My four year old and I spent the better part of an hour bouncing a moon ball back and forth the other day. He is quite a funny little guy and he started to do silly things as he was throwing the ball towards me. The last time he threw it, he did something goofy so instead of paying attention to the ball, I kept my eyes on him. I laughed hard and then turned around to get the ball.
It was nowhere to be found!
We looked and looked for at least 5 minutes – under the cars, in the bushes, in the neighbor’s yard and flower beds. We could not find it!
I was about ready to give up when I decided to go out into the street to get a different view. I needed a wider view. A broader perspective so I could take in the whole of the area.
My vantage point needed to change.
Sure enough, when my vantage point changed, we found the ball.
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Ralph Winter, a pretty important guy in the world of Christian missions, as well as the founder of the course, Perspectives, wrote in his essay, The Kingdom Strikes Back, “Beyond the agony of Rome was the winning of the Barbarians. Beyond the agony of the Barbarians was the winning of the Vikings. Beyond the agony of the Western world we can only pray that there will be the defeat of Satan’s power holding millions hostage in thousands of people groups – peoples which have too long ‘sat in darkness’ and who now ‘shall see a great light.’ And we can know that there is no basis in the past or in the present for assuming that things are out of the control of the Living God.”
When I read Winter’s essay, my eyes did a bit of glazing over until I read those few lines. What the world saw as war, death, pain, suffering, hardship, injustice, God used as a means to advance his kingdom on earth.
God had a different vantage point.
He could see the whole picture of history and knew exactly what was needed for the gospel to be shared.
And God still has a different vantage point, because God is sovereign.
Sovereign means that “God is in control of His universe and determines the outcome of all things according to His own wise purpose. He has absolute authority over His creation. Nothing is outside the scope of God’s rule” (Bible Study Fellowship).
God has never, nor will ever lose his sovereignty.
God doesn’t fall off of His throne.
And He doesn’t lose sight of the ball.
Even in the midst of suffering or chaos in the world or in our families. Even when we feel like our lives are out of control. Even when we can’t make sense of why things are happening. Even when all we see is brokenness, darkness, pain, war or death. Even when all of that is happening, God remains victorious and maintains dominion over all.
God has a different vantage point. He sees the whole picture and He will move history forward, world history and your history, to accomplish His wise and perfect plan.
Will you trust Him to do so?
“Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” Proverbs 19:21
