“Everything is necessary that He sends, and nothing can be necessary that He withholds”

09 Feb “Everything is necessary that He sends, and nothing can be necessary that He withholds”

By Phil Waldron, CEO

John Newton, the famous author of “Amazing Grace”, former slave trader and one of the men responsible for the British Empire outlawing slavery, wrote the words that head up this article. When I first heard this quote from Newton it stuck in my mind, and since that time I have spent a great deal of time ruminating on the Biblical evidence that this is indeed a maxim that governs our lives.

Recently I read a book by Andrew M. Davis, based on a Jeremiah Burroughs’ book written in 1645. In both Davis and Burroughs’ books the authors express the idea that we should give thanks in all things, whatever God’s sees fit to allow to happen in our lives. One passage that they cite that provoked a lot of additional soul searching on my part is Romans 1:2 that says, “For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile, and their foolish hearts were darkened.” Both authors cite his passage and make the point that as Christians we should be giving thanks to God for all things that He allows to pass through and into our lives.

Unfortunately, there isn’t enough space here in this article to flesh out this point in-depth. The thought expressed here, though, is closely linked to Paul’s words in Philippians 4:11-13 that he had learned in whatever state that he was in to be content. The point is made very well by both Davis and Burroughs that the aim of every Christian is to learn to be content as His servants, totally dependent and utterly grateful for whatever our Lord and Master places in our path. Joseph’s words in Genesis 50:20 say much the same thing, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.”

Our family has suffered some very difficult things in these last 15 years. Mission UpReach and our employees have suffered difficult things as well. I share these thoughts from Davis and Burroughs’ books in the hopes that their message will encourage you just as they have encouraged and strengthened my faith. Little by little I am learning to be content in whatever state I currently find myself in. I have found that is not an exercise of more discipline on my part. To the contrary, it is desiring to humble myself before God, asking Him to search me and show me what hinders me from surrendering completely to His Lordship over my life. The results of this deeper surrender to God of my most inner self is only just now becoming evident. The most surprising of which is how I spend most of the day in conversation with God praising Him for all that He has done, all that He is doing and all that He has promised to do.

I would heartily recommend that you read Andrew M. Davis’s book. It is a more modern version of the original book authored by Burroughs in 1645.

Having shared the above, I would also like to thank all of you that participated in our Year End Giving Campaign, “It Takes a Village.” We fell short of our goal. Our campaign was successful just not to the heights that we had hoped. Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for your prayers, which we treasure so much. Your support on these fronts is what sustains us in this incredible work that God is doing among the people of the Western Highlands of Honduras through Mission UpReach.