God is the creator of the heavens and the earth. He is the creator of all things. His ultimate and perfect creation is you and me. He created us in his own image and declared, “It is good.” He has power over life and death. He is in control of the fiercest storm and at the same time, fully aware of a tiny sparrow’s death. God even controls history. His plan for our world and its ultimate conclusion has already been established long ago. Even though a spiritual battle still exists between the forces of good and evil, there is no chance God is going to lose. His victory has been assured. Satan does have immense power, but he can never threaten God’s ultimate purpose — to have his creation share in his love.
Even though humans have the capacity to reject God’s love and choose to deliberately sin, God is still in control of their lives. He orchestrates the blessings and the tragedies with the intent of drawing us closer to him. God does not call on us to understand his wisdom, but to simply trust in him and his plan for our lives. Sometimes after a tragedy, we hear the words “God is in control” or “the purpose of God.” What is God’s purpose of “taking home” a young girl killed by a drunken driver? Why does God allow thirteen people to be gunned down in Fort Hood ? What is God’s purpose in allowing a young mother to succumb to cancer leaving three small children at home? I honestly don’t know. Sometimes, God simply does not make sense. Yet, it is logical to conclude that we can never completely understand God’s wisdom since he is a higher being.
To help solve the complexities of life, the Christian hope derived from faith rests not on the questions of this life, but the answers discovered in the next. Our physical life on earth is only temporary – like living in a tent for an extended period of time. What matters the most is where we will spend eternity. If heaven were not true, life is ultimately tragic and absurd. By believing in Christ as Savior, we receive the hope that all things will work out for good and our citizenship in heaven is assured.
In the meantime, a person can receive through faith the fullness in life God always intended them to have. It is a fullness that no evil in the world can touch. The Apostle Paul tells us that “nothing can separate us from the love of Christ.” God still exercises today the dominating influence in the world. Only he knows what this world would be like without his constant, holy influence.
For more answers to tough questions, I encourage you to check out www.gregboyd.org.
