Puppets on a string?

Driving home from a hospital visit with a suffering saint I had a long talk with the Lord about the questions that were nagging at the edges of my mind. The main one, "What are You doing, Lord?" There are a couple of situations that I'm dealing with in my ministry that are stirring up the same question in me. It's not that I'm trying to make God accountable to me, that I need Him to explain His actions. If that were in my heart, I would be in sin! He doesn't answer to anyone. He is God. What I'm trying to understand is what part He wants me to take in implementing His will, if any.

Two competing views about people and the will of God come to my mind. One view of life is that God is in charge and therefore whatever happens is His will. In the extreme presentation of that view, I become a puppet on a string without choice. Another view of life is that I, alone, am responsible for what happens to me. In this view, God is present but has limited His direct involvement in the world, leaving us to work out the difficulties on our own. At the extreme of that view of free will, God becomes the 'Divine Advisor' and I become a god. The Bible tells me that God is 'sovereign,' and that I am a 'free agent.' Both statement are true, although that defies my limited logic. God is 'in charge,' and I am free to choose to participate in His purposes or to reject His will! What we usually set up as an 'either/or' situation, the Scripture teaches as a 'both/and' situation.

Take a look at this passage. God says, “O Israel, can I not do to you as this potter has done to his clay? As the clay is in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand. If I announce that a certain nation or kingdom is to be uprooted, torn down, and destroyed, but then that nation renounces its evil ways, I will not destroy it as I had planned. And if I announce that I will build up and plant a certain nation or kingdom, making it strong and great, but then that nation turns to evil and refuses to obey me, I will not bless that nation as I had said I would." (Jeremiah 18:6-10, NLT) What does Jeremiah learn from the Spirit of God? That God has determined a course of action. Is that plan inevitable and unchangeable? No! God tells us that repentance turns away His declared judgment. And He says that rebellion can block His intended blessings!

Our choices are important. We are not puppets on a string, helplessly dancing as a God of inscrutable purposes pulls and twists from His throne. That is why I am praying to understand God's will, asking Him what His plans and purposes are. I want to align myself with that will, so I live contentedly in the center of it, enjoying the serenity that comes from being a part of His best plans. I don't want to sin against Him by becoming a self-willed rebel, or an angry fool that shakes a puny fist in His face because of unpleasant circumstances. Isaiah warns about an inflated sense of self and the folly that comes from a failure to submit to the sovereign God. Using the same imagery as Jeremiah, he writes - "Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?” You turn things upside down, as if the potter were thought to be like the clay! Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, “He did not make me”? Can the pot say of the potter, “He knows nothing”?" (Isaiah 29:15-16, NIV)

If we ignore either part of the equation of obedience, we will end up in error. If we look exclusively to our God-given freedom to choose, we will grow proud when life is going well, as though we alone accomplished something wonderful. And when suffering comes we will look around for someone to blame, or even sink into despair! However, if we believe that we have no responsibility, then we may fail to pray, stop seeking to be a part of His work, because we mistakenly conclude that our choices and actions are irrelevant to the outcomes we experience.

The practical implications of the twin truths of God's rule and our freedom of choice is that we can live peacefully in this world. When difficult situations arise in our lives or in the world around us, we run to the One who is unchanging, 'the same yesterday, today, and forever.' We take solace from His promise that He will never leave us, never forsake us. But we do not stop seeking to bring the Kingdom of God into those situations. We pray for change. We present ourselves to Him, and discipline ourselves so that His purposes are not hindered by our self-will. The Believer's focus is always on seeking God, even as the Spirit works to strengthen our faith.

Believer, the question that we should ask when confronted with conflict, sickness, and suffering is not best framed as 'why is this happening?' but rather as, 'what are You asking of me, Lord?'
If He wills that we go through the fire to refine our character, we can walk through it with peace.
If He wants to lead us to repentance, it is imperative that we respond quickly!
If His desire is to make us a living example of His grace, then our momentary sufferings become a thing of glory, the pain we experience inconsequential compared to the privilege of being used in His plans.

"Let me hear of your unfailing love to me in the morning,
for I am trusting you.
Show me where to walk,
for I have come to you in prayer.

Save me from my enemies, Lord; I run to you to hide me.
Teach me to do your will,
for you are my God.
May your gracious Spirit lead me forward on a firm footing." (Psalm 143:8-10, NLT) Amen