Sovereign God.

Many times as believers in Christ we get an idea that God will provide--as if He will automatically bail us out regardless of the circumstance. I too have fallen victim of this notion. As I grow in my faith I find that this is a simple way of thinking. We serve a complex God. One that does not fit our mold or our agenda.

Even with this in mind, I have come to this simple truth: God is sovereign. Regardless of my circumstance I cannot believe otherwise. Recently I read a friend's blog questioning the sovereignty of God. He was sharing his hurt of recently hearing that a well-known pastor was diagnosed with brain cancer. In this blog He stated that He had a hard time believing the sovereignty of God when something like this has happened. Though I respect his words I can appreciate the response of a mutual friend. "Is the goal of life to live 90 years on earth or to follow God in the years that we have on earth? While I can completely understand the loss of a friend and great teacher, we do not preach, teach, live moral, so that we will have a long life. Righteous people die, just like the unrighteous - the rain falls on the wicked and the pure. The plan of my Father is beyond my understanding, but it is His. The reality of the effect of sin on our world is real." This is something I have realized as of late. Just because I am a young, innocent, believer--one who has done little wrong in this world compared to many, this does not mean that God will automatically "save" me from my predicament.

The well-known verse Jeremiah 29:11 says "'For I know the plans I have for you,' declares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'" This is something we hear often, especially during new chapters in life surrounding graduation from high school and college. We read this, hear this and say this then seem to expect those "plans" to take affect immediately. My mom recently pointed out to me that we tend to over look verse 10 which states "This is what the Lord says: 'When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place....'" Verse 10 changes everything in my opinion. He's saying, "Things will be tough. Years of struggle and trial may go by but I will come back for you. It may not be today or tomorrow or even this year but I have a plan for your life. Stick with me, be faithful and I will fulfill your life and give you a future." It is even through struggle that we have hope.

There are two things I can say about my life at this point. One, it is not at all what I expected. And two, it has allowed me to appreciate my many blessings. I live in a small town that I never that I would live in again, without a job that I didn't think would be hard to find, surrounded by friends who, for the most part, I didn't know six months ago. Regardless, I have a roof over my head, food to eat, electricity, unexpected friendship, love, and much more.

Let me tell you friends, even if I had none of these my God would still be sovereign.

Not of me, but of Him.