The Lord is with me – Safe in God's hand

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Disturbing news surrounds us. One crisis follows another, and we worry. Will the global situation worsen, or is this perhaps even the beginning of the end? But instead of dwelling on the temporal aspects, vigilance is more important than ever. Then we can say with the Psalmist: “The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” (Psalm 118:6).

A turning point

In a government statement, Chancellor Olaf Scholz referred to the war in Ukraine as a "turning point." This term expresses the fact that the world is no longer the same as before. The unthinkable has happened – there is war in Europe again. The consequences are inevitable. Military spending is being massively increased, and energy prices are skyrocketing. The high inflation rate is resulting in increased costs in almost all areas of life. An economic crisis is looming, and no relief is in sight.

This new, all-encompassing turning point comes at a time already marked by various crises and emergencies. The coronavirus pandemic plunged the global economy into a severe recession. Personal life was, and still is, altered, severely restricted, and endangered for many people. And global climate change is increasingly threatening – albeit sometimes unnoticed – security and peace in the world.

In view of this constellation of problems and dangers, one can indeed speak of a "turning point in history", which results in a steadily increasing uncertainty and concern among the people.

The timing is not the deciding factor.

All this should come as no surprise, however, for Jesus himself announced a turning point in history: “And Jesus went out and departed from the temple. And his disciples came to him to show him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them, ‘Do you not see all these things? Truly I tell you, not one stone here will be left on another; every one will be thrown down’” (Matthew 24:1-2). The end of the temple, the beginning of the birth pangs, the great tribulation, the coming of the Son of Man.

Naturally, all these announcements caused concern among the disciples. However, they did the right thing by coming to Jesus with their worries. “As he sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately and said, ‘Tell us, when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?’ Jesus answered them, ‘See that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, “I am the Christ,” and they will deceive many’” (Matthew 24:3-5).

Something about Christ's answer strikes us as odd. He doesn't address the temporal aspect. He doesn't give the disciples a specific time when the announced events are to occur. Instead, Jesus first issues a clear warning against being led astray. And only a little later, he also exhorts them to be vigilant. This is how God intends it.

The question of timing is not crucial for us. There is no way to circumvent anything by waiting for a specific moment. We must go through what God, in His sovereignty and wisdom, has ordained for our lives. Every person in their own era and in their own life, regardless of whether it is through difficult or less difficult times.

All things happen according to God's plan.

Many people around us are grappling with a wide range of questions. Will the war escalate further? Is there a risk of nuclear conflict? And might God lead believers out to another country? If we could ask Jesus these questions today, as the disciples once did, what would his answer be? Different from his answer back then? No, certainly not.

God always allows exactly as much in the world as His plan dictates. And immediately the question arises: Is this terrible war perhaps His intention? Quite the contrary—God's will is that all people be saved. Yet humanity no longer wants to know anything about God. It is drifting further and further away from Him. And this state opens the floodgates to envy, deceit, hatred, and murder. Jesus says: “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See that you are not alarmed, for these things must happen, but the end is still to come” (Matthew 24:6).

All these things must happen, and we should not even be frightened by them. For His own, who are faithful to Him, may know that He will lead them through all difficulties. Therefore, His answer today would be the same as it was then to the disciples: “Be careful that no one deceives you. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many” (Matthew 24:4-5). “Therefore keep watch, because you do not know at what hour your Lord will come” (Matthew 24:42).

God protects His people at all times.

The miraculous thing is that all these events and developments on earth are directed by God in such a way that they serve as a test and trial for God's children, while simultaneously serving as punishment for the wicked. A remarkable example of this is the catastrophes associated with the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt. We know the incredible situation during the seventh plague:

“Only in the land of Goshen, where the Israelites were, did it not hail” (Exodus 9:26). During the ninth plague, suffering struck everyone except the Israelites: “Then Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was a great darkness over all the land of Egypt for three days, so that for three days no one could see one another or get up from his place. But all the Israelites had light in their homes” (Exodus 10:22-23).

It was so striking that something supernatural happened, it made people feel quite uneasy: “Then Pharaoh’s servants said to him, ‘How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the people go, that they may serve the Lord their God. Do you not realize that Egypt is being destroyed?’” (Exodus 10:7). God made a distinction between the nations in His actions.

The tenth and most terrible plague could not have been clearer. Once again, all the Israelites who had obeyed God's word were spared: “For I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast, and I will execute judgment on all the gods of Egypt, I, the Lord. The blood will be a sign to you on the houses where you are. And when I see the blood, I will pass over you without harm; and no plague will come upon you to destroy you when I strike the land of Egypt” (Exodus 12:12-13).

God alone, our Lord, controls all events and happenings throughout the world. Just as it was in the time of Moses, so it is with us today.

Joseph's life, but God's plans

The life of Joseph is another example of how God, in His actions, pursues several paths simultaneously, ultimately leading to blessing in multiple ways. On a personal level, God tested Joseph's faithfulness to Him. At the same time, through these same actions, He prepared a way out of the famine for Israel.

We want to analyze God's action in Joseph's life together. "Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons, because he had him in his old age; and he had a richly colored robe made for him. When his brothers saw that their father loved him more than all his brothers, they hated him and would no longer greet him with the sign of peace" (Genesis 37:3-4). The brothers sensed that their father was making a distinction between them and Joseph. And that troubled them.

To make matters worse, the little brother also carelessly told them about his dream in which God had given him a glimpse into the future: “Joseph had a dream and told it to his brothers, and they hated him even more. He said to them, ‘Listen to the dream I had: We were binding sheaves in the field, and my sheaf stood upright and stood still; and your sheaves gathered around it and fell down before it!’” ( Genesis 37:5-7).

That was too much for his brothers. Their hearts hardened so much that they were even prepared to murder him: “When they saw him from a distance, before he came near them, they decided to kill him secretly. And they said to one another, ‘Look, here comes the dreamer! Now come, let us kill him and throw him into a cistern and say that a wild animal ate him; then we will see what happens to his dreams’” (Genesis 37:18-20). This situation is a prime example of the well-known saying, “Man proposes, but God disposes!”

God also had a plan for Joseph – long before the brothers: “When Reuben heard this, he rescued him from their hands, saying, ‘We will not kill him!’ And Reuben said to them, ‘Don’t shed blood! Throw him into the cistern there in the wilderness, but do not lay a hand on him!’ He wanted to rescue him from their hands and bring him back to his father” (Genesis 37:21-22).

Reuben devised a plan. It was a very noble one, but according to God's plan, things would turn out differently: “Then they sat down to eat. But when they lifted up their eyes and looked around, behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites from Gilead was approaching, their camels carrying tragacanth, balsam, and labdanum, and they were going down to take it to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, ‘What will we gain by killing our brother and hiding his blood? Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites and not lay a hand on him ourselves, for he is our brother, our own flesh!’ And his brothers agreed” (Genesis 37:25-27).

Despite these very difficult and incomprehensible situations for Joseph, we see time and again that God never abandoned him. On the contrary, He blessed him: “The Lord was with Joseph, and he prospered in everything he did; so he was allowed to stay in the house of his Egyptian master” (Genesis 39:2).

God's ways, besides all their blessings, also repeatedly lead through trials. Even Joseph, when things were going very well for him, was not without trials: "After these events, his master's wife set her eyes on Joseph and said to him, 'Lie with me.' But he refused and said to his master's wife, 'Look, my master trusts in me and does not concern himself with anything in the house. He has given me all that belongs to him. There is no one greater in this house than I, and there is nothing he has withheld from me except you, because you are his wife. How then should I commit such a great sin and sin against God?' And although she urged him day after day, he would not listen to her to lie with her or to have sexual relations with her" (Genesis 39:7-10).

We know what happened next. The woman accused Joseph of the worst crimes, and he was arrested. This turn of events seems confusing and unjust. Although Joseph had shown loyalty to his master and to God, he fell from grace and was thrown into prison. From a human perspective, the situation was hopeless. Under normal circumstances, he would never have left his prison.

But here Joseph once again proved his faithfulness. He allowed no bitterness toward God. His affection for his Lord and God was so great that the Lord was able to work miracles through Joseph. With God's help, Joseph was able to interpret the dreams of the baker and the Pharaoh's cupbearer, and the prophecies came true after three days. But once again, after this glimmer of hope, Joseph had to practice patience and prove his faithfulness.

He spent two long years of his young life in prison until God sent Pharaoh a special dream as well. Finally, the cupbearer remembered his promise and told his master about the unusual man in the dungeon: “Then Pharaoh sent and summoned Joseph. And they quickly released him from the hole. He had his head shaved and changed his clothes and went into Pharaoh’s presence. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘I have had a dream, but no one can interpret it. Now I have heard about you, that when you hear a dream, you are able to interpret it’” (Genesis 41:14-15).

In this case too, God provided the interpretation of the dream. The powerful ruler was overwhelmed by Joseph's wisdom: “This speech pleased Pharaoh and all his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, ‘Can we find a man like this, in whom is the Spirit of God?’ And Pharaoh said to Joseph, ‘After God has told you all these things, there is no one as understanding and wise as you. You shall be over my house, and all my people shall obey your command; only for the throne will I be superior to you!’” (Genesis 41:37-40).

Thus, after his trial, Joseph was once again rewarded for his patience and unwavering loyalty. He was elevated to the position of second most powerful man in the kingdom, second only to Pharaoh. In his letter to the Romans, the Apostle Paul succinctly captures this remarkable connection between tribulation, trial, and reward: “Not only so, but we also boast in our afflictions, because we know that affliction produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame” (Romans 5:3-5).

It happened just as Joseph had predicted. The first seven years were fruitful and full of blessings for the land and its people. After this time of abundance, disaster suddenly struck. The fields yielded no harvest, and all of Egypt fell into famine. Only the royal storehouses were full: “When the famine was throughout the land, Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold grain to the Egyptians, because the famine was severe in the land of Egypt. And all the world came to Egypt to buy grain from Joseph, because there was a great famine throughout the whole earth” (Genesis 41:56-57).

But the famine wasn't limited to Egypt. All neighboring countries were suffering as well. Joseph's brothers also traveled to Egypt to buy grain for their families. They never dreamed they would find their brother, whom they believed to be dead, there.

“Then Joseph could no longer contain himself before all who stood around him, and he cried out, ‘Let everyone leave me!’ But there was no one with him when Joseph revealed himself to his brothers. And he wept loudly, so that the Egyptians and Pharaoh’s household heard it. And Joseph said to his brothers, ‘I am Joseph! Is my father still alive?’ But his brothers could not answer him, so astonished were they before him. Then Joseph said to his brothers, ‘Come near me!’ When they came near, he said to them, ‘I am Joseph, your brother, whom you sold into Egypt!’” (Genesis 45:1-4)

After Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, he summoned his father Jacob and his entire tribe, along with all their possessions, to Egypt: “Then Joseph harnessed his chariot and went to meet his father Israel at Goshen. When he saw him, he fell on his neck and wept at his neck for a long time. Israel said to Joseph, ‘Now I will gladly die, since I have seen your face and know that you are still alive!’” (Genesis 46:29-30).

Abraham submits to God's ways

Another example of God's plan always being fulfilled and simultaneously serving as a blessing to the God-fearing can be seen in the life of Abraham. After Abraham had been tested by God, he made a promise: “Then the angel of the Lord called to Abraham a second time from heaven and said, ‘I have sworn by myself, declares the Lord, that because you have done this and have not spared your son, your only son, I will surely bless you and will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will possess the gates of their enemies, and all nations on earth will be blessed through your offspring, because you have obeyed my voice’” (Genesis 22:15-18).

This magnificent promise was passed down through generations. Through Isaac and Jacob, it went to the patriarchs of the twelve tribes of Israel, and from there onward. And into the fulfillment of His promise, God wove countless individual destinies. When it seemed that the promise could never be fulfilled because all lives were threatened by famine, God used Joseph for the next step in His plan, simultaneously testing his faithfulness. How would we think about the events in Joseph's life if we didn't know how the story ultimately turned out for him?

I think we would have great difficulty accepting all the apparent setbacks in his life as part of an infallible plan. This has to do with the fact that we find it hard to understand that our thinking and logic are not the measure of all things: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

God's plan always comes true

The Bible offers many more impressive examples of God's guidance. That's why understanding biblical stories is so important for us, so that we may come to know God's invisible, protective hand. From the lives of many faithful men of God, we can learn to recognize His guidance in our own lives. No matter where we look at God's actions, we will never find a case where God forgot someone or came too late.

What must Mary have thought when her brother lay dying and Jesus simply didn't arrive in time: "When Mary arrived where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet and said to him, 'Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died'" (John 11:32). Yes, it's quite possible that it would have been so in that case. But God had something else in mind, and Jesus thanked His Father for allowing the Son of Man to be glorified. Nothing has changed in that regard to this day: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever" (Hebrews 13:8).

In every part of the earth and in every situation of life, whether famine, sickness, or war—God's promises always retain their full power. Therefore, the advice of the Apostle Paul also applies to us: “So do not throw away your confidence, which will be richly rewarded” (Hebrews 10:35). In most cases, we cannot understand why something happens or why certain things develop in a particular way.

But it is precisely then that it is all the more important to place our trust in God. None of us knows when Christ will come: “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, but only the Father” (Matthew 24:36). What we do know for certain, however, is that everything that happens in the world around us is God speaking loudly to us. God allows quite a lot to happen on earth. On the one hand, to carry out His judgment on the unrighteous, but also, at the same time, to purify His chosen ones: “So that the provenance of your faith—of far greater worth than gold, which perishes even though it is tested by fire—may result in praise, honor, and glory when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:7).

The events around us are a wake-up call to His people to properly align their own position with the Lord: “But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His special possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

We do not belong to ourselves. We are God's possession and must be holy because He too is holy, and nothing impure enters heaven. That is why Jesus once admonished his disciples to be watchful. And being watchful is more than just not sleeping. Being watchful means being attentive, being vigilant, and not letting anything impure in.

Watching is necessary

Unfortunately, it is in human sinful nature that vigilance is not consistently taken seriously as long as there is no immediate danger. Children of God rarely find their true strength and steadfastness in calm and carefree times. However, under difficult and adverse circumstances, they have always drawn closer to God. Job serves as a good example so that we don't have to wait for hard times before becoming vigilant:

“His sons used to visit one another and prepare a feast, each in his own house and on his own day; and they sent and invited their three sisters to eat and drink with them. When the days of feasting were over, Job would summon them and consecrate them; he would rise early in the morning and offer a burnt offering for each of them, for Job said to himself, ‘Perhaps my children have sinned and turned away from God in their hearts!’ This was Job’s usual practice” (Job 1:4-5).

For Job, his relationship with God was always more important than anything else. Accordingly, his thoughts and actions were guided by purity and integrity. Thus, even during the most difficult period of his life, he had the strength not to lose his trust in God. May the Lord also help us to be vigilant in these times, to make the most of our time, and to be ready to walk with Him through even the hardest of times.

Alexander Kerbs

Municipality of Sottrum