God's Providential Permission

A few days ago, while reading Oswald Chambers’s My Utmost for His Highest, he was discussing having a deep peace that is undisturbed by God’s “providential permission.”  As I was reading about how God allows certain things to happen with His permission, it brought to mind 2 stories from the Gospels.  

In one story, Jesus calmed the waves that were threatening to overturn the boat that He and His friends were in.  In that story, He calmed the storm with a simple word.  Instantly, the waves calmed and the wind died down.  Jesus proved that His power extended to Nature—which tends to obey Him so much more quickly and joyfully than we do.  

In another story, Jesus showed His power in a different way by walking on top of the water.  He commanded the rolling waves to bear up His weight, and they did—defying its natural way of being.  Peter saw the way that Jesus was in control of the situation, and longed to join His friend and savior.  Under Jesus’ command, the water bore up Peter’s weight just as it did His own.  

When Peter initially stepped out, he was focused on Jesus.  His heart was at peace and he was confident in where he was and who he was walking towards.  After a while, though, he became distracted.  He began to pay more attention to the wind and the waves than to the Creator of the air and water.  Like we so often do, Pete just didn’t get it, and he panicked.  Jesus had already proved that Nature herself obeyed Him.  Everything was under His providential permission.  

What struck me this time while recalling the familiar story was that Jesus was not asking Peter to calm the wind, as He had done earlier.  Neither did He calm the surroundings to make it easier for Peter to focus without distraction.  He didn’t calm the chaos, though it was within His ability, but instead invited Peter to enter in to His peace.  The peace offered was so complete that the wind and waves wouldn’t matter.  Everything pales when compared to Christ’s love and compassion.

We are not called to escape the chaos and uncertainty of life, neither are we called to calm it—at least not in all situations.  Instead, we are called to find such inner peace in Christ that even as the world swirls around us, we continue, undeterred, along the path God has set us on.  

A few years back, God and I had a bit of a struggle, as I was bitter about not having received what I thought was my right.  I was under the misguided assumption that if I followed God and allowed Him to rule over all areas of my life, He would reward me with the things that I thought were good—in this case, a husband, children, and a home.  I was upset that after a lifetime of devoting myself to good things, I had little in the way of the world to show for it.  “Where is my reward?” I would cry out.  “Where are the good things that I want?  I see other people who have what I want, why don’t I have it?”

After some time of being honest with myself that I was feeling this in my heart, I was finally able to hear His answer.

“My child, I never promised you any of those things.  I never said that you would have a husband or children.  I never promised that you would have safety or comfort.  These are expectations that you have placed on Me.  I have promised only that I will be with you.  Through all the twists and turns, surprise and terror, joy and sorrow, I will be with you.  I will comfort you and I will let nothing happen that does not ultimately work towards the glory of My kingdom.  I am enough.”

When we have an idea of where God is, we need to ask ourselves, “do I see God here because I see evidence of Him, or is it simply where I expect Him to be?”  Is this situation something I need to fix, or do I need to simply enter into God's peace, trusting in His providential permission?

If you're like me, trusting and resting do not come naturally, yet when you are able to let go and enter in, trusting that God is in complete and utter control, the sense of peace and freedom are unparalleled.