March 19, 2015

“Is nothing certain but the uncertain wandering of chance which goes this way and that, and do the affairs of mortals have an ending?” Lucan “Cicero” “For All The Saints” volume I p. 905

“Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as King and deal wisely, and shall execute justice.” Jeremiah 23:1-8

I often think about the idea of divine “providence” versus chance. How do we discern the difference in our lives? When does a chance encounter move from “Karma” to “G*d ordained”? That is the one million dollar question for most people. It is the ten thousand dollar question for those of us in the church because the ways of G*d often remain a mystery – but we also trust that G*d will act – and G*d does act – with purpose. The answer comes in how we lead our lives – whether we live thinking our faith leads to naught, or living and trusting that our faith is the glue that holds everything together. This is what Philip Melanchthon had to say:

“The mind of Cicero was overwhelmed with doubt about providence, because he did not know the promises of G*d, and he doubted that he and others were heard or helped when they prayed, especially in times of calamities in which they felt that they were deserted by an angry G*d.”

Contrasted against Cicero is Jeremiah, who overcomes doubts and with great confidence believes that G*d will act in history, will act in his life, and so Jeremiah waits with patience for that outcome. “The days are surely coming, when the Lord will raise up a righteous Branch,” he says. And Jeremiah also says, “The Lord is our righteousness.” Those are statements of someone who believes that G*d will act in his life – that G*d promises and so G*d will come through.

In the season of Lent, you have the opportunity to do some serious assessing: do you live as if you know G*d will act – as if you hope G*d will act – or as if you doubt G*d will act? It is when we trust and have confidence that G*d is active in our lives that we are made more aware of those moments and know that they are not due to good Karma, but the gracious actions of our heavenly Father through the son Jesus Christ, sustained by the Holy Spirit.

Pastor Dave