God is in control...even if it doesn't seem like it sometimes

Wow, here it is, January 1st, 2014! Another year to enjoy the blessings of God; another year to get to know Him better. Sometimes that is an exhilarating experience! Other times, not so much. But only because God usually does things in ways and manners and times which are not usually the way we would expect, or even want, for that matter. But He is sovereign. That means He is in control. And even if He hits me with a surprise, it's comforting to know He is in control, and that even if His ways are not my ways (scriptural by the way), He has a plan that is for my good, even though I might not quite understand it at the time. And this is true for everyone who is called for His purpose.(Romans 8:28).  Queen Esther did not have this New Testament passage to read and rely upon when God thrust her into a situation that she did not understand at first, but that was certainly according to His purpose, namely, saving the Jewish race from annihilation. (Yes, the annihilation of the Jewish race was attempted before Hiltler came on the scene).  God elevated her to Queen, wife of the King of Persia, Xerxes. Through her he eliminated an evil plot by one of the King's officials to eliminate the Jews. When her help was first implored  by her uncle, he stressed she had been selected "for such a time as this,"  meaning that all of these events were not happenstance, but according to the purpose of God. (If you have never read the book of Esther, you should. The story has intrigue, romance, evil, and triumph! It is one of many of God's stories concerning his sovereignty and purpose.)

And, you might be asking about now, what is all of this leading up to? Just a simple plug for Jesus! We do live in the greatest country in the history of mankind; but we are definitely facing some difficulties right now. We are just coming out of the Christmas celebration, where we focus on the Christ child, the shepherds, the angels, all the pretty things of Christmas. But we must never forget that that little baby entered our world for one reason...to die a horrific death that would suffice as the punishment we deserve, in order to bring salvation to fallen mankind.

And so, even though the future of our country looks bleak, and the war against Christians and Christianity in General begins to accelerate at an alarming pace, remember, Jesus came 'for such a time as this.'