God and Colonel Jessep

I want to credit Dr Russell Howard, associate pastor at McGregor Baptist Church, Ft Myers, for much of the ideas for this blog.  I have added some of my thoughts.

The last few days at our winter church in Ft Myers have been trying.  Our senior pastor, unexpectedly, resigned last Sunday, citing health reasons concerning his wife and himself.  It was a shock to all.  The normally confident, take charge pastor, made a short statement announcing his resignation, appearing a broken man.  We were all very sad.  You wanted to just give him a hug, but he exited the auditorium holding back tears.  I want to share some of the thoughts from our associate pastor from that service and his Wednesday night Bible study.

What happens when we are overwhelmed; or better yet, how should we respond.  When everything goes along as expected, it is easy to take God for granted; but when the unexpected happens, it’s hard to see God’s will in it.  Pastor Russell has repeatedly said in the past that what ever happens in the Christian’s life is for God’s glory and our good, as He defines it.  Sunday this became more appropriate.  God has a plan, period!

God speaking through the prophet Jeremiah said: “I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11).  In Psalms 37:23, the Psalmist proclaims: “The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord; and he delights in his way." On most good days, we have no problem with this; but in the valleys, where “the rubber meets the road", this is a little harder to take.

Keep in mind that HIS PLAN is for HIS GLORY.  You may think that this is pretty bold on His part.  BUT remember he made us for His Glory.  God speaking through Isaiah says: “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made." (Is. 43:7).  He is the potter, we are the clay. (Is 29:16)  He made us.  He redeemed us.  We are His, twice over.  If you build a sand castle in the sand,  do you have the right to wipe it out?  So does God!

Even though everything is for HIS Glory. It is for our good, as He defines it.  The MESSAGE Bible says it most clearly in Romans 8:28-32: “That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good. God knew what he was doing from the very beginning. He decided from the outset to shape the lives of those who love him along the same lines as the life of his Son. The Son stands first in the line of humanity he restored. We see the original and intended shape of our lives there in him. After God made that decision of what his children should be like, he followed it up by calling people by name. After he called them by name, he set them on a solid basis with himself. And then, after getting them established, he stayed with them to the end, gloriously completing what he had begun. So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us.

Even knowing all this, there is still the nagging question, Why?  God is big enough to handle that question.  It does not offend Him.  Job cursed the day he was born asking why did he not die in the womb.  God let Job ask his questions and build his case.  It took 38 chapters before God spoke out of the whirlwind.  God spoke but did not give Job the answers that he wanted.  Instead God started questioning Job.  God first told Job to put on his big boy pants,  “Pull yourself together, Job!  Up on your feet!  Stand tall!  I have some questions for YOU, and I want some straight answers”.  Job 28:3 The Message

After God get finished questioning Job, Job was convinced that “God can do anything and everything”. (Job 42:1 The Message) and that he had “babbled on about things far beyond him”.

After all this you may be wondering about Colonel Jessep and why I put his name in the title of this blog.  Colonel Jessep was in the movie A Few Good Men.  When Lt. Daniel Kaffee yelled at the colonel, “I want the truth”.  Jessep answered, “You can’t handle the truth”.  Do you think that maybe God sometimes is trying to tell us the same thing when we ask, Why?

Our finite minds can’t comprehend or fathom God’s Big Picture.  All we can stand is little glimpses.

Paul, in his letter to the Corinthians, tells them that “We only know a portion of the truth”  but some day after Christ comes again, “we will see it all then, see it clearly as God sees us.  The Message Bible, 1 Cor. 139-12

So the next time you ask Why?  God won’t get mad; but He may tell you, You can’t handle the whole Truth.  I have given you as much as you need.  Now pull up your big boy panties, TRUST ME!