The Wind Belongs to God

“The wind belongs to God whether it comforts or whether it kills.” ~ John Piper

Just recently, I customized my newsfeed to include topic matters that I am most interested in.

But as I surfed through the numerous stories that I thought would be more appealing to me, I was disgusted by what was reported: “ISIS claims responsibility for third deadly Iraq bombing in two days, At least three students hurt in shooting at Ohio high school, Planned Parenthood gunman: I’m on “righteous crusade,” Japan’s ‘Suicide Forest’ inspires horror movie…”

I kept scrolling through my feed in the hopes that amongst the atrocity there would be signs of life, but I was let down as I read the very last headline. “Knife-wielding man injures 10 children at china school…”

What is our world coming to? I tossed my phone down on the couch next to me eager to shake its content. It didn’t work to relieve my agitation, nor did it end my curiosity.

Instead of resorting to social media for something more satisfying, I half-heartedly picked up one of the many books that camouflage our ottoman. John Piper’s Desiring God, was on the top of the pile.

Because I’m in charge of leading a small group discussion on the material, it didn’t surprise me that God wanted to check my attitude. The next sub-title read, “His Sovereignty Covers Calamities.” I shut the book and looked up at our ceiling. Really? I hesitated immediately once I considered my poor approach to studying.

Ashamed, I quickly asked God to forgive my disrespect.

I continued reading, this time, with a much more appropriate spirit. In the process, I was of course reminded that nothing can frustrate our Lord’s purpose (Proverbs 19:21) and that “God’s sovereignty over men’s affairs is not compromised even by the reality of sin and evil in the world.” ~ John Piper.

While I was sitting alone in judgement on my couch at home, God had not ceased to be the righteous and holy God that He is. Had I first reached for a source of true encouragement and direction on how to proceed in the world today, perhaps my attitude towards the suffering in it, would be clearer.

Through this small incident, I’m reminded that when I prioritize incorrectly, I can expect the result to be equally erroneous.

“For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord is above all gods.Whatever the Lord pleases, he does, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps.He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth, who makes lightnings for the rain and brings forth the wind from his storehouses.” Psalm 135:5-7 (ESV)

This article is part of Jenny's ongoing contribution to LiftUpYourDay.com