Maybe you, like me, can reflect on some past circumstances which felt so crushing as to be beyond survival. And maybe you, like me, can now look back in wonderment at how, indeed, we did survive and perhaps even prosper, despite the ‘end-of-life’ rocky stretch. And more, maybe you, like me, can recognize the now-unmistakable hand of God leading step-by-teary step through the rugged terrain like an experienced guide.
If only we saw the trajectory of our lives, from the beginning through to the end, with the same startling clarity that God has! We could avoid so many pitfalls! So many disappointments! So many detours! Spoiler alert! The reality is, were that the case, we would be such nervous wrecks we wouldn’t be able to concentrate on anything!
It is with blessed assurance we recognize God’s sovereignty over all the days of our lives, however many He has ordained for us. His is exquisite watch care. Every moment is within His more than capable hands. And one essential part of that watching faithfulness is to alert us to dangers; both dangers we create for ourselves and dangers others seek to impose on us. It is perfectly loving parenting to practice tough love, to sternly intervene when the need arises. And God is the parent par excellence!
I love that Scripture acknowledges that no punishment seems good while it is happening (I think of my mother’s infamous wooden spoon!) but that its end result is sweet and beneficial. God, as the ideal parent, loves us with a love strong enough to risk inflicting momentary pain to bring about greater maturity. When He sees an area of slippage away from his ‘best,’ He takes advantage of those above-mentioned circumstances to teach and to train, and ultimately to restore the intimacy of relationship He so desires. His interventions are always in view of the ‘after.’ And for that, we have much reason to be filled with thanksgiving, and not just for one day out of 365! Blessings to y’all today. PD
