“God Is Good All The Time!”
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
William writes:
In 1994 while working as a police officer in a suburban Detroit police department I was told to report to the Deputy Chiefs office. The first thing that went through my mind was “what did I do now?” I did my best to avoid this individual although I did pray for him and other authorities on the department often. This Deputy Chief was not a self proclaimed atheist, but he did know I was a non compromising Christian. This Deputy Chief had even chastised me in front of other officers stating “I Hate The Lord!”
I never reacted too much to his comments, because I am not the Lord, the Deputy Chief’s battle was with the Lord, I was only a representative and I knew the Lord would fight this battle anyway. I have to be honest though, there were a couple times I had hoped the deputy chief would be struck by lightning on the spot or experience some other significant emotional event. That never happened and that’s why I am not the Lord, the Lord knows a whole lot more about grace and mercy than I do and I like it that way, because He has sure given me an abundance of undeserved favor over the years.
Let me also remind you that my Chief had ordered me not to mention God or Jesus while in uniform, was instrumental in deleting God out of the departmental code of ethics and further advised me that there is no connection between God and the Police. Not the best chain of command, but that’s where God wanted me at that time in my life and let me tell you God used both the Chief and Deputy Chief to raise me up in faith rather quickly.
Well now I stepped into the Deputy Chiefs office and he was unreasonably polite asking me to sit down. I sat down and he explained to me that there was an opening in the youth bureau. He further said that I was the best people person on the department and I was his choice, under one condition. I asked what the condition was and he said, “that you not share your faith.” I told him that my people skills were a result of my faith in Jesus Christ and I can’t agree to that, but I am interested in the position.
He excused me from his office, I applied for the position and did not get it. I did get more persecution and eventually resigned my position with the department on April 15, 1995 (Easter Sunday) choosing to obey God and not man.
Now God did not act as quickly as I thought he would, but he did act in His perfect time. In 1996 I accepted a position with the Department of Corrections as a Correction Officer and in 1997 I took a transfer to the west side of the state 100 miles away. Then in 2001 I returned to police work accepting a part-time position for a small city on the west side of the county I lived in and in 2002 God showed me what he showed the Deputy Chief in 1994. I was recruited by the local Sheriff and Superintendent of schools and hired as a part-time deputy sheriff and assigned to local schools as the school liaison officer, responsible for K-12 in my community.
God Is Good All The Time!
Please note that the views expressed in this story are not necessarily the views of the American Bible Society. Story posted on December 29th, 2008 and filed under Your Stories, Praise, Hope, Evangelization, Missions, God's Sovereignty, Loving your enemies, Struggles, Life Verse.
December 30th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Dear William:
“Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!” (Matthew 25:21, 23).
I hear His Word reading your story.
Truly, “It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ” (2 Thessalonians 2:14).
It is natural that “there were a couple times I had hoped the deputy chief would …experience some other significant emotional event.” Most importantly, however, is your “choosing to obey God and not man”
For “you are A CHOSEN RACE, A royal PRIESTHOOD, A HOLY NATION…so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9).
We must not keep the evil alive: “not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you might inherit a blessing” (1 Peter 3:9).
You said it, “God Is Good All The Time!”
Hallelujah, Amen!
What an encouragement you give us to start New Year 2009!
Thank you.
May GOD ALL MIGHTY Bless you with an even Happier New Year 2009;
GODSPEED with your calling, always and forevermore!
Mary Sun.