Chapter 16

Note: Monday the 18th of July Mere and I celebrate 13 years of happy marriage! For various practical reasons, we’ll be going away a week early, so there will be no commentary on Sunday 10th (and depending on how things go perhaps not on Monday night either).

Also, those reading this via email may have noted that the dates were getting a little weirded out. At some stage I missed a day without noticing! Sorry . . .

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Every now and again we come to a point in life where things don’t seem to be working out right; and it’s not (this time!) because of anything that we’ve done in particular that’s wrong, or unwise; it’s just one of those things that happen.

Right now I’m witnessing that first hand. Someone my wife cares about deeply is sick with cancer, and the doctors are fairly grim about his chances. And since this is not Mere’s first experience with cancer, she sometimes wonders what has gone wrong – why always her friends and relatives?

In short, why does life not make sense right now?

It can feel like there’s no-one at the wheel, that life is just careening off into the wild blue yonder like an out-of-control aircraft.

But one thing I have learned is that God IS in fact in control.

I know we get sick of hearing this, but Romans 8:28 is the key here – all things work together for good to those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes.

Similarly, this chapter tells us to be aware of that fact – that God is in control.

How does that make you feel?

For some, it’ll be a puzzling fact – the logical response will be “But what are you doing, Lord?”

For others, though, it’s a relief to know that God is there, and in control. As chapter 16 likes to remind us, there IS no other who has both the authority and the power to make it happen.