1 Corinthians 16:3-14 (KJV) How To Handle Uncertainty

1 Corinthians 16:3-14 (KJV)
And when I come, whomsoever ye shall approve by your letters, them will I send to bring your liberality unto Jerusalem.And if it be meet that I go also, they shall go with me.Now I will come unto you, when I shall pass through Macedonia: for I do pass through Macedonia.And it may be that I will abide, yea, and winter with you, that ye may bring me on my journey whithersoever I go.For I will not see you now by the way; but I trust to tarry a while with you, if the Lord permit.But I will tarry at Ephesus until Pentecost.For a great door and effectual is opened unto me, and there are many adversaries.Now if Timotheus come, see that he may be with you without fear: for he worketh the work of the Lord, as I also do.Let no man therefore despise him: but conduct him forth in peace, that he may come unto me: for I look for him with the brethren.As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you with the brethren: but his will was not at all to come at this time; but he will come when he shall have convenient time.Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong.Let all your things be done with charity.

I can’t help but notice all of the uncertainties and variables associated with this passage:

• Whomsoever he shall approve 
• If it be meet that I go also
• It may be that I will abide
• If the Lord permit
• If Timotheus come
• I greatly desire him to come

There are some sure promises for the eternal future. We cling to those. But life on this earth is seldom absolute. It could be described as absolutely uncertain.

• We may believe a thing to be the will of God but it might not come to pass 
• We may instruct a person under us in a particular way but they may not follow us
• We may plan to do a specific thing 

but our plans may be overridden.

What is a person to do in such an certain world? The passage given us two principles:
In the personal case, trust the Lord.He will permit things to happen. Some of them will appear from our perspective to be positive; some of them will appear from our perspective to me negative. In either case, trust Him. He may not permit something we wish to happen. It will always be for our good. Trust Him

In the case of others be charitableIt may be that we wish strongly for one to make this decision or that and they disregard our wishes.

• Sometimes we can see that pain and trouble will be their lot because of the choices they make
• Sometimes they choose a course we consider to be a hindrance to the work of God
• Sometimes they disappoint us and break our hearts

In these cases the rule of the day is “Let all your things be done with charity. “

To my readers:
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For this and more than 3700 earlier Daily Visits with God visit Marvin McKenzie’s blogger page. There you will find daily visits going back to 2006.

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1 Corinthians 16:3-14 (KJV) How To Handle Uncertainty

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