(Content warning: this mostly consists of lists of various blessings of God in our ministry and in my life. Profound it is not.)
God sure is good, isn’t He?
I recently saw a discussion about the differences between First and Second Chronicles and the accounts from First Samuel through Second Kings. They are both accurate and contain some similar details, but there are some details that are omitted from each. The question was, why?
One general answer provided was that the themes of the books are different. The sins of the various Kings, including David, Solomon, and all the Kings of the northern Kingdom are covered in some detail. In 1 and 2 Chronicles, the sins of the Davidic dynasty are discussed less frequently, and mostly in the context of the failure of various kings to trust in God in matters of foreign policy.
This is due to differing focuses. 1 and 2 Kings have a larger historical scope, and demonstrate God’s justice in how he deals with two nations that ultimately rebelled against Him. 1 and 2 Chronicles are more optimistic, reminding God’s chosen people of His goodness, blessing, and faithfulness, and encouraging them to trust in Him. This remains a valuable message today, and was vitally important to Jewish people returning from exile.
Discussing this (and reading through 1 and 2 Chronicles, as I have been for a couple of days) has been a good reminder for me: God is good. There are trials and we often fall short, but He is so good to us. And it is important for us to remember His goodness in our lives. How much he has blessed us. How, when we go through the valley, He has been good to us at all times.
And that’s a good opportunity for me to put in writing how good God has been to us this summer.
After the break: A lot of good stuff God has done this year.
He has been good to us at Northstar Baptist Church, for starters. We launched the new Shoreline Chapel and we’ve seen God work in our people and in our outreach. We saw the Wipplers conclude their service with us and enter deputation as our missionaries to Finland. We’ve seen Christians grow in the faith and see God answer real prayers. We’ve seen families of kids we’ve bused in for years begin to attend and to grow.
We’ve also had some trials, particularly with regard to the driveway culvert. As it happens, the cost to replace it is much, much higher than we expected, and the process has been complex and stressful for everyone.
But God is still good, too. The pessimist sees a higher cost, driven by punitive government regulation; God saw the cost years in advance, and systematically built our general fund so that we have more than enough cash to pay the cost on hand, debt-free. We have to get things done in a tight time schedule, but God preserved a driveway with questionable integrity through a busy year of high-water snowmelts and heavy-duty use during Vacation Bible Time.
And in the weeks we’ve begun to see the true cost come into focus, the spirit and unity in the church is as good as it has ever been. I can’t begin to say how privileged I am to be a pastor in a church as wonderful as this, with so many faithful people willing to serve together for the cause of Christ.
I believe our best days are ahead of us. God has responded to our small steps of faith together by providing before we even know we need it, and he will provide again. Now we have a chance to truly trust Him by faith and to see what He does. This will be a wonderful fall season.
I know many pastors and I see many endure trials and hardships. I have been through a number of them myself. But I cannot get over what a wonderful place this is, how God has brought people together of different ages and family situations and backgrounds and forged a family of people who love Him and love each other. It is an amazing place to serve. My wife and I regularly shake our heads in amazement.
Personally, I’ve seen God’s goodness in a number of small, unimportant ways throughout the summer. He has provided for my wife and kids to spend a lot of good time relaxing at the beach (an isolated beach she found that we always get to ourselves). Tracy and I have been able to spend a lot of time together enjoying simple pleasures, like taking long walks through the local park. Our oldest daughters got to attend camp for the first time, and it was great for both.
The health “challenges” I’ve encountered have been a not-so-disguised blessing. Being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes this spring wasn’t pleasant, but God has given me tremendous grace to overhaul my dietary patterns.* My wife and I have both lost weight and are as healthy as we have been in years, and many of the adjustments we’ve had to make have been far less burdensome than I feared when I learned it was time to change.
And for me? God is good even in trivial stuff. I haven’t been able to sail this summer, which is a modest disappointment, but a significant reason for that is that I’ve chosen to focus my limited resources on other things. I’ve taken a larger interest in things like off-roading, and God has blessed me with friends that have generously allowed me to spend significant time riding ATVs and UTVs. A friend and I took our sons to a race at ERX and had a great time as well. All of this has occurred at little-to-no monetary cost.
And, assuming the culvert project doesn’t interfere, it appears that I’ll be able to fulfill a dream I’ve had since before my kids were born: God has, amazingly, used others to provide tickets to a Michigan football game next week at no cost to me. The plan is to take all three of my girls (Lincoln is not quite old enough to really enjoy it—so I get to look forward to taking him some day, as well) and get the full experience. We’ll get to see the brick my dad and I got together in 1999, something I’ve wanted to revisit for years. I’m very excited.
I am thankful. There are more tough times ahead. New challenges await my family and the church in the coming year. God will be good when it’s hard, just as He is good when it’s great.
*Graciously allow my wife to overhaul my dietary patterns. She’s an excellent cook, too.
Notes from the North 