By Cindy Phillips
Nothing that happens in the world surprises God or catches Him off guard.
Think about that for a moment.
Think about the implications of this fact.
The Creator of all things, the very One that chose to create you, the One who put you here in this time and place, did so fully knowing that would happen in your life.
Next think about what the Word says about God’s intentions and thoughts toward you. Jeremiah 29:11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.
Note the definition of Biblical hope is a positive expectation for good. That means, unlike the world’s hope which is “maybe this will happen or maybe not”, God’s kind of hope does not disappoint (Romans 5:5 Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us).
My favorite section of Scripture around this concept that God, who is all-knowing, has a great plan for your life and is not surprised by what happens to you (but rather can be trusted to orchestrate circumstances for your ultimate good and His ultimate Glory) is Romans 8:31-39 as follows;
31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? 32 He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him also freely give us all things? 33 Who shall bring a charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. 34 Who is he who condemns? It is Christ who died, and furthermore is also risen, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us. 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written:
“For Your sake we are killed all day long;
We are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.”
37 Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. 38 For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, 39 nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
When things don’t go as I want or expect in my life I turn to verse 32. God gave us the greatest gift a person would ever receive – the opportunity to spend eternity with Him. Since He gave us the most valuable gift already why would I expect Him to skimp on the other things I need in life?
Since God is not surprised by the things that happen in the world (to me), and His plan for my life is awesome, I can completely rest by faith not matter what is going on. Draw great comfort in this. Don’t let the world drown out the truth of the Word, and the very character of God, in your life.