According to God’s Plan

“You know nothing at all. Nor do you understand that it is better for you that one man should die for the people, not that the whole nation should perish.” John 11:49b-50 ESV1

Read Matthew 26:1-5; Mark 14:1-2; Luke 22:1-2 & John 11:45-53

In elementary school gym class, we sometimes got to use scooters to aid us in our physical exercise. Whenever the gym teacher brought the scooters out of the supply closet, cheers of excitement filled the gymnasium. For us children, it was exhilarating to roll all over the smooth floor playing games while either sitting or lying on these 12” x 12” x 1” pieces of wood supported by four caster wheels, one in each corner.

I absolutely loved the gym class scooters. So, one day I decided to make one for myself. In my dad’s workshop, I found a beautiful piece of wood, just the right size, and one caster wheel. I worked hard sanding the wood and screwing the wheel to the center of the board. This was a sizable accomplishment for a child but it was the joy I expected to receive from my very own scooter that kept me diligently working.

When my scooter was finished, the wood was smooth and the wheel was secure and turned easily. But when I tried out my scooter, my joy disappeared into frustration. Every time I tried to sit or lie on my scooter, it would tip to one side, strike the ground, and become completely unmovable.

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When All Seems Lost

As He drew near to the gate of the town, behold, a man who had died was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow, and a considerable crowd from the town was with her.       Luke 7:12 ESV1

Read Luke 7:11-17

When we are suffering, or are witnessing another suffering, our first instinct is usually to turn to God, begging Him to intervene. But when the situation doesn’t change, or if it gets worse, we begin to believe God doesn’t care, that He is cruel, or that He is unable to help. We blame Him for the problem. We pull away from Him. We lose hope. Today we meet a woman who was beside herself with grief. Her worst nightmare had come true. And God seemed nowhere to be found.

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