You hear this sometimes… when a tragedy has happened, or something is unexplainable: “Well, you know God has a reason… He’s in control of everything that happens…”
Is He?
If this is true, then why did Jesus tell His disciples how to pray? If God is in control of everything, why do we need to pray at all?
Consider this: Is there crime in Heaven? Is there tragedy in Heaven? Sickness? Death? Evil? The obvious answer is NO. These things will not (and do not) exist in Heaven.
So Jesus said, “In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in Heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in Heaven…” (Matthew 6:9-10).
Think about what Jesus said. He told us we should pray that the earth would reflect how things are in Heaven. IF God is in control of everything already, then why would we need to pray in such a manner?
Psalm 115:16 says, “The Heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s; but the earth He has given to the children of men.” This explains a lot! Heaven is a place of great peace, free of offenses of any kind, because it belongs to the Lord –He’s in control there. But the earth is a mess –a dangerous place, really –because it has been put in charge of men.
So is God in control of “everything”? The answer is: No.
I can speak for myself. For example, just looking at yesterday, God did not have control of everything I did. I chose what I’d wear, what I’d eat, what I said, where I went, and the attitude I carried all day. (How about you?)
In His power and wisdom, God saw fit to let you and I choose these things. But He did give us some direction:
“Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments which I command you today, that the Lord your God will set you high above all nations of the earth. And all these blessings shall come upon you and overtake you, because you obey the voice of the Lord your God… But it shall come to pass if you do not obey the voice of the Lord your God, to observe carefully all His commandments and His statues which I command you today, that all these curses will come upon you and overtake you” (Deuteronomy 28:1-2, 15).
What we need to understand is that God put a big IF in our world.
He said IF we would carefully observe, obey, and choose His ways, then we would be blessed. But IF we ignored and/or did not obey the counsel of His Word, then there would be heartache and tragedy.
God is a GOOD FATHER and He has given us, as His children, the opportunity to bring His will to earth –IF we will choose wisely.
“I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore CHOOSE LIFE, that both you and your descendants may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19).
The bottom line is this: IF God is in control of everything, there should be no IF.
The word if indicates choice. God isn’t in control of everything and believers who love their Good Father should defend His Name when people accuse Him of tragedy that was simply the result of men who forged their own path and left God behind.
