Week 16 of 2025
We need to know two especially important aspects of God. First, within what we call nature, God allows humanity (with our free will and tendency to do the wrong thing), earth (with its seasons and weather patterns), and the many galaxies (with their rotations and functions) to operate according to His design. He steps in as needed to ensure the fulfillment of His plans and His will (these are the mysteries). We can see the evidence of God’s intervention throughout history, such as in the time of Judah’s King Hezekiah, when God made the sun go backward. It can also be seen when Jesus fed five thousand men, women, and children with five loaves of bread and two fish, leaving more left over than when He began. There are many more events like these in history, and even more have occurred during recent times. We each may have some that are more personal to us than others. How many times have we experienced or heard of others who have survived a car accident without a scratch on them, or those experiencing healing from something doctors just could not explain? Second, within the nature of things, God guides, blesses, and convicts us based on what He knows we need to draw us to Him and fulfill His will. Just because we were hurt in an accident or not healed from an illness does not mean God is not working in our lives, Paul asked for the thorn in his side to be removed, and God responded with “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Corinthians 12:7–9 NASB). Healing was not what Paul needed, just as the protection from injury or healing from an ailment may not be what we need. Each one of us reacts differently in various situations. God works in each individual’s life as is needed at the given time. Concerning each individual’s needs, it may not be us that God is working on or trying to teach; it may be that God created or allowed a situation or ailment in order to put us in someone else’s life as a testimony. This person may need to hear, see, or learn from us; it is not always about us. These mysteries could never be fully explained by any reasoning or coincidence.
Why do we, many times, only see the negative side of a situation, rather than seeing the great opportunities that God could be using us for in a challenging situation?
