I think one of the most frequently quoted phrases by people in difficult places is "God is in control". Most of the time this phrase is used to soothe those who are dealing with difficulty or to give us courage when we see things that are frightening happening in the world around us.
I believe that phrase is true. As a matter of fact, as a Daily Audio Bible podcast listener, I have become more and more convinced of that as I listen to the books of Samuel. However, those passages have also reminded me of an important subpoint to this phrase. It goes something like this - "God is in control and that should comfort you if you love Him and obey Him and frighten you if you don't."
Some people's lives are a warning. Some people are used by God to display his righteous justice. This is not just an Old Testament truth. It is also clearly spelled out in Romans, especially chapter 9, an admittedly difficult passage to comprehend. Think of Pharoah and the Israelites. Think of Ananias and Saphira. Those are just two examples from a book full of examples.
Here's the rub though - I love some people whose lives are a warning. Their lives break my heart. I weep over them. I long for them to know God's love for them in a way that causes them to cast away anything that would break His heart and to run to Him with wild abandon. I don't look at their lives with judgement because I see so clearly the mercy of God in my own life when I look at their lives.
I am so grateful that I serve a God who can use the worst things we have ever done to preach a message of his great grace and mercy. I'm so grateful that God didn't JUST judge us as "guilty" and walk away but that He sent His only Son to die for our sins and pay our penalty. The penalty of sin really is death. We see that all around us in this world. But the free gift of God is eternal life.
