“We must never mire in the cesspool of ‘What if?’”
It’s been nearly 20 years since I heard a pastor utter those words. Those listening tearfully surrounded a coffin that was far too small. It was built for a child. It contained the body of a young girl who the Lord took far before her time. A series of tragically timed circumstances led to a horrific auto accident that took her life instantly.
If there ever was an appropriate time to ask, “What if?” it would have been at that moment in time. Her father no doubt wondered hundreds of times:
- “What if I had left the house 30 seconds earlier or later?”
- “What if I hadn’t hit the accelerator when I did?”
- “What if I’d been in a different car?”
The list of justifiable questions is hauntingly endless. And all the questions ultimately beg one fundamental question: Do you believe God is sovereign and in control, or not?
This past week on HAVEN Today, Charles Morris interviewed Lysa TerKeurst. Hers is the story of a woman who was certainly qualified to ask the question, “What if.” Lysa faced two life-threatening illnesses and a husband who cheated on her, all in a very short period of time. I wouldn’t fault her for asking that question through her darkest times.
Randy Alcorn pointed out that, “Asking the ‘What if?’ question suggests we may not believe in God’s sovereignty Jesus assures us that if we put God and His kingdom first, in His sovereignty He will take care of us (Matthew 6:33). In the next verse He says, ‘Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.’
In fairness, it’s much easier to be objective and recognize God’s sovereignty when you’re not the one who is enduring a Job-like test.
So here’s my encouragement to take a listen to HAVEN Today and Lysa TerKeurst’s story. You’ll hear the way our sovereign Lord has used her trials to deepen her walk with Jesus. Come to HavenToday.org and take a listen. You’ll be encouraged by the way God sustained Lysa through some of the darkest days anyone might face.
