How many times have you heard, or said, these words... 'if only'? They are words caused by regret, sadness, or sometimes grief. They are more often the words of a parent with regard to a child. Did you realise that God, our Father, says them too?
Psalm 81:8...if you would only listen to me....
Isaiah 48:18....Oh, that you had heeded My commandments! Then your peace would have been like a river, and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
If we are honest we all want a peaceful and trouble free life. However, sometimes troubles are in God's plan with a higher purpose in mind. If that's hard to hear, be encouraged with these words
from Hebrews 13:5...."I will never leave you, nor forsake you." God has promised to be with us, no matter what is happening.
Jesus did not have a trouble-free life at all. He experienced opposition all through his ministry. He suffered greatly in the end BUT, it was all in God's amazing purpose; to reconcile the world to Himself and free us from the grip and misery of sin. It was to give us a 'blessed hope' of the perfect life in eternity where there will be no more sickness, pain, tears and heartache.
What sparked these thoughts for me today was reading about the Apostle Paul who was a prisoner of Rome, in Israel. He had been imprisoned for sometime on false charges, and here in Acts 26:24-27 he has been brought before Festus and King Agrippa. They seemed to like hearing from Paul. Something about him fascinated them and Paul didn't hold back when given the opportunity to speak. Agrippa realised that Paul really had done nothing deserving imprisonment and his words to Festus were, "This man could have been set free if he had not appealed to Caeser." Does that sound like an 'if only' to you?
Paul, as a Roman citizen by birth, had appealed his case to Caesar and it was thoroughly in line with God's will. Paul had long had a desire to visit the Roman christians to whom he had written earlier. They were in his heart and he wanted to encourage them. God was going to give him that opportunity but it wasn't going to be a trouble-free journey.
Paul had previously made 3 missionary journeys around the Mediterranean through Asia Minor, Macedonia and Greece. He had covered a lot of ground planting and encouraging churches. This was to be his longest and most life-threatening journey, and he was making it as a prisoner. The weather was against them and they ran into trouble which would not have happened 'if only' the ship's captain had listened to Paul's advice not to put to sea (Acts 27:10). However, they sailed and were shipwrecked but no lives were lost, and they got to stay the winter on the island of Malta where the gospel was preached and people were healed. God's will being done do you think?
When Paul finally arrived in Rome, he was kept under house arrest where he had about 2 years of ministry to believers. Remember he was still under guard so there would have probably been many Roman soldiers who heard Paul's teaching during that time.
"If only" is sometimes in God's greater plan as it was for Paul. God used it to bring about his own purposes for the salvation and encouragement of others. But what about the other 'if onlys' that are a result of us not listening to God's leading?? There is hope. So long as we walk this earth we have opportunity to repent of our wilful ways and ask God to forgive us and lead us in his way. If it is our children who have not listened to us and fallen on hard times, we can take our example from the father of the prodigal son (Luke 15) and continue to pray for them and keep the door open for them to return......not to "I told you so" but to celebration, because there is joy in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7).
As followers of Jesus Christ we have the wonderful hope of Romans 8:28 "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose...."
