This past Easter, my church held their Easter service outside on our north campus. The idea was that people who may never walk into an actual church building might come to our casual lawn service. We rented a stage for worship, placed chairs under our pavilion for those who didn’t bring one, had an attractive backdrop for families to take pictures in front of and even invited anyone wanting to have a picnic after the service.
Despite the threat of rain, everyone was extremely excited and was inviting everyone they knew and met. People asked my pastor if he was worried about the strong chance of rain, and he confidently answered every time: "no." I also became confident that God was in control and that He was going to use this day to bring Himself glory. Rain or shine.
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Sunday morning it started to sprinkle, but we were all optimistic that it would die off. So we all put on our casual Sunday best and headed off to the service. The rain did let off, so much that I left my jacket in the car; I was excited about the beautiful day ahead. I watched as car after car piled in and family after the family set up their chairs.
We started the service with worship and it was incredible, such a beautiful picture of the community. Then my faithful pastor came up to preach. And it started to sprinkle. We all stayed calm until it started raining harder. We put up our umbrellas and did our best to hear over the rain. Eventually, the rain was pouring down harder and harder.
My pastor did his best to wrap up the service so that people could get out of the rain and so that they could cover all the sound equipment up. After he prayed and dismissed us, almost instantly the rain ceased to a very light sprinkle, almost a mist. I thought to myself: “Really? God what is going on? I don’t understand." Now I have never heard God speak audibly to me but in this moment, I could feel in my spirit God say: “You don’t need to. I am God."
Of course, this was not Earth shattering news. However, it hit me like a ton of bricks. See, in this moment and many moments God has been teaching me a very simple concept. God is God. He is in control. I, His meager servant am not.
Therefore, I don’t have to understand anything He does. Part of me really doesn’t like this. Nobody likes to be left wondering what’s going on. If you think about it I’m sure there are a hand-full of things you would like to know the “why” of.
I want to know WHY parents die or abandon their children and leave them as orphans. I want to know why natural disaster happens and wipe out entire groups of people. Why young girls are sold into slavery in the 21st century. On that Easter morning, I wanted to know why it had to rain and “ruin” our service. I could keep going.
BUT, I don’t think that would do any of us any good. Questioning God and the things He ordains and allows can be a dangerous ordeal. It doesn’t have to be, but it can be. It is easy to hate what you don’t understand. To get upset at the horrible things going on and put the blame on the Big Guy upstairs.
In times past when things didn’t go the way I planned or I heard unpleasant news, I always took my dissatisfaction out on God. Life sucks sometimes. And when it would; when I was unhappy with the way I looked, when my friends had parents die, when I was lonely and when I depressed.
Those were the moments when I looked towards heaven and asked, “Why?” I never got the answer I was looking for either. Actually, I’m not even sure if I was ever looking for one. However, one verse sticks out to me NOW when I ask those questions: Psalm 46:10.
It says this: “Be still and I know that I am God." At least that’s where most people stop when they read it. Don’t get me wrong, this concept is very important. Each and every day I need to stop what I am doing and acknowledge the fact that God is God. That He created the earth, including me. God is in control and knows everything happening at every moment. God is God. However, by stopping there you miss the main point that God is trying to get across in my opinion. Psalms 46:10 in its entirety says this: “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth”.
The word that comes to mind when I read this verse is glory. God’s goal is His glory. Everything that He ordains and allows is ultimately for His glory. You may be asking yourself but how. How does all this bring him glory? How does slavery, death, depression, abandonment and disaster bring Him glory.
And if I’m being honest I’d have to say that I don’t really know. I do know that God has plans and ideas far better than any of us could conjure up (Proverbs 16:9), and that the Word of God is full of beautiful accounts of God’s glory (The book of Psalms, the Exodus, the birth, ministry, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the early Church and countless others).
I don’t understand the totality of who God is, but who does. He is infinite and therefore in our earthly bodies we can’t possibly ever know everything about God. Day by day we see a little more of who He is and day by day ,while still confused, begin to understand the Why’s of life. I long for the day to come, that glorious day when we meet God face to face. However until that day, I am going to do my best (and challenge you to do the same) to hold tight to Psalms 46:10.
“Be still and know that I am God. I WILL be exalted among the nations; I WILL be exalted in the Earth."
