God Is In Control

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Philippians 4:8

Pause

Three weeks after my oldest daughter was born with significant medical concerns, I overheard two women talking about our situation. “I hope Grace doesn’t blame herself for her baby’s condition,” said one. That thought hadn’t yet crossed my mind, and thankfully it didn’t stick. If it had, I’m certain I would have questioned and analyzed my way to a wrong conclusion.

Instead, I focused on Psalm 139:13–16. It says that God weaves our bodies together, and his workmanship is good. Whether God specifically designed my baby with hydrocephalus or whether he just allowed it was a question I couldn’t answer, but I knew with certainty that I could trust his wisdom, goodness, and sovereignty.

We might never know with 100 percent accuracy what brought about difficult circumstances in our lives. Nonetheless, we can experience inner peace when we keep our minds anchored in the truth that God is in control and has purposes yet to be revealed.

Ponder

What thoughts about your circumstances need to align with Philippians 4:8?

Pray

God, show me your truth concerning my situation and help me anchor my thoughts on it.