Resting in The Hands
of a Sovereign God 

The events of September 11 and the following weeks have had a significant impact of all Americans.  Events throughout recent history make their indelible mark on our hearts and minds.  I will always remember hearing the stories from my parents and grandparents about what they were doing when JFK was assassinated or when Pearl Harbor was bombed.  Even decades later, the emotional impact of these events have been seared in their minds and are remembered like they happened yesterday. 

I do not want to spend my time here going over the details of the events of the past few weeks.  The media and others have dealt in-depth with all aspects of those events.  However, in doing some soul searching of my own in the past few weeks, I have begun to more fully comprehend what it means to trust in God.  Simply put, by trusting God, we acknowledge that He is sovereign over all the affairs of man and His hand directs all.  This does not give us the freedom to sit back and fall into inactivity.  He expects each of us to be faithfully pursuing His Will for each of our lives.  He does indeed have a purpose for each of us.  He also has a purpose for all events around us! 

The Bible is filled with stories that confirm this and should give us cause to rest in God’s hands.  My favorite story is that of Joseph.  Here is a man who was sold into slavery by his brothers, through faithful service was placed in a position of authority in the House of Potiphar, wrongly accused by Potiphar’s wife and thrown into prison, forgotten in prison, then finally brought before Pharaoh and made second in command of all of Egypt. Through all this, God’s sovereign plan was to provide a way of deliverance for Israel during the time of famine.  And Joseph recognized this.  His words to his brothers reveal this as he tells them, “What you meant for evil, God meant for good”.  Another story is about Esther.  She was sold into slavery and ultimately became the wife of a cruel king.  She also recognized, through the words of Mordecai, that she was put into the position she was in “for such a time as this”. 

These stories reveal to all of us that God is working to fulfill His plans and that we confidently rest, knowing that HE IS IN CONTROL. 

One of my favorite hymns, but one that I seldom heard sung, is titled “All Things Work out for Good”.   

All things work out for good, we know,
This is God’s great design,
He orders all our steps below,
For purposes divine, for purposes divine.

This is the faith that keeps me still,
No matter what the test,
And lets me glory in His will,
For well I know ‘tis best, for well I know ‘tis best.

So now the future holds no fear,
God guards the work begun,
And mortals are immortal here,
Until their work is done, until their work is done.

Some day the path He chose for me,
Will all be understood,
In heaven’s clearer light I’ll see,
All things worked out for good, all things worked out for good.

My heart breaks for the families of those who suffered loss and hardship as a result of the terrorist activities.  My heart especially goes out to the children who lost their parents.  So many were made orphans in a moment’s time.  But, I truly can be at peace, knowing that God is sovereign in all things and that He is in control.  If I don’t understand the events of my life or the events going on around me, it is not because God is not in control.  It is only because I do not see the “big picture”.  That is where trust comes in.  I cannot even imagine being an atheist or a humanist at any time, but especially during this time.  The world feels like it is spinning out of control and all the humanists can do is look to man for answers.  But man is the problem, not the solution.  God is the only one we can, and must, turn to for comfort and peace. 

May the Lord keep your hearts and minds at peace during these trying times.  Rest in His hands and trust Him.   

In His service, 

Bruce Purdy