Understanding God’s Plan in a Troubling World

The randomness of life keeps many people on edge, indifferent, completely checked out of life, or deeply troubled. Life can be difficult, and those difficulties can send us looking for the answers to why. Problems cause us to deal with immediate needs and then the lasting aftermath of making sense of it all.

Some resign themselves to fatalism. This is a belief that whatever happens is predetermined. They think, so what’s the use to even try? This would be like someone getting a hurricane warning and taking no action either in preparation or evacuation.

Other folks are overcome by fear. This fear is coupled with hopelessness. They fall into the pit of despondency. This spoils any part of their lives that have moments of joy.

Then there are those who are so self-centered who think they control every aspect of their lives. They think they are wise and self-reliant to face every difficulty with success. Then calamity hits them, and all their earlier equations no longer compute.

In primitive, pagan cultures, many live in fear of evil spirits. They try to appease the ‘gods’ by making sacrifices. These sacrifices aim to bring good fortune.

All humans across the world deal with uncertainties, problems, financial difficulties, relationship problems, sickness, and death

Many people of different religious leanings live like a deist. (Not a good thing!) A deist basically believes that a god created the universe and set it in motion. Then stepped away to let things unfold as it would without intervention.

What is the Christian response to all these things?

The first point we need to understand is that we live in a fallen world. God created His creation perfectly. Man was given supremacy and authority over God’s creation but lost his authority by disobedience. This disobedience caused death. It introduced destruction, disease, pain, war, calamities, and all forms of evil.

God has been working a plan since that time. This plan aims to bring redemption to man. It also seeks to redeem the creation of the world. The journey of man as recorded in the Bible is a description of the fall and God’s redemption. God has set apart many different people. He has called them to pivotal points in the history of the world. They had a role in His redemptive plan. Simply said, God is working His plan and including many of us into that plan.

The most pivotal person and point in time was Jesus Christ, God’s only son. God stepped out of eternity and into the sphere of earthly time to redeem mankind and ultimately all of creation.

When Jesus began His earthly ministry, He preached, “The Kingdom of God is at hand!” There are about 120 verses in the four Gospels that reference the Kingdom. The word ‘king-dom’ is self-defined as the dominion of the king. The Kingdom of God/Heaven is the dominion of the King of kings in all of His creation.

When Jesus proclaimed, “the Kingdom of God is at hand,” He was declaring God’s dominion had invaded the earth. Everything changed at this junction in history.

Jesus gave many instructions about His Kingdom and His followers role in it:

"For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21 NKJV). [God’s Kingdom is within us in great power.]

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33). [Seek the Kingdom before all things and you will have all you need.]

"The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened"  (Matthew 13:33). [The great influence of the kingdom is permeated in the whole of creation.]

"Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you" (Luke 10:19). [With God’s Kingdom within us, we have power over all the works of the devil.]

At the end of His ministry on earth prior to His crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus informed His followers of the coming of the Holy Spirit into our lives as a Helper with power over the influences of this fallen world.

“And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:16-18).

We are not orphans who are helpless and alone in a cruel world. Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ achieved our redemption on the cross through His sacrificial death. He confirmed our new life in His resurrection. The Holy Spirit dwells in every believer and empowers those filled with the Spirit. “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us” (Romans 8:37 NKJV).

We are not ping-pong balls bounced around by the paddle of the devil. We are the children of God. We are the warriors in His army against the evil of this world.

We are not mere elements of nature held in limbo by the laws of physics and chance. We are the ‘called of God’ to fulfill His destiny and purpose in our time. Whatever may happen, we are held in His loving and powerful hand.

Our King has come. He is coming again in power and great glory. When He comes the declaration will resound, “The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (Revelation 11:15 NKJV).

Let us not walk around with our head down and our bottom lip dragging in the dirt. Look up! Our redemption draws near!

“And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 
men's hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.
Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.
 Luke 21:25-28 NKJV

Yours on the Journey,

Harry L. Whitt