“God cannot be outwitted by evil.”
Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – April 16, 2024
Declare and present your case; let them take counsel together! Who told this long ago? Who declared it of old? Was it not I, the Lord? And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me. Isaiah 45:21
It’s one of life’s great mysteries how God can take the awful things that happen to us, the horrible choices we make, the terrible things Satan does to us, and every horrendous life circumstance and use them all for our good and His glory. How can God use evil for good and even leverage it to accomplish His purposes?
Somehow in God’s sovereignty, He uses all terrible things, even sin, to accomplish His purposes and plans for our lives. He can take anything and turn it for good.
Isaiah 46:9-11 says, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times; what is still to come. I say: ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’ From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that I will bring about; what I have planned, that I will do.”
In his book, Imagine the God of Heaven, pastor John Burke writes, “God makes it very clear that he has a plan and purpose—and what he has planned will happen. Knowing the loving character of God, that should give you and me lots of assurance about the future as we follow him . . . You are secure in Christ because nothing can thwart his will or his ultimate plans and purpose. In fact, even when someone is hell-bent on opposing him, God will use what that person intends for evil to accomplish his plan for good.”
The cross is the most breathtaking example that God cannot be outwitted by evil. He sees the beginning from the end. He was able to take the horror of the cross and Satan’s evil plan and through His sovereign power turn it into the most redemptive act for all of mankind, foretold and even planned before the foundation of the world.
God dwells outside time, and so He sees all the events that happen—and all that will happen—in our lives and the lives of all who live from beginning to end. To Him, our life events are not like individual floats in a parade passing by one-by-one separated by time. Because He dwells outside time, He knows all the events of our lives as if they have already happened. In fact, He has written all the days of our lives in His book before one of them came to be (see Psalm 139:16). Therefore, there is nothing in your life—or mine—that surprises Him—and through His sovereign knowledge, love, and power, He has already worked everything in our lives out for His desired—and very good—end.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28).
Prayer
Lord, I don’t understand how you do it. I don’t understand how you can take even evil and use it for good. It’s a great mystery. But I choose to believe you. You are always working for my good and your glory. You are faithful, loving, and sovereign. I trust you with all the days of my life and all the bad things that happen to me too. Amen.
Application
Revisit your most difficult life experience. Do you believe that God is using it for your good and His glory?
Related Reading
Genesis 50:20; 1 Corinthians 2:9; Romans 8:30
Worship Resource
Shelley E Johnson: Sovereign God
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