If God has the power to stop wrong, why doesn’t He? Why did He let your child get cancer or your spouse be unfaithful? Why does He let you waste time and money on a mystery illness when He can heal you?

A Giant Mystery

The Bible reveals divine sovereignty, human responsibility, and an earth under the curse of sin and the rule of Satan. As humans, we get headaches trying to tease these apart—or fit them together.

Our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God or His ways any more than a child can understand the ocean by dipping a pale into it. Paul wrote, “Oh, how great are God’s riches and wisdom and knowledge! How impossible it is for us to understand his decisions and his ways!” (Rom. 11:33 NLT).

Our finite minds cannot grasp an infinite God or His ways any more than a child can understand the ocean by dipping a pale into it. @DebbieWWilson #RechargeWednesday
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The Example of Joseph

Many aspects of a life don’t make sense in the middle of it. Take Old Testament Joseph for example. Genesis tells his story from a human perspective.

• Joseph’s jealous brothers sold him into slavery.
• His master’s wife falsely accused him of attempted rape.
• Potiphar threw Joseph into prison.
• Pharaoh’s dreams disturbed him.
• The wine taster remembered Joseph.
• Joseph interpreted Pharaoh’s dream.
• Pharaoh made Joseph second in command.

Whew! I’m glad God finally stepped in to stop Joseph’s string of bad luck. Or was it bad luck?

The Divine Perspective

Psalm 105:16-23 provides another perspective.

• God told Abraham his descendants would spend time in a foreign land.
• God sent the famine that drove Jacob and his sons into Egypt.
• God sent Joseph ahead of them to be there to rescue them when the famine came.

Joseph told his brothers that what they meant for evil, God meant for good. But—the story doesn’t end there.

Joseph told his brothers that what they meant for evil, God meant for good. But—the story doesn’t end there. #Sovereignty, #RechargeWednesday
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When Joseph saved his brothers, he saved Judah and his son Perez. Through their line came Jesus, their Messiah. Joseph didn’t just save his ornery brothers, he saved his own savior!

God Is Bigger Than a Lifespan

No one can fully comprehend the purpose of suffering while on earth. But the Bible makes it clear that we can’t lose a hair on our head without God knowing it. If our sovereign Lord allows pain into our lives, we can trust He is using it for our eternal good.

When we arrive in heaven and see this life from God’s perspective, we won’t ball up our fists and say, “I knew you messed up with my life.” We’ll worship, “How did You do that? This is so much better than I could have imagined.”

By faith let’s worship now. And when life gets confusing, let’s remember our stories are a small part of His-story. God’s story is bigger than your lifespan.

God’s story is bigger than your lifespan. @debbieWwilson #RechargeWednesday
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And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And having chosen them, he called them to come to him. And having called them, he gave them right standing with himself. And having given them right standing, he gave them his glory” (Romans 8:28-30 NLT).

God’s sovereignty assures us, that no matter what we endure here, a “happily ever after” awaits us.

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LINKUP party is open! Today, my friend @DebbieWWilson invites us to meditate on God's sovereignty in this insightful post. Don't miss it. Join us and share your blog!
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The boundaries of the ocean.

I closed my eyes, saying a prayer of thanksgiving, as I remembered a verse that talks about the relation between God’s handiwork and wisdom: “The Lord possessed me (wisdom) at the beginning of His way, before His works of old … when He set for the sea its boundary so that the water would not transgress His command.” (Prov 8:9)

I meditated on that truth for a while, as I thought about a trial that my family was facing. I was reminded of the countless times that those words of old proved to be true in my life, while experiencing God’s protection over and over again.

Over my health… Over my finances…. And over my family.

When I went to church the following Sunday, my mind once again went back to the waves on the Saint Augustine beach touching my feet. I stood in the central rotunda with a good friend who was also a cancer survivor. She reached out and touched my hand while asking about my next scan. She knew that I had been in a time of waiting for answers for the previous five months, and had been faithfully praying for me during that time.

As she started to share her update, my heart sank to find out that her scans revealed new growth in her body. As my eyes filled with water, her hand squeezed mine a bit tighter, and a broad smile filled her face as she said:

“I am at peace. And I know you KNOW that peace.”

The peace that surpasses all understanding. Yep. I know it.

The peace that no money and no good health report can provide. It’s the peace attained when one sees God’s hand at work in the direst circumstances, and feels His presence in the fiercest battles.

It’s not anything a person can understand, unless they have experienced it. It is the product of a life that has experienced time and again that God sets boundaries for every trial, and that His sovereign love sustains us through it all.

“Against facts there are no arguments,” the old maxim says.

I believe that is why so many people are undeniably passionate about their faith. To some of us, God has been so intrinsically involved in our daily lives, so real, His word so true and without contradiction, that we can simply stand on what it says and believe it for the next trial. And the next. And yet, once more.

How can we face trials such as cancer, unemployment and the death of a loved one, and still have unshakable peace within our hearts? It’s crazy, I know. That’s why many people believe we are out of touch with reality.

But that is simply not true.

It’s not that we don’t know the severity of our problems; neither do we choose to hide our heads in the sand at the sight of trouble.

It’s just that, when we choose to walk closely with God, we soon realize that we have enough factual proof in our past to trust Him for our future. And against those facts, there are no arguments.
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We simply … believe.

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Friends,

We will not have a Link up party next Wednesday, July 25th. We will resume our linkup with Bethany on the first Wednesday in August (08/01). Please linkup with us below!

Patricia

When my youngest daughter was little, she would get very upset when I called her out for disobeying. I remember my then 4-year old toddler’s big hazel eyes would fill with the biggest tears, as she sincerely and somberly promised: “I am sawee, mommy. I won’t do it again!” I knew she meant it. But if you are a mom, you know what happened. Her promise did not last two days.

I remember how aggravated I was at the fact that I had to repeat myself one hundred times to my little children regarding what they should and shouldn’t do. I would get upset that they just didn’t seem to get it. I remember one particular instance, when I became so furious at their repeated disobedience, that I took my case to Almighty God: “Father – really! How long do I have to repeat myself to these kids? I want to be a good, patient, loving mom, but they will make me lose it one of these days! Help THEM, Lord!”

That’s when I felt that tug in my heart and knew the Holy Spirit was about to teach me a lesson through my kids (again). I looked up and there was the big mirror in my foyer.

“Look at the mirror! Are you any different?” 

Ahem.

Nope. I am not any different.

Neither was Israel.

“Now the angel of the LORD came up from Gilgal to Bochim And He said, ” I brought you up out of Egypt and led you into the land which I have sworn to your fathers; and I said, ‘I will never break My covenant with you, and as for you, you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall tear down their altars. But you have not obeyed Me; what is this you have done? “ Judges 2:1-3

God delivered Israel out of bondage through an amazing sequence of miracles: the plagues in Egypt, parting the Red Sea, providing manna in the desert, victorious wars against powerful enemies, the surprising fall of the walls of Jericho, just to name a few.

Yet, they continuously doubted, compromised and disobeyed.

Isn’t that our story as God’s people? Just like Israel, God has delivered us over and over again. He has been Jehovah Jireh, our Provider, Jehovah Rafa, our Healer, our Strong Tower in times of trouble. I am sure we can all look back and count the numerous times that He showed up and delivered us, time and again. And yet, when we are facing trials, many of us have a hard time acting on the belief that He will show up again. Our tendency is to take matters into our own hands, not realizing that, when we do so, we build altars to the gods of self-indulgence: our timing, our things, and our plans.

I can’t help but imagine God saying, just as he did to His people gathered in Bochim: “What is this you have done?”

Just as it was for Israel, the awesome covenant that God made with us requires only two things on our part: Love and Obedience. All our good works and church activities together cannot make up for not fulfilling our part in the Covenant He made with us:

“Has the LORD as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the LORD? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams.” 1 Samuel 15:22

When God gives us an instruction, we are never to second-guess Him. When He says, “Give this up!” – we are not to ask why or rationalize whether or not His instructions make sense.
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As children, we should say: “Yes, Lord.”

That’s what I so hope my children will eventually learn to do: simply obey. No excuses or questioning. Period.

Blind obedience is the place in our walk with God where the rubber meets the road. It’s where our faith surpasses our reasoning.

It’s the place where our worship songs are not just a feel-good moment – they become our hearts’ songs. It’s the place where my Bible is indeed the Living Word, and instead of complaining and taking matters into my own hands or trying to figure a way out of my trial, I write anchor Bible verses on post-it notes so I can remind myself of the God of the Covenant: My Maker, Savior, Deliverer, Provider, Strong Tower, Healer. My Daddy, Abba Father.

What are the trials that you are currently facing, my friend?

Are you so busy trying to get out of the place of your trial, that you will miss the blessings God has for you if you withstand the tribulation with Him? Do you realize that God may just be waiting for you to be still, to worship Him for who He is in spite of your circumstances and trust Him?

May we remember today that God’s part on His covenant will never change. He has eternal blessings, provision and protection for all His children. May we remember today that ultimately, all He requires from us is love and obedience. Period.

Abba Father,

I worship You today for who You are. I praise You because the Covenant You made with me in Christ Jesus will never change. I pray You forgive me for the times I try to take matters into my own hands and step out of Your will. I pray You will strengthen my faith and open my spiritual eyes, just as You did to Elisha’s servant, that I may see the chariots of fire lined up to fight my battles for me. I thank You for the strength that You give me when I reach out to You. I pray that You will teach me to be still and not move until you tell me to, even if it’s very uncomfortable. Guide me and teach me to obey You, that I may keep my part in the Covenant that You made with me.

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“I would have lost heart, unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.”

It was by quoting this verse from Psalm 27 that New York Times bestselling author and president of Proverbs 31 Ministries Lysa Terkeurst ended her heart-wrenching blog post on June 13.

The article came as a surprise to many who follow Terkeurst’s popular ministry.

In the same transparent voice that has conquered many followers through her career as a writer and speaker, the 47-year-old announced that she is filing for divorce from her husband of 25 years, due to his repeated infidelity and battle with substance abuse. After extensive counseling, prayer and attempts to reconcile, Terkeurst has concluded that her husband has “abandoned” their marriage. She has therefore decided, in her own words, to “release him to the Savior.”

Like many who follow her ministry, my heart breaks for her, and I have committed to pray daily for her family.

I met Lysa a couple of years ago while attending her annual writer’s conference in North Carolina, and was happy to find the same pleasant, down-to-earth personality that one meets when reading her books.

Her recent story brought to memory several other ministry leaders that I have known through the years, who experienced traumatic circumstances that had the potential to destroy their ministry.

In each instance, the way they responded in the aftermath of the storm determined the course of their future.

Some allowed their circumstances to take over their lives. I’ve watched them give in to immoral lifestyles, or refuse to rise above the pain.

Others, on the contrary, chose to trust God through it all, and therefore I have had the privilege to watch God restore them, and take their ministries to new heights.

Indeed, neither temptation nor pain are strangers to even the most faithful ministry leaders. They can’t be.

For how can we minister to others, unless we know the depth of their suffering?
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And how can we reach out with mercy and grace, if we do not know the weight of our own weaknesses?

We simply cannot.

Lysa herself can attest to that truth. She is not a stranger to pain. Anyone who has read her books or heard her speak understands that she has known rejection, abuse, loneliness and the heavy price of bad choices. And yet, she has committed every heartbreak to a God who can turn our mourning into dancing, and help us find purpose for every valley we cross.

Like a ballerina who fixes her eyes on one spot in order not to lose balance while performing the perfect pirouette, Lysa once again shared her pain, while committing to stay focused on her God. She has lived through enough valleys to know that He is faithful to those who choose to trust Him through the final act.

She says: “I am brokenhearted beyond what I can express. But I am more committed than ever to trusting God, His promises, and His plans, whatever they are from here.”

Indeed, the difference between those who quit after heartbreak and those who rise from the ashes like a phoenix lies in two words: trust and commitment.

There is no question people will disappoint us. Even those we love the most. There is no doubt that dreams will be crushed and that we will suffer loss, sickness, betrayal and heartbreak. It happens to everyone who breathes.

It’s called life.

That’s why I am grateful for people like Lysa Terkeurst, whose confidence in her Maker surmounts her sorrow, teaching us to trust that God can make beauty out of brokenness, and give us the strength to endure the storms.

This article was originally published on my column for The Atlanta Journal Constitution on Saturday – June 24, 2017.

@LysaTerkeurst teaches us again. Read my column for the @AJC
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I looked at the clock and grew increasingly impatient. I had been sitting at the doctor’s waiting room for almost an hour. I knew horrible Atlanta traffic would follow me all the way home. If I lingered a little longer, I would certainly be late for carline. After what seemed to be another hour, the door finally opened and I heard my name. After checking in with the nurse, I was escorted to the room where the doctor would see me.

Waiting again.

One year. It had been one year since my last visit. As I looked around the same room, I recalled my second yearly check up after cancer and how peaceful I felt. The words from the doctor still rang in my ears: “The chance of the cancer coming back is only 2-3%.”

And so I sat, stats in mind, waiting for the doctor with the same peace and assurance that I had one year ago.

When the door opened and I saw the doctor’s face, all impatience left me. All of a sudden, nothing else mattered.

“The CT Scan showed an area of enhancement where the cancer was removed. We will need to see the actual images, but we probably will need to re-do the scan in another six months. At this point, I cannot confirm that the cancer is not back. And we don’t want to expose you to radiation again so soon.”

Six months?

I felt silly for being impatient while waiting for one hour. I would gladly wait another hour or two. It would be no problem at all. I promise.

But waiting to know if CANCER is back or not? That kind of waiting, I don’t know that I can do.

At least not on my own.

Friday didn’t start well at all. The day after uncertainty is not any better than the day after bad news. I was sad. Discouraged. Confused.

I thought the dreadful walk with the Big C had accomplished its purpose for my life. I thought it was over. And I’m still trusting that it is, don’t get me wrong. But even the prospect of cancer is a scary thing to the strongest of believers.

Don’t judge me. If you haven’t been there, you really don’t know.

I know all the right verses. I know all the right answers. I wrote a book about keeping the faith regardless of our circumstances, and much of my journey with cancer is highlighted there.

I KNOW how I’m supposed to respond.

But when you are given bad news… or you are told you have to wait to (possibly) hear bad news, all that knowledge is worth nothing… Unless you invite God to bridge the gap… and fill the void with His supernatural peace. And that’s what He did last Friday, as I stepped into the closet below the stairs, aka our War Room.

I was going through the storm, in search of the Eye of the Hurricane – the one I wrote about on last week’s AJC column and blog post. Does God have a sense of humor or what?

There, in the closet, as I quieted my mind and poured out my heart to the Father, He rescued my soul from defeat.

He took me to my favorite verse in the Bible (I sometimes wish I had picked a different one!) and reminded me:

“Yet those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength; they will mount up with  wings like eagles, they will run and not get tired, they will walk and not become weary.” Isaiah 40:31

And then He whispered: “Read on...”

As I sat there, in the eye of the hurricane, Isaiah’s words encouraged me once again. The 41^st chapter had been marked, highlighted, and stained with tears in past journeys. I remembered those circumstances when God promised to deliver me… and I marked it down… claimed it as Truth… and experienced it done:

“‘Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.’ Isaiah 41:10

Yes, Soul. You’ve been there… countless times… tested and proven. Again and again.

“I will open rivers on the bare heights And springs in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water And the dry land fountains of water.” Isaiah 41:18

Yes, Lord, you have. And still, you do.

Even today.

As.I.Wait.

In God’s waiting room, there is certainly room for impatience and fear. But what I have learned is that those two joy-stealers only come IN… IF I let them.

Because I can certainly choose to stuff my anxieties with all the cookies in the house… (and believe me, I have before!)

And I can certainly choose to feed my fears with mindless thoughts and fleshly activities…

Or… I can remember His deliverance and guidance in the past… And choose to see that God’s waiting room has a purpose.

It’s supposed to be a quiet place, and yet, a place where life doesn’t stop. A place of Reflection, Prayer, Faith and Rest, but also a place where I keep doing what God has called me to do… A place where I keep flying until He helps me SOAR.

Therefore today, as much as I don’t like to, I choose to wait.

Not upon the call from the doctor…

Or from a good test result…

But I wait upon my God, allowing Him to mold me in the process, once again… trusting that, just as He did in the past, He will deliver me, strengthen me, and work everything together for my good… and His Glory . 

One.More.Time.

It is well with my soul, Father.

I CAN wait upon YOU.

Because YOU designed me to SOAR. And Soar I have.

 Therefore… Soar I will.
“God is a safe place to hide,   ready to help when we need him. We stand fearless at the cliff-edge of doom, courageous in seastorm and earthquake, Before the rush and roar of oceans, the tremors that shift mountains. Jacob-wrestling God fights for us, God-of-Angel-Armies protects us.” Psalm 46:1-3 (The Message)

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