March 6, 2022 - INSCRIPTIONS FROM THE HEART
By Pastor Israel La Guardia
God is in control.
As we continue to pray for peace and for the war to come to an end between Russia and Ukraine, we are reminded that God is in complete control of everything that happens in the world that we live in. Across the Scriptures we read about famines, plagues, natural calamities, and even invasions. God allowed such things to take place during those times and even during our time and in the future, so that His glory will be revealed in and through them, His kingdom is advanced, that more and more people will hear about the gospel and for Christians to stand strong, full of faith, hope and love amidst uncertainties.
I know that for many of us or maybe all of us would be asking, why would God allow sufferings in the world? Let me share with you a brief and yet a profound answer from the Pocket Handbook of Christian Apologetics. (Bold fonts and underscores are mine more for emphasis).
“God allows suffering and deprives us of the lesser good of pleasure in order to help us toward the greater good of moral and spiritual education. Even the pagans knew that: the gods teach wisdom through suffering.
God let Job suffer not because he lacked love but precisely out of his love, to bring Job to the point of the beatific vision of God face to face (Job 42:5), which is humanity’s supreme happiness. Job’s suffering hollowed out a big space in him so that a big piece of God and joy could fill it. Job’s experience is paradigmatic for all saintly suffering.
He allows only the evil that can work for a greater good for us. Not all that we do is good, but all that God does is good, including not miraculously interfering to deliver us from all evil. That would be like parents doing all their children’s homework problems for them."
Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli, Pocket Handbook of Christian Apologetics, The IVP Pocket Reference Series (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2003), 53.
Everything that happens is for God’s glory, is for the advancement of His kingdom, and is for the good of His children. Yes, we are in a time where we are forced to adapt to the current situation, read and understand the times and paying close attention to the unfolding of God’s redemptive plan. May we not miss the opportunities to take part in the advancement of the kingdom of God not only to those within our reach but also to those who are beyond the walls of our church, praise God for the online platform of doing ministry.
Romans 8:35-39 assures us that “no one” and “nothing” can ever, ever, separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.
35 Who could ever separate us from the endless love of God’s Anointed One? Absolutely no one! For nothing in the universe has the power to diminish his love toward us. Troubles, pressures, and problems are unable to come between us and heaven’s love. What about persecutions, deprivations, dangers, and death threats? No, for they are all impotent to hinder omnipotent love, 36 even though it is written:
All day long we face death threats for your sake, God.
We are considered to be nothing more
than sheep to be slaughtered!
37 Yet even in the midst of all these things, we triumph over them all, for God has made us to be more than conquerors, and his demonstrated love is our glorious victory over everything!
38 So now I live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate us from God’s love. I’m convinced that his love will triumph over death, life’s troubles, fallen angels, or dark rulers in the heavens. There is nothing in our present or future circumstances that can weaken his love. 39 There is no power above us or beneath us—no power that could ever be found in the universe that can distance us from God’s passionate love, which is lavished upon us through our Lord Jesus, the Anointed One! (The Passion Translation)