God is Good: The Joys of Waiting on Him

About two and a half months ago, I posted an entry entitled “Dealing with Disappointment.” I wrote about the disappointment I felt after being placed on the waiting list at medical school. I want to quote from what I said then:

“I got a letter in the mail this past week letting me know that I am on the waiting list at the medical school I interviewed at. The waiting list is obviously better than being denied outright, but the waiting continues. It could be as early as today that I might hear good news from the admissions committee, but it could also be as late as a few days before classes start in August. Probably not, but possibly. If you know me well you know how much I want to go to medical school. You know how much I have wanted to get in and start studying the human body and be able to learn skills that I can use to really impact the lives of those around me. As of now, I still don’t know if that is going to happen this year or not.

So I am disappointed. I am not angry with God. (How could I be angry with God? What do I have that is not a gift from HIm?) I am not fed up with God. (What… I could really justify saying that I’ve had it with the Creator of the universe?) I am simply disappointed.So what can I say about this experience now, regardless of how it turns out? The same thing that countless saints before me have said. “The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord” (Job 1:21). “I know you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come, Your will be done” (Matthew 6:9-10). “Father, if your are willing, [place] this cup [before] me. Nevertheless, not my will, but Yours, be done” (Luke 22:42). “Yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that’ ” (James 4:14-15). “The works of His hands are faithful and just; all His precepts are trustworthy” (Psalm 111:7). “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for his steadfast love endures forever” (Psalm 106:1).

It is hard to pray, “God, if this is not of you, I pray that You would keep it from happening,” but that is the way Jesus prayed in the garden before the Cross. That is the way of holiness and righteousness. More and more I am convinced that I am a pawn on the chessboard of life, moved by the providential hand of God. “May the Lord do what seems good to Him” (II Samuel 10:12).”

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I got a call on June 16 saying that I have been offered a spot in the Class of 2012 at DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine at Lincoln Memorial University. I delivered my deposit a day later and will start classes August 1… When the Director of Admissions called, I thought for a second he was just saying, “Hey, here’s where you are, it doesn’t look good for this year, but you can do this to make sure that you are competitive for next year.” But then I just knew… this is the call. He said, “How are you doing today, Michael?” “Just fine, how about yourself? “Doing well. I hope to make your day even better. I would like to offer you a spot in the Class of 2012……” I didn’t really hear anything else until he said, “Are you still interested in attending?” It took me a little bit to muster up a faint, “Yes, I am definitely still interested. Thank you so much for calling.”

So as of August 1, I’ll be a OMS-I (Osteopathic Medical Student, First Year). I am really, really excited. It kind of doesn’t even seem real in a way. Here I am, having worked so long for the opportunity to study medicine, and now its here. It is, as my wife told me, a bit overwhelming. But God is good. God is strong, God is powerful. He is a Rock that we can run to, not to hide behind, but to cling to. I am sure I will be doing plenty of that, and I know it will be good.

Please be praying for the transition from work to school. It’ll be very new, very exciting, and it’ll be more work than I could every imagine. But God is good. I hope that I have encouraged you by reminding you (as I have reminded myself, time and time again) of the sovereignty of God. If God is not sovereign, I want nothing to do with Him. If He is not in control, than why should I not be terrified at what the future might hold. But He is, and He has the whole world in His hands. He has the whole universe to display His glory. I would bet that the universe extends far beyond what we could even imagine seeing, much less physically see. All of it is on show to point us to Him. As I said to end up the post last time on this subject, “May the Lord (continue) to do what seems good to Him.” (II Samuel 10:12)

~ by michaelldouglas on July 22, 2008.