Joan Boney ... apostle/prophet
Isaiah 55 ... For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. 9For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. 10For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: 11So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.
God gave Jesus up to be slain. Which of you would give up a child to save a bunch of sinners. None of us would do that.
And we think we can explain God? His thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways. Everything God does is higher than we can imagine.
When things go to suit us we quickly say it is because God led us. And it is true God leads us into green pastures and beside still waters.
Then we remember Job and his great sufferings and how Job was almost swept away but God ended the sufferings before that happened. Job 42 ... So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses. 13He had also seven sons and three daughters. 14And he called the name of the first, Jemima; and the name of the second, Kezia; and the name of the third, Kerenhappuch. 15And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job: and their father gave them inheritance among their brethren. 16After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons, and his sons’ sons, even four generations. 17So Job died, being old and full of days.
God allowed John the Baptist to be killed by Herod. Mt. 14 ... At that time Herod the tetrarch heard of the fame of Jesus, 2And said unto his servants, This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead; and therefore mighty works do shew forth themselves in him. 3For Herod had laid hold on John, and bound him, and put him in prison for Herodias’ sake, his brother Philip’s wife. 4For John said unto him, It is not lawful for thee to have her. 5And when he would have put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet. 6But when Herod’s birthday was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. 7Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 8And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist’s head in a charger. 9And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath’s sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her. 10And he sent, and beheaded John in the prison. 11And his head was brought in a charger, and given to the damsel: and she brought it to her mother. 12And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.
13When Jesus heard of it, he departed thence by ship into a desert place apart: and when the people had heard thereof, they followed him on foot out of the cities. 14And Jesus went forth, and saw a great multitude, and was moved with compassion toward them, and he healed their sick.
Jesus continued with the work of God.
As Job was in the midst of the suffering and had no idea why these horrible things were happening to him, he said: Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: Job 13:15
Sometimes we just grit our teeth and put our trust in God regardless and hold on.
And all though the Bible we have examples of God doing as HE wills. In some cases, such as Pharoah, God hardens the king's heart. In other cases, such as the apostle Paul, God shows HIS mercy by revealing Jesus and by changing the heart toward HIM.
But in all things, God is in charge ... whether it seems good to us or evil.
Prov. 21:1 ... The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
And in the end, when it gets so bad no flesh would be saved except the time be shortened, the time will be shortened.
Jesus said: And except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened. Mt. 24:22
So in the midst of the blessing, we praise God. And we learn to praise God also in the midst of trouble. And we the elect know that all things work together for good toward us and the things that happen to us conform us closer to the image of Christ. Like Job, God will not fail us in the trouble. HE will restore to us.