Who Truly is in Control?

Over these past few weeks of this worldwide pandemic, with hundreds of thousands of tragic deaths and its accompanying grief, despair, social isolation, economic reversals and government overreach, it has been common to hear friends, family, and the man on the street being interviewed in the media expressing an intense longing for the world to return to “normal.”  And, each time I hear it I want to cry out from the depths of my soul, Really??!!   I mean who in their right mind could possibly want the return of a world that even before this disruptive virus came on the scene, was a world filled with misery and sorrow, violence and strife, frustration and futility, destruction and death; none of which has been ameliorated to any significant degree by history’s enlightened thinkers or the technological messiahs of today.

So, what is the pre COVID 19 “normal” that so many want to return to?  I would suggest the norm we want restored is the liberating sense, the comforting belief, that we are in control of our life and life circumstances; a belief that has been temporarily challenged by this unseen enemy that attacks without provocation, and for which our greatest, most valiant defense is washing our hands.  We are typically unswerving in our belief that we are the captains of our soul and the masters of our fate, that individually and collectively we can rule over the forces of the natural world as well as the critical affairs of life through our ingenuity and ever evolving technology.  We believe that human flourishing and individual happiness is found in the wisdom and valiant efforts of man rather than in the wisdom and power of the transcendent and Holy God, who created us to know and love and be loved by Him and to whom we are accountable.

In our sinful pride, in our spiritual insanity and self-deception, we believe that we can predict and control both the forces of nature and human behavior. Thus, at a time such as this, we look to science and wise governmental leadership to give us back our illusion of human autonomy, content to live our lives independent of God and in opposition to His rule over our lives. We arrogantly believe our greatest happiness is to be found in having the freedom to do whatever we please, whenever we please, however we please, accountable to no one, just like God.

However, in (Psalm 2) we are told that “God laughs” at such arrogance and will justly judge all who persist in it.

This is God’s world, and the Bible reveals that nothing happens in His world unless God has ordained that it happen (Lamentations 3:37-38).  Nothing is ever outside of His absolute (sovereign) control (Daniel 4:34-36).  This includes all that occurs in nature including the weather, the behavior of the animals and growth of crops; all natural and technological catastrophes from earthquakes to plane crashes (Amos 3:6); all sickness and disease; all political machinations of the nations and their rulers (Psalm 47:8) all  wars and insurrections; and all that occurs from the day of our birth to the day of our death (Psalm 139) as well as our eternal destiny.  All of this is under the wise and absolute control of a good and righteous and Holy God, who is working out all things that occur in this world according to the wise counsel of His will for the ultimate and eternal good of all who love Him, of all who are submitted to His purpose for their life.

And it is in times such as this present pandemic that God is calling a prideful and arrogant humanity to humble ourselves, turn from our opposition to His rule over our lives and return to a new normal, the glorious life with God for which man was created in the beginning; a life He has promised to everyone who will entrust their life to Jesus Christ.  In Jesus we become the true children of God, the joyful and thankful recipients of all that an infinitely good and wise and powerful Heavenly Father will, throughout eternity, give to and do for  those who trust in His love and rest in His grace.

Grace and Peace ×