May I share a personal struggle I had when a promise in the Scriptures seemed to contradict reality? Psalm 91:11 says, “For He will give His angels charge concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” However, in March 1995 my in-laws (pastors) were traveling in a foggy rain to visit a man in an Indianapolis hospital. Just outside of Frankfort, another preacher ran a stop sign, resulting in the instant death of my father-in-law and five weeks later my mother-in-law. That accident ushered in some of the most trying days of my life.
What happened seemed to directly contradict the promise of Psalm 91:11. No, I did not get bitter, but I certainly questioned the Lord as to His ways. Is the Bible true? Yes indeed! However, God’s ways are above ours; His thoughts are higher than ours. He’s sovereign (all-powerful) and we’re not. He makes decisions based out of His sovereignty. To us, these times may seem to contradict His Word. Times of inexplicable loss have always plagued the hearts of men. Ask Job!
My friend lost his good job and now his home. I don’t know the reasons why, and I would not begin to wax eloquently or even to defend what may appear to be God’s indifference. What I do know, however, is that because he has been faithful with his tithes and offerings, God is obligated to fulfill His Word in his life. What appears to be so unfair and contradictory in the scheme of life and God’s promises, I believe, will “produce for [you] an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison, while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal” (2 Corinthians 4:17-18). Remember In the end, God blessed Job with what he lost and more!
This is not “preacher talk,” but if we obsess over the inequities and all the unfair things that happen to us in this life, we could very well jeopardize our faith and become cynical, even bitter. I encouraged my friend to look ahead and believe that God has placed a “replacement clause” in his life. Job came out on top and he will, too!
