Nothing Ever Surprises God

            Things do not always go the way you expect them to go. Things change. Things don’t always work out.

            Such sentiments are common to life. And whether we are prepared or not, we will face change, experience unmet expectations, and deal with disappointments of many kinds. But we never face these things alone. God’s grace is sufficient – even abundant - for every test and challenge. Joanne and I found that out this past weekend.

            The weather forecasts were ominous… a second blizzard in three weeks was on the way Saturday night through Monday morning. 20-25+ inches of snow, 60 mph wind gusts, and temperatures below zero were coming. The problem was that Joanne and I were supposed to be going. We had tickets to fly to South Carolina at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday. But on Friday it looked like there might be no way we would even be able to get to Bangor. So I decided to ask Tim King to preach, so that we could stay with Joanne’s brother about 15 miles from the airport. It would be easier to get there from this distance than from Bar Harbor. So we were scrambling to get packed, finish getting the house ready, and making sure everything for church on Sunday was taken care of. I was anxious about leaving the house to the mercy of the weather and was grateful that Carroll was willing to check it while we were gone. But what if the power went out? The furnace wouldn’t be running. The pipes would freeze. Then the snow would pile up. I could think of plenty of questions of concern. So all this possible “bad stuff” was piling up in my mind. This was turning out very different than what we had planned on. On top of that, South Carolina was cold as well.

Then came the biggest change. Late Friday night I received a call from US Airways telling me our flights were cancelled. When I called Saturday morning there were no tickets available before Tuesday at the earliest. Our planned one-week trip would now be five – even possibly four days long. That was not news I wanted to hear. Everything was in flux and we had decisions to make. Should we still go or should we stay? If we don’t go, will we be out a lot of money? How disappointed would our kids be at not seeing us? Change raises all kinds of questions. Sometimes the answers are easy. Other times extremely difficult.

The biggest thing I need to learn in such times is all about God. The reminder that nothing ever surprises God was one I needed to hear again. Our lives – our days, our comings and goings – are in His hands every moment of every one of those days, with no exception. I can trust in God’s sovereign plan. I can experience His peace in the knowledge that He is in control. I can live with the understanding that His grace prevails in my life. I can know that His plan is perfect and that He will give strength for whatever His plan calls for. Every day… in every change I face… I am in the palm of His hand. And I know in the depths of my heart and experience that He knows what is best. He is an amazing and trustworthy God.

After choosing to receive a refund for our tickets (which I hadn’t been 100% certain of), getting a refund even for the trip insurance we had purchased, feeling relieved about being able to be at our house through the storm, and changing our vacation plans to a future month, I was happy to find some flights for a later date (with a better flight schedule). Those flights ended up costing 20% less than our cancelled ones had been. We had these and other reasons to be thankful. Again and again – in ways small and large – God showed Himself faithful. He always is… even when the flights are 20% more. The words of a very old children’s chorus sum up: Why worry when you can pray; Trust Jesus, He’ll be your stay; Don’t be a doubting Thomas; Trust fully in his promise; Why worry, worry, worry, worry; When you can pray? Really good question!

Isaiah 49:8-16 (NIV) ⁸  This is what the LORD says: "In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you; I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people, to restore the land and to reassign its desolate inheritances, ⁹  to say to the captives, 'Come out,' and to those in darkness, 'Be free!' "They will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill. ¹⁰  They will neither hunger nor thirst, nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them. He who has compassion on them will guide them and lead them beside springs of water. ¹¹  I will turn all my mountains into roads, and my highways will be raised up. ¹²  See, they will come from afar-- some from the north, some from the west, some from the region of Aswan." ¹³  Shout for joy, O heavens; rejoice, O earth; burst into song, O mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones. ¹⁴  But Zion said, "The LORD has forsaken me, the Lord has forgotten me." ¹⁵  "Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you! ¹⁶  See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me.

1 Chronicles 29:10-13 (NIV) ¹⁰  David praised the LORD in the presence of the whole assembly, saying, "Praise be to you, O LORD, God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. ¹¹  Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. ¹²  Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. ¹³  Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.

Psalm 31:1-5 (NIV) ¹ In you, O LORD, I have taken refuge; let me never be put to shame; deliver me in your righteousness. ²  Turn your ear to me, come quickly to my rescue; be my rock of refuge, a strong fortress to save me. ³  Since you are my rock and my fortress, for the sake of your name lead and guide me. ⁴  Free me from the trap that is set for me, for you are my refuge. ⁵  Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

PRAYER:  Father, I’d rather be in the palm of your hand, though rich or poor I may be. Give me faith to see through every circumstance to your plan for me. Unchanging God, lead me through the every change I face, and may I rest in your perfect will. In Christ’s name, AMEN.”

Jesus Christ is Lord!  

Scott