Word is Out

Earlier this morning I was in my canoe in the middle of a quiet lake, with a hint of the sun about to rise as the mist began to swirl around me. No human voices can be heard; the busy world of chirping and creaking and croaking provides the background for my coveted quiet time. The gray heron seems comfortable with my presence. It is within this context that I opened my Bible and began to read, “Behold, it was for my welfare that I had great bitterness; but in love you have delivered my life from the pit of destruction, for you have cast all my sins behind your back. It is unfathomable to think that the God of the universe not only has my best interest in mind, but it is all because of his great love for me. “It was for my welfare, that I had great bitterness!” God loves us so much, that he is willing to allow me to suffer and at times, actually cause suffering, to bring about good, that could not be receive in any other way. God is behind the scenes “in love” trying to prepare us for the benefit. In Isaiah 26:12, it reads, “O LORD, you will ordain peace for us; you have done for us all our works.” God is behind the scenes working on our behalf, doing what we cannot do for ourselves, in love, for our benefit. What an amazing God! These truths have stirred me from my reverie and I realize, with a new sense appreciation, that we have a God who created us because He wanted to share His unfathomable nature. There is so much to learn about Him and from Him. Well, I wanted to stay there the entire morning, but it was time to paddle back.