PSALM 31:14-15 – But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hand; rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors.”

I am sure we have heard these words from someone or about someone when a circumstance or situation comes out well, “I/he/she was lucky. That really turned out great.” Or maybe something like this when an outcome in life is yet to be determined, “Just crossing my fingers and hoping for the best” or “Knock on wood all comes out well.” Now, I hope no Christian ever uses the words “lucky, chance, fate” or does that cross your fingers, knock on wood stuff. It may seem “worldly harmless” but it reveals a poor theology over the sovereignty of God in the individual lives of people and certainly includes His people.

When it comes to living life in this sin-cursed, dangerous world and particularly for the person outside of Christ, there are uncertainties everyday; a routine medical check-up may reveal terminal cancer, a company downsizes and unemployment occurs, a child who seemed to be “on fire for the Lord” suddenly denies the faith and walks away, a spouse after decades in a marriage tells the other he or she is leaving ,and the list goes on and on of those “wake-up” calls in life that come out of the blue. For your encouragement, read the Old Testament book of Job, chapter one, and see how this man of God went from comfort to catastrophe in a blink of the eye. But . . . and here is the big but . . . nothing comes out of the blue in our lives. Nothing. Not a single circumstance or situation just happens. Read the words of the Psalmist–“my times are in Your hand.” Not some times in our lives, but all times are in the hands of our sovereign God. And that provide us great comfort and confidence even in times of great pain and loss. Here are two reasons why.

First, the One who holds our times in His hand is the God who is love (1 John 4:8).And His love ensures His Presence, power, protection, and provision no matter what tough circumstances and situations He sends into our lives. Will it change the circumstances and situations? No, but it will enable us to trust God in both. We will find comfort in His love during great difficulties.

Next, the One who holds our times in His hands is the God who works all things for His glory and our good (Romans 8:28). When our “luck” (no such thing) seems bad, stop, and praise the Lord. Yes, stop and praise the Lord giving thanks for the “bad luck” (no such thing) occurring in our lives. In doing so, we take our eyes off our circumstances and begin to see beyond the seen (2 Corinthians 4:16-18). We are enabled to see that God is not only in control of this happening in our lives but sent it for the good purpose of making us like the Lord Jesus. Always see our times as His times of conforming us into the image of the Lord Jesus.

So as life takes those “unexpected twists and turns”, cling to the words of the Psalmist–“But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’” My times are in your hand. In doing so, we will respond to the Lord’s working in us as we realize our times are in the good hands of the one Who is committed to our welfare, not our destruction.

PRAYER: “Father, thank You that my times are in Your hands and thus nothing catches You by surprise.”

QUOTE: “God has not only orchestrated the times in our lives but all the circumstances in those times.”

Because of Him,

Pastor Jim