The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow His precepts have good understanding. To Him belongs eternal praise. Psalm 111:10.

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that your faith – of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire – may be proved genuine and may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed. Though you have not seen Him, you love Him; and even though you do not see Him now, you believe in Him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy. 1 Peter 1:6-8.

Both of the above Scripture verses speak to us of the Sovereignty of Creator God – Father…Son…Spirit. How can any of us question the wisdom of God when we manifest darkness by our choices? Why is there lying? Why violence of every kind? Why hate and intolerance? What is that to us how God chooses to act? Everything in every way! The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion – to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord for the display of His splendor. v. 1-3.

How can we, steeped in choices we have made, understand the goodness of God? There is only one way. Turn to Him and ask for His help and His guidance to lead us faithfully. They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations…Instead of your shame you will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace you will rejoice in your inheritance…For I, the Lord, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In My faithfulness, I will reward My people and make an everlasting covenant with them. v. 4, 7, 8. I have sinned, you have sinned and each one of us needs God because of the sins we have committed for so long -> the darkness we are imprisoned within. We need the good news of the love of God. Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might break the power of him who holds the power of death – that is, the devil – and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death…For this reason He had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people. Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted. Hebrews 2:14-15, 17-18.

How can we begin to understand the good news of God’s love without Him helping us? We can’t. What is that to you how God chooses to act? Everything! I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in My God. For He has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of His righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. v. 10-11.

Listen to these beautiful words of Scripture given for all of us…Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One he loves. In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that He lavished on us…And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession – to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:3-8, 13-14.

What is that to you?