The desktop was neat. That is until I scurried through the house looking for my keys – or was it my phone – or my inhaler which I’m sure I needed more at that moment. I don’t remember.
You see, I lose things – frequently. When my wife and I were getting to know each other and she was relaying what was important in her future husband, misplacing things often was not something I recall her mentioning. For my wife, there’s, “A place for everything, everything in its place,” (to borrow from Ben Franklin).
And there’s a difference between knowing that something’s misplaced verses wondering if it’s really lost. (Nearly four months after we moved to Iowa, I found a set of keys from my previous home in another state! Yep, it’s that bad.)
When something is lost a feeling begins to set in that is unnerving, to say the least. It begins with a mild form of unrest, then progresses – often quickly – to panic (especially when you need the keys (or the phone, or the inhaler) at that moment.
Whether you lose things like me, or you wonder – and then worry – about whether we’ve seen the last of the snow this winter, the emotions that follow are often indicative that we’re forgetting that we’re not in control. More than that, we forget that God is in control.
Psalm 97 is a wonderful reminder to us that God is sovereign, or independently in control of all things. Verses 1 and 6 from the Psalm tell us, “1The LORD reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many coastlands be glad! … 6The heavens proclaim his righteousness, and all the peoples see his glory.” The rest of the Psalm goes into greater detail about God’s sovereign rule, which should bring us peace.
We worry and fret because we are often reminded that the world, even our own little realm, is out of our control. But was it ever really in our control? No, it wasn’t.
Everything is squarely in God’s control. This doesn’t mean we’re puppets on a string. Nothing could be further from the truth. But in a way that is mysterious to our understanding, God uses the good things, the hard things, all things to work out his perfect plan. That includes seemingly little things that can send us scurrying about as well as bigger, more complicated aspects of life where we meet pain, heartache, sickness, confusion and more.
God is good — really good! Perfect in fact. And everything that happens in our world is intended to help us perceive him correctly and give praise to him as the one who is always in control. Will you do that today? Will you give praise to God by trusting him with everything?
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