Control

control - Is God really in control, or do a lot of things just happen by chance?

The LORD will work out his plans for my life.

Psalm 138:8

I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into slavery in Egypt. But don’t be upset, and don’t be angry with yourselves for selling me to this place. It was God who sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. . . . It was God who sent me here, not you!

Genesis 45:4-5, 8

You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.

Psalm 139:3

FROM OUR HUMAN PERSPECTIVE, the world and our individual lives often seem random and unpredictable. However, the truth is that God is still in control. Joseph’s story in Genesis shows how God used even the unjust treatment of Joseph by his own brothers to fulfill a bigger plan. People’s sinful ways do not ruin God’s sovereign plans. In the end, we will discover that our lives are like tapestries; right now we can see only sections of the back, with all its knots and loose ends. Someday we will see the front in its beautiful entirety—the picture of world history and our personal history from God’s perspective. Ask God to help you trust that he is working through your unexpected and unwelcome circumstances. This attitude will help you embrace both the good and the bad, knowing that through them, God is weaving a beautiful picture with your life.

Prayer Prompts

Lord, I’m still trying to understand this part of my life that seems random: . . .

I know you are in control because your Word says . . .