“Good” and “Sovereign” – (a report on the weekend)
Isn’t it funny how, when things go the way we like, God is “good”. When things go the way we don’t like, God is “sovereign” (and sometimes “still good”).Well, God was definitely both good and sovereign this past weekend!
As you may recall, we had a team here from Palabra de Vida (Word of Life), which has a Bible institute north of Mexico City. The team was mostly Mexican, but several other countries were represented as well.
First, the team got whittled down due to sickness – the original fifteen became nine.
The next complication was that the team could not legally drive on the day they were supposed to leave (due to the laws in Mexico City to fight pollution). So special arrangements had to be made.
The team did several excellent evangelistic presentations in Santa Barbara and Jesús MarÃa. They also shared at both churches, teaching Sunday school and leading worship.
But what about Las Palmas? Well, the event was cancelled, because – well, we had “this permit” and “that permit” but we’re also supposed to have “this other permit”.
Never mind that we’ve done many events there in the past, and have never needed “this other permit”.
So, we packed up and shared the Gospel in another community instead!I’m not quite over that disappointment yet, however I am overjoyed that so many people did hear the Gospel.
On Monday the team shared with 1500 kids at a junior high in Las Palmas. As you might remember, they had to do it all in small groups, because the students aren’t allowed to meet outside right now, because the pollution level is too high!
But still, they had a good impact on the school.
Isn’t it a great temptation to look back, and say “if only…” or “we should have…” — ? And yet God’s goodness and sovereignty are not different, they’re the same. I was reminded of this recently by the song “God Moves in a Mysterious Way”. Check it out —
- God Moves in a Mysterious Way – devotional thoughts on the hymn
- God Moves in a Mysterious Way – full lyrics from the Cyber Hymnal
4 May 2016 @ 1:35 am
That would be a disappointment not to do an event in Las Palmas when you thought you had the right permits. And that was just one challenge with the Word of Life coming.
It sounds like God still used them in different places.
And yes, He does know what He’s doing even when we don’t get it.
May His Spirit continue to work in the minds and hearts of these precious kids.