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| Notice the angle of the cap compared to my CA classmates. Not the smartest decision I ever made! |
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| Yep, it almost fell off! |
One afternoon late in the school year my mom informed me of a call from a recruiter from Louisiana College who wanted to know if I had made a definite decision as to where I would attend college. I had made a decision and enrolled at Northeast Louisiana University. However, my mom’s reply was she’s made several definite decision but I’m sure she would consider another one. Too true! And, yes I did make another decision and attended Louisiana College despite the Orientation counselor’s confusion about why an Assemblies of God preacher’s kid would attend a Baptist College.
Five colleges and too many majors to list later, I still hate uncertainty, but I find rest in knowing that an all-knowing, God is a definite decision maker. Proverbs 16:33 says, “We may throw the dice, but the Lord determines (decides) how they fall”. (NLT) While I often fail to understand His decisions, he has cast my lot in pleasant places.
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, they are plans for good and not for disaster to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT) We often look to this verse for reassurance when decisions seem uncertain or unpleasant. Just recently I sent a message to a friend who is experiencing one of those times when everything seems to be falling apart around her with this verse as encouragement.
When I looked up the verse to make sure I quoted it correctly I was struck by context surrounding this verse. Listen to verse 10, “This is what the Lord says: You will be in Babylon for seventy years.” Wait a minute, this promise of good & hope was sent to the people whom He had just delivered into the hands of their enemy for 70 years! I’m sure they needed to hear message, but the same God making the promise was the God who decided to send them into captivity. You would be correct to say they brought this on themselves by deciding to abandon their God. Yep, they threw the dice. But it was the Lord who determined how they fell. And this time, they fell in an unpleasant place. Was this just a case of disobedient people receiving their just punishment? I think it was more. After all there were innocent people like Daniel who were part of the captives. I think this was about a definite decision God made we he said to Abraham “This is the everlasting covenant: I will always be your God and the God of your descendants after you.” Genesis 17:7 (NLT) “I am as likely to reject my people Israel as I am to abolish the laws of nature!” Jeremiah 31:36 (NLT). The purpose of their captivity was to bring them back into right relationship with their God. Read the rest of verse 10; “But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised and I will bring you home again.” The message goes on to say they will pray and He will listen, they will seek and He will be found. They will trade their mourning for singing. They will find blessing even in a barren land. They will embrace their God!
In Chapter 31 we get a glimpse of the new covenant. A covenant wrote on the hearts of His people. A covenant that includes forgiveness of sins, never to be remembered again. A decision to send His only Son to bring us into right relationship with our God. A decision that brings blessings even in a barren land. One that brings hope even we abandon Him. And yes, one that brings certainty to our uncertainty! As sure as the as the laws of nature, he has not abandoned you even if you feel you have been in exile for 70 years!
“Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again. God will make this happen for he who calls you is faithful”. I Thessalonians 5:23 & 24 (NLT) Sounds pretty definite to me!
Last week we looked at the hymn, Peace, Peace, Wonderful Peace. Here‘s an excerpt from another of my favorites, “But I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he able to keep that which I’ve committed unto him against that day”. I always loved to hear Aunt Bonnie lead this one, too. When she sang, “I know not what of good or ill, may be reserved for me, of weary ways or golden days, before His face I see.” I knew she had seen both and still believed that He is able.
Thanks for listening.
See you next Sunday,
Ronda
P.S. I bet the Orientation counselor at LC might be really confused now if he knew I had been both a Methodist & a Baptist pastor’s wife since then! (Same husband, just some of the decisions along the way.)
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