Many things come into our lives that are simply out of our control. When a drunk driver runs the red light perpendicular to your car, when a hurricane comes and rips through your neighborhood, or when a rare cancer rears its ugly head, we all sense the uncertainty and fragility of our lives. So, what basis do we have for thinking everything is going to “be okay?” Rav Shaul has an answer to our question:
“What then are we to say about those things? If God is for us who can be against us? He did not spare his son, but gave him up for all of us. Will he not, with his help, give us all things . . . and who will separate us from the Mashiah’s love? Will it be tribulation or distress or persecution or starvation, nakedness or the danger of the sword . . . ? But in all of this we are more than victors through him who loves us and I am persuaded that neither death nor life nor angels, rulers, things now or things to come, nor powers nor height nor depth nor anything in all creation is capable of severing us from the love of God in the Mashiah Yeshua our lord.” (Romans 8:31-32, 35, 37-39, Restored New Testament, Barnstone)
We were never promised that disaster would not come. We were not promised a luxurious life on our way to Olam Haba. What we are promised is that none of the tribulations that come have any bearing over the covenant of love that is: sealed in our flesh, signed in Messiah’s blood, and transforming us into his image (see 2 Cor 3:18). Nothing can separate us from Yeshua’s love. How can we know? Yeshua inherited all things, and in him we also inherit all things! Therefore, the entirety of our lives is part of our journey toward being completely renewed.
When we realize all things are under the authority of the One who loves us, and that he is preparing us to be conduits of that authority, we are positioned to have our thinking renewed. Yeshua calmed storms, left crutches ownerless, walked obediently into death, and left graves empty. We must remember that Yeshua embodied equanimity so well because he knew his Abba loved him and was preparing a place for him. We must remember he loves us, and is preparing a place with him whatever may come.