“Distant? Removed? Not God. . . . Were he to step back, the creation would collapse. His resignation would spell our evaporation.”- Max Lucado
“He is before all things, and in him all things hold together.”- Colossians 1:17 (NIV)
Max Lucado concludes Chapter 4 of Anxious for Nothing as he underscores that God, like a symphony conductor leading an orchestra, stands before the universe. As a result, God, the energy and energizing force behind everything, calls forth the elements to play their part.
Therefore, when adversity strikes, we must remember two words. These two words reveal the heart of providential hope: but God. Like Joseph, we need to keep God in the middle of our circumstance. Consequently, without the lens of divine providence, anxiety stalks you every day of your life. Thus, Max offers these words of encouragement:
“He [reroutes] evil into good. God uses all things to bring about his purpose. He will not be deterred in his plan to sustain and carry creation to its intended glory.”
Furthermore, Pastor Lucado stresses, Joseph’s story teaches us that we have a choice – to wear our hurt or wear our hope. Max exhorts:
“We can outfit ourselves in our misfortune, or we can clothe ourselves in God’s providence. We can cave in to the pandemonium of life, or we can lean into the perfect plan of God. And we can believe this promise: ‘In all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose’ “(Romans 8:28, NIV).
Today’s question: What Bible verses or Christian hymns/songs counter Satan’s attempts at evaporation in your life? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The gentle person – contagiously calm”