From Head Knocks to Holy Intent
As I reflect on my life, I wonder how many times I found myself having to settle for Plan B, or Plan C, or maybe even a Plan that falls somewhere in the middle of the alphabet. I think we’ve all sat amongst the wreckage of our ‘Plan A,’ wondering, “where did it all go wrong?”
I was obviously never an All Black. To be fair, as much as I’m an avid supporter of the All Blacks, I don’t think I truly aspired to be one. I'd still lace up my boots in a heartbeat if the coach ever offered me a jersey although I'd probably only be able to offer about 2-3 minutes of high-quality rugby before being carried off! Growing up I certainly didn’t train like I wanted to be an All Black, but you hear stories of people who did.
Just a few years ago there was a young man called Billy Guyton who played for the Blues, the Crusaders, the Hurricanes and the Māori All Blacks, and was on the cusp of the top tier. After a lifetime playing rugby, he was diagnosed with Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (essentially, he got too many heavy head knocks). It forced him into retirement at 28 struggling with mental health issues and he died 5 years later. Many might look at this young man and ask, where is God when things like this happen?
There is some mystery for us as Christians to sit with as we journey through life. I wonder however, is there a possibility that the overarching truth of our reality that sits alongside the mysterious brokenness of the world, might be more robust, and infinitely more beautiful than we can ever hope to comprehend?
In our passage for this Sunday we explore the well-known story of Joseph near the end of his story and in it we find another doctrine that can be difficult to fathom, the Divine Providence of God. This doctrine informs us that God doesn’t just allow trials and even tragedies in our lives; He is actively and sovereignly weaving them into His masterpiece of a plan. But this leaves us with some uncomfortable questions, like, ‘how a Holy God could use evil intent to accomplish His good plan without becoming the author of sin?
Well, despite having to grapple hard with the evil intent that we often have to experience, that maybe we even perpetrate on others, the doctrine of Divine Providence which we will explore this Sunday can help us to make sense of these situations. This doctrine is one of the pillars of our reformed heritage. Take time to read and meditate on Genesis 50:12-21 and if you want to read further, look at Romans 13:1-7. May God open our minds and hearts to His Word.
Peace be with you.
Josh
