journey onWord with us

Amazing is a fair word to describe the number of surprising events which happen to each of us in the course of every day, much less every week. Just yesterday, I was surprised to arrive at my hotel and find the power off! Did God say, “Oops, what just happened to Mike?” Later that evening, I was again surprised when the power flickered and I lost TV coverage of my favorite basketball team. Did God say “Oops again” to my second power outage of the day?  Then, upon arriving at the gate for my early morning flight today, it was announced there were three groups totaling 130 people (mostly children) on the flight. Why me? Did God say, even once, “Oops Mike, that caught me by surprise?”

Often, the surprises you and I face aren’t just funny or annoying but serious and concerning. But do any of the events which cloud our days and weeks cause God to say, “Oops, what is going on here?” Intellectually, we would all agree there is no “Oops” in God’s vocabulary. He is conscious of every moment, available for every need, and utterly dependable. So why do Christ-followers let the inevitable surprises of daily life annoy, frustrate, and cause us to live with unsettled hearts? If our Father is not saying “Oops” and we can trust Him with every part of our lives, why should (or do) we say it? It all boils down to trust, and how we view His control over the events of our lives.  We know that surprises are coming.

I am writing this article at 35,000 feet on my quiet flight (all those kids must be asleep). It is a joy to be looking down at a canopy of beautiful clouds. Who made those glorious, powdery, white balls of fluff? Oh yes, the God who never says “Oops!”  If He can make the beauty of those clouds, then the daily and weekly issues of our lives are no problem for God to handle. We may never understand why some events happen and why the pain of life is often palpable, but there should never be a question about the Father’s understanding, care, and knowledge of every moment we experience. Our, “Oops, what just happened?” moments are never missed by our sovereign God.

O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!
Jeremiah 32:17 

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do.
Psalm 139:1-3

The verses above give us a clear picture of God’s power and personal knowledge of us. My thoughts on God never saying “Oops” came from a passing comment by Michael Booth (a Christian singer). His words came and went quickly, but the concept penetrated me deeply. Does anything happen to you and I that is outside His knowledge or reach? Of course not! Trusting Him for every day and every surprise changes our perspective of the, “Oops, what is going on?” moments. Can any of us even suggest that what just happened to us caught the Maker of heaven and earth off guard?

We all know the answer. We all know surprises are coming. We all know that He cares about us beyond our comprehension. It’s time to give every surprise over to the One who never says, “Oops, that caught me off guard!”

The question is, will we?