God is in Control

Luke 18:31-33

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The theme for the devotion today is that God is in control. As we look around our world today, there’s a lot of uncertainty. There’s the war in Ukraine and the death and destruction that’s there. There’s natural disasters which harm a lot of people, and there’s even trouble in the financial markets. It may cause Christians to worry about what’s going to happen in their lives. And it’s a tempting thing when it doesn’t seem like God is in control.

But the same thing happened to the disciples, I believe, when Jesus was arrested. And then they saw him tried, crucified, and dead. That must have made their life totally uncertain at the time that all happened. But Jesus had predicted it precisely saying, this is how it is going to be, from the scriptures itself, from the Old Testament. And so they didn’t need to worry. They didn’t need to think that things were out of control. God had a plan and he was going to carry it out, even if they couldn’t understand at the time.

Jesus said in Luke, chapter 18.

He took the Twelve aside and said to them, “Look, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written through the prophets about the Son of Man will be accomplished. Indeed, he will be handed over to the Gentiles. They will mock him, mistreat him, spit on him, flog him, and kill him. On the third day, he will rise again.” (Luke 18:31-33 EHV)

How can we know the love of God? Certainly not through wars or disasters. We know the love of God because he loved us so much, he sent Jesus into this world. Now, Jesus didn’t come to fight the Romans or some other secular government. He came to fight the power of sin and death and hell. They control us. We are slaves to those things. But not Jesus. He came as an innocent, sinless person. And as he was hanging on the cross, we know that he fought all of those enemies of ours and he overcame them by his suffering and death. His resurrection is proof that he won the victory for us.

Our Risen Savior is still in control. We don’t understand why he allows evil things to happen at times, but we know that God has a plan for our good. Perhaps it’s because he just wants to give us an opportunity to pray. Or perhaps it’s so that we look back and say, My, how blessed we were at times when now maybe we don’t have as many blessings. But in the end, we remember that God has been good to us and that He really has a plan to help us and to care for us.

And the other thing is he wants to remind us that this is not our home. Jesus came to prepare a place for us in heaven. So as we think of all the troubles and things that are going on in the world, it is not a cause for worry. God has a plan. His plan, as we hold to him and trust in him, is to take us to be with Jesus forever. And with that in mind, we end with a prayer, which is a hymn verse.

Fight the good fight with all your might. Christ is your strength and Christ your right. Lay hold on life and it shall be your joy and crown, eternally. Faint, not nor fear. His arms are near. He changes not who holds you dear. Only believe, and you will see that Christ is all eternally. Amen.