He declares “the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose.’” (Isaiah 46:10)
Recently I was confronted with some very painful news. It was not about me personally but it affected me. I had to wade through the healthy emotional responses and the not-so-healthy thoughts and feelings of hopelessness. I recognized responses within me that were still childlike and motivated by the flesh, not the Spirit. Life’s circumstances have a way of revealing where our trust lies. How we respond can reveal what we really believe about God and the level of our maturity in the journey.
Pilate found himself in a difficult situation. How could he release Jesus? This was a man who was accused of rebellion against Caesar. Yet he found himself believing in Christ’s innocence. Becoming exasperated with Jesus’ continuing silence, he said, “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?”
Jesus’ response to Pilate’s question tells it all. He said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above.” John 19:10-11a
The pain He was in the midst of, and would continue to endure for a time was planned by the Father’s hand for a greater purpose. It didn’t come about through the power of man or the power of the enemy. God had ultimate control then, and God has ultimate control now in my life and your life.
How many times in life when trials come, betrayal comes, or we face sickness or disease, we begin to question our God, we waver in our faith, we become cynical in the midst of powerlessness?
I don’t like it when the real level of my trust gets exposed. Yet I am glad at the same time that He is taking me deeper. I want to be one that stands in strong assurance, one that trusts the bigger picture of God’s plans instead of only focusing on how to get out of the reality of the pain at the moment. I want to believe so deeply in the core of my being that as I am in submission to Christ, that Christ alone is the One with full authority over me and that nothing needs to rattle me. I want to face the suffering of life that comes and be able to know that whatever comes against me has no power over me at all unless it were given from above. That place of knowing offers a steadfast, sure-footedness in the face of anything.
I want to shake off the apathy that pain can cause and turn my eyes upward to say, “Jesus what are you teaching me, how are you using this to refine me and bring me into a deeper place of holiness, what is your greater purpose for this pain?”
He is only about our good, our growth, and our maturity as sons and daughters of the King. I am thankful today that He is Lord over all, He sees it all, and He never fails. He has my life in His hands.