One Friday a couple of weeks back, someone hurled a glass bottle in my direction and it missed me and broke as it hit the ground. I was so taken aback that I didn’t stick around to investigate, I assumed that it was thrown by someone who wasn’t mentally sound.

The following day I was on main street and 9th Avenue, it was quite crowded, I admit, but there was someone walking suspiciously close to me. In the nick of time, I caught them trying to pick-pocket and I screamed.

Near misses all around me, accidents unknown,
Though I never see with human eyes the hands that lead me home.

Amy Grant, Angels Watching Over Me

I told a number of people about what happened, “Girl you are living a movie” was more or less the response I got from most.

 “The Lord is good; I have had two near misses.” I praised God and I recalled Psalm 124 “Blessed be the Lord who has not given us over as prey to their teeth, we have escaped like a bird from the snare of the fowler, the snare is broken and we have escaped.”

via GIPHY

As time went by, I continued to give thanks but I became aware of how perilous it is to base God’s goodness on whether we receive good outcomes or not. God still would have been good even if something untoward had happened.

We live in a fallen world so we are bound to have bad days, or go through an entire season that’s painful but God is still worthy of the praise. “I will bless the Lord at all times and His praise will forever be on my lips.” (Psalm 34:1) It is much easier said than done, I look at Job when he was told tragedy after tragedy, he still blessed the Lord. (Job 1:21) It is convenient to have things go our way, but even if they don’t we shouldn’t throw our toys out of the pram.

Theophilus Sunday has a song called “No Glory in this World”, and he says “I know that you can save, I have seen you save before, but if you choose not to save, you are worth dying for.”

Hebrews 11 is the chapter of faith, the author talks of the patriarchs and the heroines of faith and highlights all that was gained and accomplished because of faith, lovely stuff! From verse 35 onwards, the author recounts how faith was also in the formula even when the outcomes weren’t great: suffering, torture, being mocked, sawn in two, etc.

No matter what happens we must endeavor to keep our eyes fixed on the Lord and remember that He is always good.

via GIPHY