“When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.”

                                                                                    1 Corinthians 15:28

I’m coming out of the gate swinging. (Translated, the devotional is back on Mondays, Wednesday, and Fridays, and I’ve got something on my mind.)

I’ve watched the news stories about the devastation in Louisiana this week, and I’ve been in prayer for the people (as I hope we all have) in the path of that horrendous storm. What has me cranked up is a reference I have heard twice during the storm coverage, and it comes from the insurance world.

“Act of God.” I continue to hear that phrase and it drives me crazy. It seems the only things the world labels as an “act of God” are negative things. Floods, hurricanes, tornados, storms, lightning, etc. To me, that is a very limited and dismal view of our Creator.

What about the miracle of birth? That’s an act of God. What about a sunset that displays a variance of colors we don’t even have names for? That’s an act of God. What about someone who walks out of the cancer ward healed and cancer-free? That’s an act of God.

Either God is in all events or none. When we only see God in the negative, what we are doing is saying something not about God, but about ourselves. We are believing that God is to blame for all the bad, and we take for granted all the good. Or even worse, we take credit for the good.

Folks, we live in a fallen world that we haven’t done a lot to take care of. Bad things are going to happen. Please remember that in the midst of those bad things, God is there not to punish us, but to protect and sustain us. Instead of focusing on fault, focus on grace. That’s where God is.

It’s good to be back.

Eternal God, help us to see through the negative and give thanks to You for Your mercy that keeps us and sustains us even in bad times. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.