God's First Aid Kit

Ron and I went to the early service at church on Sunday. It's only the second or third time I've attended the early service (It began being offered just a few months ago), and attendance is growing. The sermon is what I want to write about - specifically two illustrations.

Pastor Betty spoke about how, as parents, most of us keep (or kept) a first aid kit in the house. Although we didn't know for sure what would happen, we knew the nature of young children; they are prone to bumps, falls, and scrapes, and the first aid kit would be needed to clean and bandage those bumps and scrapes. In the same way, although God doesn't cause our bumps and scrapes in life, he is ready with his own first aid kit of comfort, acceptance, care, grace, and mercy to help us deal with them.

I've often struggled with understanding an all-knowing God and the concept of free will.  If we have free will, then how does God already know what we will do, and if God already knows what we are going to do, then that's not really free will.

Pastor Betty also mentioned Queen Esther in the Bible - and how she was told that perhaps she was where she was "for such a time as this."

For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father's family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this."  ~Esther 4:14~

What I've come to understand is that we do have free will.The first-aid kit analogy and the story of Esther help me understand it further. God knows human nature, but he doesn't micro-manage our lives. God has a purpose for each one of us. In God's first aid kit are the Bible, prayer, the church, the Holy Spirit, loving friends and family to help us through the bumps and scrapes and crashes of life.  And He is with us himself each step of the way. 

My job is to make sure I do my part to make sure that first-aid kit is kept well stocked and that I have immediate access to it. I do that by attending church, reading the Bible, memorizing Bible verses, praying, and maintaining relationships. God's purpose will be realized with or without my help. However, each of us has a purpose for right now in this time and place. How blessed we are when we realize that purpose and, through prayer and meditation and action, we can fulfill that purpose.