Yesterday I was telling a friend how God met a particular need and said that “God is amazing.” She teased me a bit with, “What, isn’t He always? Don’t you take for granted that He will always take care of you?”
Normally, taking someone for granted is a negative thing so I wasn’t too sure how to react to those words. However, in God is Enough, today’s reading points to the other extreme. It suggests that some Christians allow their emotions to evaluate whether or not God is caring for them. By doing this, they “turn the omnipotent, omnipresent God into a helpless puppet, pulled by the strings of our varying feelings!”
Of course, as the author says, this is inconceivable. God, like a tender Shepherd who cares for His sheep, never leaves us or forgets us or neglects our interests, no matter how we are feeling at the time. His care may be hidden to our observation, but He is still using all things in the daily events of our lives toward His purposes for us. We can trust Him to be doing this all the time.
As I thought about these two extremes, never sure of God vs. taking His care for granted, the notion came to mind that one of my favorite verses may hold the key to which end of the scale I might lean toward. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”
This verse is often interpreted to mean that God will bring something good—as in pleasurable—out of whatever happens. However, if that pleasure doesn’t appear, then I could think that God is neglecting me, or that the events of my life are meaningless; they just happen for no reason. Then, God would be amazing only when He did something I liked.
However, God taught me very early in my Christian life that this is not what He means by “good.” The definition is in the next verse: “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son.”
The “good” that verse 28 promises is that I be conformed to the image of Jesus Christ. If I am thinking that way, and expecting God to use all things to make it happen, then I can see good in anything, whether it is pain or pleasure, events I like, or things that are difficult and troublesome.
I know that I cannot take God for granted about working things out so I will always feel good about everything, but I can take Him for granted in fulfilling His purposes for me. Of course He meets my needs and takes care of me, but if it seems like He isn’t or doesn’t, I know that all things include even negatives. He can use those also—to shape His image in me.
In the context of God caring for His children, taking Him for granted is not a negative expression. It simply means “of course I trust Him.”
It also means that I (and my friend) know God is at work, regardless of the ups and downs. Yesterday I expressed my amazement at His care for me. Tomorrow I might not notice anything special or even pleasing, but that does not erase or affect His promises, nor does it alter the fact that He is an amazing and awesome God.
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