, thinking, Lord, will I ever get this? Now that I’ve reached an age when I’ve begun to piece some of these truths together, I’m realizing it’s still not easy. It’s not easy to trust God in times of devastating loss. Now in my eighties, I remain in a process of ‘getting it.’
“In all that he experienced Job uttered no words of rebuke against God. That’s what happens when you live vertically — focused in the realm of the supernatural. You say less as you quietly let the wonder of it all seep in.”
He later says, “What kind of person are you becoming? If you are growing increasingly more selfish, every loss will be detrimental to your walk with God. In fact, sudden losses will capsize your fragile faith. I write that statement with a measure of compassion. I long for all of us to meet painful times with a growing confidence in the Lord and in His Word.
“If you view your loss as an opportunity to deepen your knowledge of the living God, you will ultimately realize that there is a divine purpose in allowing you to go through the pain. There will be other people in your life who will go through similar periods of loss, and you will be uniquely prepared to offer perspective and hope.
“In your loss, you’re developing an understanding of and a confidence in God’s Word. You have the opportunity to see that life makes sense when viewed vertically — from a heavenly perspective. You’ll be able to say, ‘I’m starting to get it.’ You can mentally envision the plays before anybody runs them.”
He then says, “Stability isn’t delivered to us overnight. You prepare for life’s blows slowly, methodically, by being equipped with truth from God’s Word. You privately absorb the Scriptures, making sure those truths are being added to your life. That will keep you from resenting what’s happening. Times of loss, painful as they are, help stabilize your faith. They change your focus from a horizontal perspective to a vertical perspective.”
So, are you changing your focus to a vertical perspective, are you starting to get it? Are you?
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