We’re sometimes
placed in situations to accomplish a certain thing for God that, if we are
resistant and untrusting, we cannot see.
We all know the
story of Joseph;
Genesis 45:5
Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me
hither: for God did send me before you to preserve life.
So you guys sold
me, he is saying, but that wasn’t you, that was God doing that to save all of
you.
And Esther;
Esther 4:14 For
if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement
and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s
house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom
for such a time as this?
Sometimes we
expect God’s deliverance but it is clear He is not going to deliver us the way
we might like. I’ve always been fascinated by this episode in David’s troubles.
1Samuel 23:10
Then said David, O LORD God of Israel, thy servant hath certainly heard
that Saul seeketh to come to Keilah, to destroy the city for my sake. 11 Will the men of Keilah deliver me up into his
hand? will Saul come down, as thy servant hath heard? O LORD God of Israel, I
beseech thee, tell thy servant. And the LORD said, He will come down. 12 Then said David, Will the men of Keilah
deliver me and my men into the hand of Saul? And the LORD said, They will
deliver thee up.
I can see myself
going, “Wait a minute?! Won’t you stop them? Divert their attention like you
promised regarding the Assyrians in 2Kings 19? What about just killing them all
like you actually did to the Assyrian army?
“God, am I going
to lose my job?” I can imagine saying, expecting Him to say, “Fear not. You’ll
not lose your job.” Instead, when I ask if I’m going to lose my job He says,
“Yes, you’re going to lose your job.” Sort of a smack upside the head.
But, David
escaped, Esther saved her people, and Joseph saved Egypt and his family from starving
to death. God’s will, as strange as it may be to us or as not in keeping with
how we would do something, is always sure and reliable. He may not take your
advice on how to get things done but you need to trust Him.
The entire book of
Job can be summed up in one sentence with God saying to you, “Listen to me, bad
stuff is going to happen to you, and you don’t have to be the cause of it, but,
trust me, I have it under control and I know what I’m doing.”
Trusting God’s
will is essential to sanity when you’re going through Hell on earth. You’ve got
to believe that He knows what He is doing with you. Paul, who probably had to
be chained to a Roman soldier in a hired house to slow him down long enough to
write those wonderful letters that are doctrine for the Christian, said;
Romans 8:35 Who
shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or
persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 36 As it is written, For thy sake we are killed
all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than
conquerors through him that loved us. 38
For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, 39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other
creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord.
Seek God’s will.
Trust God’s will. Now, in America we are taught not to be satisfied with
anything. Ed Bernays, Sigmund Freud’s nephew, created the modern American
advertising industry, advertising which he called propaganda. He changed
advertising to be from what a product did for you to how it made you feel about
yourself which revolutionized the sin of coveting. Television is one giant
scheme to make you dissatisfied with what you have and to want what Brad Pitt’s
character, Achilles, said he wanted in the movie Troy. “I want what every man wants. More.”
Be satisfied with
God’s will.
Sometimes you
suffer because that is the way your testimony for Christ will shine.
2Corinthians 1:3 ¶
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of
mercies, and the God of all comfort; 4
Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort
them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are
comforted of God.
Christ told Paul
when Paul asked for his vision to be healed. (read Acts 9:8;18; Galatians
4:15).
2Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is
made perfect in weakness.
Your difficulties;
including sickness, financial failures, family issues, and the like, as well as
direct or indirect persecution can create much growth in your life as a
Christian. They can make you more dependent on God. As has been said, “It’s
easy to have faith, when you have nothing else to depend on.”
Romans
5:3 And not only so, but we glory in
tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience,
hope:
When you became a
Christian and turned to Christ rather than the world, alcohol, drugs,
pornography, sports and entertainment, and your job for meaning and purpose did
you realize what you were taking on?
Philippians 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the
fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
We have the
opportunity in suffering and struggle to have a testimony of faith in Christ
and acceptance, being satisfied with Gods will, that good times do not provide.
Others see us if we are satisfied with God’s will and are amazed at our
strength, although they might call it weakness at first. But it is something
they don’t have, a confidence they cannot attain unto.
God wants you to
be totally dependent on Him, not the government or the insurance company or an
employer or a doctor. We need to be satisfied with His will. Now this doesn’t
mean we repeat the errors of our ancestors. This does not mean that you don’t
seek to be the best you can be or get an education or improve your lot in life.
People a hundred years ago and older in many parts of the world believed that
God gave you a station in life and you were wrong in trying to get above it
whether you were a slave or a poor person. This error was based on the rich and
powerful’s own agenda, the power structure, in interpreting what Paul said
here.
1Corinthians 7:17 ¶ But
as God hath distributed to every man, as the Lord hath called every one, so let
him walk. And so ordain I in all churches. 18
Is any man called being circumcised? let him not become uncircumcised.
Is any called in uncircumcision? let him not be circumcised. 19 Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision
is nothing, but the keeping of the commandments of God. 20 Let every man abide in the same calling
wherein he was called. 21 Art thou
called being a servant? care not for it: but if thou mayest be made free, use
it rather. 22 For he that is called in
the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord’s freeman: likewise also he that is
called, being free, is Christ’s servant. 23
Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men. 24 Brethren, let every man, wherein he is
called, therein abide with God.
Later in the same
context he talks about being content with not being married. The point is that
your status or condition are irrelevant to Christ. They do not reflect your
position in Christ or where you will spend eternity, which is a long, long time
without these things. Life in this flesh is almost over for many of us.
29 But this I
say, brethren, the time is short: it remaineth, that both they that have wives
be as though they had none; 30 And they
that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they
rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they possessed not; 31 And they that use this world, as not abusing
it: for the fashion of this world passeth away.
So, it is not a
sin or faithless to get married, request a raise, or need a new car, or even
ask to be healed. It just means that time is always short as far as we know or
they knew and we need to be satisfied with God’s will even if we need a larger
house to fit all of our children in safely and comfortably.
The important
thing I want to say to you here is to be satisfied with God’s will. It may
bring you joy or be very unpleasant temporarily, or even frightening. But, just
remember this;
Hebrews 13:5
Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such
things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
And remember what
being dissatisfied with God’s will can lead to if you are not careful.
1Timothy 6:6 ¶
But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and
it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8
And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into
temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown
men in destruction and perdition. 10 For
the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they
have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
11 But thou, O man of God, flee these
things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience,
meekness. 12 Fight the good fight of
faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast
professed a good profession before many witnesses.
We will face
unpleasant things as we grow older in fallen bodies. Even men of God had to
deal with this such as the prophet, Ahijah, so almost none of us are exempt,
even the good, Godly, church-going, blood-washed, born-again Independent
Baptist.
1Kings 14:4 And
Jeroboam’s wife did so, and arose, and went to Shiloh, and came to the house of
Ahijah. But Ahijah could not see; for his eyes were set by reason of his age.
So, you see, God’s
will can be very unpleasant for us now.
Some of the
highest expressions of your faith in God are your seeking His will, trusting
His will, and being satisfied with His will.
Isaiah 26:3
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee:
because he trusteth in thee.
Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication
with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. 7 And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
1Peter 5:6
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may
exalt you in due time: 7 Casting all
your care upon him; for he careth for you.
I want to leave
you with the words of the Lord Jesus Christ, our Saviour.
Matthew 6:25 ¶
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall
eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not
the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? 26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow
not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father
feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? 27 Which of you by taking thought can add one
cubit unto his stature? 28 And why take
ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they
toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And
yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one
of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe
the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven,
shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall
we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles
seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.
33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God,
and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for
the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day
is the evil thereof.
Seek God’s will
and His way. Trust God’s will. He knows what He’s doing. Be satisfied with
God’s will. Accept what He is doing as good and right and desire to know what
your response to it should be.
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