Oh…My…Goodness! Why did this have to happen to us? Those words were blazing a path through my troubled spirit soon after the furnace repair man exited our home today. We were just coming down emotionally from our church’s annual mission’s conference, a series of meetings which revived our hearts, reawakened our vision for world missions, and reminded us of a need to walk by faith, to sacrifice financially to further the spread of His kingdom. In short, we were pumped! Then came the furnace fiasco.
We were expecting a bit of a jolt; the furnace is decades old and was in need of some wear-related repairs. But when the final costs exceeded the estimate by double, I was visibly distressed. How could we absorb this hit into our budget? Where could I cut expenses to cover this? How do we remain faithful to missions while on a fixed income with unexpected hits like this? As I sat on my deck quietly seeking encouragement from God’s Word, my Bible ‘mysteriously’ opened to a wondrous book, the Book of Esther.
The story of Esther weaves together a remarkable assortment of setbacks and successes, defeats and victories, debilitating fears and overcoming faith. But one common thread holds the narrative together: God is always quietly working behind the scenes…providentially.,, providence, divine guidance or care; the belief that God is the power sustaining and guiding human destiny. Even from a humanistic point of view, we have this definition: an influence that is not human in origin and is thought to control people’s lives. From Esther’s unexpected promotion from an unknown Jewish maiden to the queen of the kingdom of Persia, to Mordecai’s forgotten act of heroism in saving the king’s life, we find that no detail that unravels in this spellbinding story is random; there are no accidents. God was teaching His children a marvelous lesson, reminding us that in Esther’s situation, as is in ours, God was always in control, always steering the ship.
God consistently reminds us throughout His Word that when “the heathen say, Where is now their God?…” we have the answer,”…our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased.” We serve the One Who “ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will.” and most importantly, we have a Father Who loves us with an everlasting love, giving us the assurance that “all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are he called according to his purpose.” Regardless of our situation, even when we are thrown those those unexpected hurdles, “we are more than conquerors through him that loved us.”
I’m humbled to think that nothing can separate me from the love of my God…not over-budget expenses, surprise health issues, or random misfortunes, for nothing in my life takes my God by surprise…NOTHING! Are you wandering through a valley today, feeling alone, confused, and forsaken? Have circumstances shaken your confidence in the providential hand of God in your life? Do you feel as though your life is careening through the valley of hopelessness and desperation with no relief in sight? Rest assured, He has this, He has YOU! You may not see His hand at work, but you are His child, and He boldly states that “I will not forget thee. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” Those loving words of comfort can soothe our hearts even in the midst of the roughest of storms.
Isaiah 49:16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.