"God is in Control"

by Jerry Robinson

After the attack on America in September 2001, fear gripped our nation and served as a predominant motivator in our culture. And while this collective fear appears to have subsided since 9/11, human fragility has become more of a stark reality.

James dealt with this concept of human fragility in his epistle when he stated: “What is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.” (James 4:14 NKJV) Human arrogance states that humanity harnesses the unfolding of the future. That it maintains control of its destiny. It incorrectly assumes that we are steadily progressing upward in wisdom and morality. The Word of God asserts that such arrogance is mere foolishness and leads only to death: “There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” (Prov. 14:12 NKJV) Instead, the Bible declares to sin-ridden humanity that God is in control! And considering man’s consistent failures in his attempts to rule himself, this should serve as a welcome and comforting thought.

Though the world appears to be out of man's control, it is not out of God's control. The Bible says "the nations are as a drop in a bucket" before the Lord. Let us find comfort and rest in the knowledge that our Lord rules and reigns far above all the mess that has been created through mankind's sinfulness, arrogance, and ignorance. With each passing day, creation is heading towards its grand and final climax: the return of Christ and His glorious millennial reign. Trust God. He is faithful to His Word. His Word always performs that which it is set to do. He will finish what has been started.

Despite the peril that engulfs our world, take heart that all is occurring according to God's master plan. Those who have humbly recognized their fragility, repented of their sinfulness, and turned to Almighty God through the shed blood of Jesus Christ are safe. They have nothing to fear. Christ has destroyed the very root of their fear. Remember, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of love, power, and a sound mind." (2 Tim. 1:7)