FOLLOW OUR LORD BLINDLY
Sakkie Parsons
Translated from the Afrikaans Version: Volg ons Here blindelings
Translator: Lynda Botha
Someone wrote to me and asked me, why God doesn’t do anything about all the wrong things happening in the world. Between the lines I grasp something like despair relating to the current mess the world is in, and it seems to this person that God is not doing anything about the situation.
In short this is how I see this kind of problem:
My first principle when it comes to this sort of problem is to follow our Lord blindly.
So, with a smile, I do it literally and figuratively because I am blind.
When I think of these things in life, there are the following Scriptures from the Word of God that I recall in my heart. I’m only human, a very small part created by our almighty omniscient God in the universe, and I personally cannot even begin to understand how our Lord works, or to question Him, but I do understand this as I read:
ISA 55:8: "My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts.” Says the Lord. “And My ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.”
ISA 55:9: "For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so My ways are higher than your ways and My thoughts higher than your thoughts”
Now I'm not saying that someone will go to hell if they do ask God questions about all the garbage in this world. This is a matter between that person and our Lord, but in my own life since I repented, I have never questioned the Lord regarding all the things happening to me or around me.
When my wife for example was diagnosed with Alzheimer's, of course, I cried a lot because I love her, but I always told our Lord: "Lord, I do not understand why this happened, but I know you are in control and that's enough for me." When our Lord performed a miracle and healed her, I did not ask questions, but praised our Lord's Name. Personally, for me, a disciple of our Lord, it is only logical to live such a life as I remember:
ROM 9:20: “No, don’t say that. Who are you, a mere human being, to argue with God? Should the thing that was created say to the one who created it, “Why have you made me like this?”
When my wife was later diagnosed with Dementia, again I did not understand but fortunately I do not always have to understand everything. I just keep my eyes constantly set on Jesus.
For example, I do not understand why I was born with an eye problem, and then later lost my sight.
I also do not understand why I got cancer in 1997. Like my hero Paul said, I look at things with my human mind and all I see is something that vaguely wants to make sense but as a whole it remains a mystery to me. But praise His wonderful name as God is in control – and for me it is personally the best way:
1 COR 13:12: “Now we see things imperfectly, like puzzling reflections in a mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely.”
I look at myself and the things in my life as well as all the things in the world and for now I have God's peace in my heart because I know:
ROM 8:28: “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them.”
Sure, there are certain things happening which makes me sad. And of course, there are things happening which makes me angry and so I could go on and on, but I remember ROM 8:28 and I become calm. For God is in control and therefore, regardless of what I see and experience I can always tell people: "God is in charge and everything goes according to His plan."
Because I have this comforting and nurturing peace of our Lord in my heart:
JOHN 14:27: "I am leaving you with a gift – peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So, don’t be troubled or afraid.”
I want to encourage you to look at life in the following way and to live it accordingly to the best of your ability so that your mind will not be filled with anxiety and constant worries by this world:
Work on changing your life for the better with the loving support of our Lord. Change only what you can change and leave what you cannot change in the hands of our Lord. Worrying about it will not change anything about it in anyway. Live then as a child of our Lord by fulfilling your testimony to our Lord as follows:
HEBREWS 12:1-3
1 “…let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us.”
2 “We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, He endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now He is seated in the place of honour beside God’s throne.”
3 “Think of all the hostility He endured from sinful people; then you won’t become weary and give up.”
Remember that suffering is part of God's education program.
Paul considers this life as a learning experience and used the word 'education' when he was going through difficult circumstances:
PHI 4:12: “I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of living in every situation whether it is with a full stomach or empty, with plenty or little.”
May you have a blessed day.
Greetings,
Sakkie