God's Vindication In Our Adversities

"I cry out to God Most High, to God who will fulfill his purpose for me" (Psalm 57:2, NLT).
"The LORD will work out his plans for my life..." (Psalm 138:8, NLT).
"So he will do to me whatever he has planned. He controls my destiny" (Job 23:14, NLT).
"But he knows where I am going.  And when he tests me, I will come out as pure as gold" (Job 23:10, NLT) 
"This is not a reference to David, for after David had done the will of God in his own generation, he died as was buried" (Acts 13:36, NLT).

When David was in the cave of Adullam he sought the Lord Most High for his vindication because he knew he was the future king and that king Saul unlawfully sought him.  Saul didn't see him, even when David cut off his robe (what faith!), but David knew that God saw him and he couldn't hide from Him--who always knows where we are. But David may have had his doubts and confusion, and he knew where to go for aid and comfort! He also knew how big God was and that God could meet his every need.

He may even have thought of what Jacob said upon awakening from his dream;  "Surely the LORD is in this place, and I did not know it" (cf. Gen. 28:16, HCSB).   As David prayed in Psalm 32:7, "For you are my hiding place."  He never doubted the whereabouts of his God!  And what the Lord told Joshua:  "... Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go" (Josh. 1:9, HCSB).  He knew that God was on his side (cf. Ps. 118:6), that God believed in him and was with him in essence.

It was time to believe God for a miracle and God came through. As it is written in 1 Sam. 30:6, NLT, "... But David found strength in the LORD his God."   He also found out that he had a faith worth dying for, not just one he could live with. Then he left the cave!   And David kept the faith that God would fulfill His purpose for him (cf. Psalm 57:2, NLT) and that he was willing to wait on the Lord and His timing.  God will never let us down but is the great Promise Keeper and that we can always count on.  I'm sure he kept his mind on his mission and calling like Paul:  "But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus..." (Acts 20:24). David considered that God was offering a way through the crisis, not a way out!

God has no Plan B as it were and we can be assured His will is done, with or without cooperation.  "...[F]or he chose us in advance, and he makes everything work out according to His plan" (Eph. 1:11, HCSB). To the seasoned believer, being part of God's plan and seeing God at work through him is a satisfaction.  We ought always to seek God's will on earth and realize we are just vessels of honor that have the privilege of being used for His glory:  "The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever" (The Westminster Shorter Catechism, cf. Isaiah 43:7).  We will all realize in the glory that we were only actors in a play directed by God who appears front and center as the theme.  When David was seeking vindication, he was really seeking the Lord's vindication and that God would make good on the anointing he had received from Samuel.

We all have a limited perspective on life, but when God opens our spiritual eyes we see the big picture and can live with a higher purpose. The scope of the unbeliever is merely mundane and God is not in the picture.   David had a sense of purpose because he knew God was in control--there was a reason for everything (cf. Prov. 16:4)--no flukes in history.  Once we've experienced God, nothing else satisfies.  Zeal for God involves a zeal for the Word and a desire to uphold its integrity. That's why God frowns upon ignorant zeal or not according to knowledge (cf. Rom. 10:2).  But when David had completed God's will he departed this life (cf. Acts 13:36).

David's faith withstood the loneliness, confusion, and doubt of the cave of Adullam, but faith must be tried as if by fire in the crucible of life's adversities to be proven genuine because it's more valuable than silver or gold and we all should know that nothing in life that's worth it is easy to come by; likewise, if faith weren't difficult and tried and true, even with a stiff upper lip at times, it wouldn't be worth much! ["... For he gets their attention through adversity" (cf. Job 36:15, NLT)].   David's faith wasn't a "do-it-yourself" proposition nor did he believe in just lifting himself up by his bootstraps or that God just helps those who help themselves, but he had faith in a BIG God that was able to come to his rescue for all his needs and fears. 

The point is that it doesn't matter how big your faith it, but how big your God is--big faith in a little God isn't adequate.  NOTHING EASY TO DO IS WORTH MUCH!    Soli Deo Gloria!

The Puzzle Of Life

 "The LORD directs the steps of the godly.  He delights in every detail of their lives"  (Psalm 37:23, NLT).  
"Then call on me when you are in trouble, and I will rescue you, and you will give me glory"  (Psalm 50:15, NLT).   

"God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble"  (Psalm 46:1, NLT).

God gave us the Great Commission and the Great Commandment as the general plan of action we should pursue, but the details are up to us to fill in the blanks and walk by faith day by day.  We have a general plan to know the direction we should go (to know Him and make Him known) but doesn't usually give us the specifics or details, which we work out as we go on our spiritual journey and grow in faith. No one knows the whole outline of his life, the whole plan:

God may call us to the mission field, but we will not know this of our own wisdom, we don't appoint ourselves to God's work, but are sent and called.   We basically learn from our mistakes and hopefully won't make the same one twice--no one ever learned anything new from the second kick of a mule! We must realize that God is the Lord of all, and His sovereignty isn't limited by our freedom, as we learn to trust and obey.

We can't figure out what God is doing behind the scenes, but must learn to trust God for His providence, that He knows what He is doing and that all things will work out for our good (cf. Rom. 8:28).  God doesn't lay out His will for our whole life, but in increments so that we will learn to walk in the Spirit, one day at a time.  "This is the day that the LORD has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it"  (cf. Psalm 118:24).  God directs us through Providence as it is written:  "A man's steps are from the LORD; how then can man understand his way?"  (Prov. 20:24, ESV).  We can make our plans, but God's will is done:  "The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps."  "I know O LORD, that the way of man is not in himself, that it is not in man who walks to direct his steps"  (Jer. 10:23, ESV).

Following the LORD is a little like putting together a jigsaw puzzle with no picture to guide or all in one color!  "For we walk by faith, and not by sight"  (cf. 2 Cor. 5:7).   We must get our act together and know what we are doing, following a rational and systematic methodology.  We must trust that God knows what He is doing and wouldn't deceive us that the puzzle is unsolvable--God doesn't waste our time!  God has a purpose and design for everything, and, if we have enough patience, we will eventually solve the puzzle. We don't see the end result but must trust God for bringing us to it.  However, we have a guide to lead us, the Holy Spirit, and if we walk in the Spirit, we will find answers or the answer.

Our life may seem like trial and error to us, but there's a method to the madness if we know Christ.  We see doors open and close and seize the day when God grants it one day at a time.  God has a plan for our lives and it's never too late to get with the program; there's no Plan B!  We may not be inclined to put this jigsaw together, because we don't have that kind of patience, and don't even want it, but if Christ were helping us we'd be glad to do it, having Him as our enabler and partner.

It would take 1.35 trillion years for a blind man to solve Rubik's Cube, making one move per second, and so we conclude that it's impossible for a blind man to do it in his lifetime.  But it is possible to solve this jigsaw, it just takes time, patience, and organization.  We are a work in progress that only God sees what we will look like when done, and solving this puzzle seems like an exercise in futility, but we would get the fulfillment of knowing we accomplished the seemingly impossible.  It's the same with the Christian life; it's not hard, but impossible.

God gives us an assignment or chore that we cannot complete on our own without the aid of the Spirit guiding us. He wants us to learn to trust and obey Him and lean on Him!   But we should know that whatever we do in the Lord will be rewarded at the Judgment Seat of Christ; our faithfulness will be reckoned, not necessarily our success. He doesn't want our achievements, He wants us!   God only gives us assignments we can handle and to whom much is given, much is required.

We don't have to understand why we are going through trials, but just to realize that they serve to further sanctify us.  Job and Joseph are examples of someone who didn't know what God was up to,  never given a reason for their sufferings, but Job was just humbled before God and found out that God is too wise to make a mistake, too kind to be cruel, and too deep to explain Himself.  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Does God Need Backup?

"The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
The plans of His heart from generation to generation"  (Psalm 33:11, NASB).
"...Power and might are in Your hand so that no one can stand against You"  (2 Chronicles 20:6, NASB).
"I know that You can do all things,
And that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted"  (Job 42:2, NASB).
"There is no wisdom and no understanding
And no counsel against the LORD" (Proverbs 21:30, NASB).
"[F]or it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure"  (Philippians 2:13, ESV).
"But will say to me then, 'Why does he still find fault?  For who can resist his will?'" (Romans 9:19, ESV).
"...Who will say to him, 'What are you doing?" (Job 9:12, ESV).

Some believers may ponder whether God can be frustrated by their personal failures:  O no, I messed up and will have to suffer for my mistake all my life! Or, you might say, "I blew it, and I'll pay for it the rest of my days."  God cannot be thwarted by man  (cf. Job 42:2) because He is omnipotent or almighty and has all power and authority over His creation, such that there isn't even a single maverick molecule doing its own thing apart from His providence.  That's limiting God!

To even suggest that God needs a backup plan is almost blasphemous because it implies that God is in need and insufficient to meet our needs and that God is not El Shaddai or God All-Sufficient--He needs no one or nothing.    God doesn't need us and He is self-existent and needs no one and is dependent on no antecedent cause--He is the sole primary cause of the cosmos and if He weren't sovereign overall, what kind of God would He be?  "Can anything happen without God's permission? (Cf. Lam. 3:37).  God truly orchestrates history for His glory and consummation in Christ's Second Coming.  He can even turn the heart of the king to do His will (cf. Proverbs 21:1).

Christ will not barter away His right to be Lord of all, and has been given all authority in heaven and on earth to do His will (cf. Matt. 28:18).  When Christ was training just twelve disciples, someone might've asked Him what He would do if these men failed Him:  He would've said that He has no other plan!  God is great and knows all and never learn anything new, so why would He need to have alternate plans?  He knows the future and all that possibly could be, so He is in a position to make the one all-wise plan and has the wisdom to fulfill it and bring it to fruition.

 God's decrees will be brought to pass, with or without our cooperation!  Note these verses:  "The LORD of hosts hath sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it come to pass; and as I have purposed, so shall it stand... For the LORD of hosts hath purposed and who shall disannul it?  and his hand is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?"  (Isaiah 14:24,27, KJV).  "... My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure: I have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass, I have purposed, it, I will also do it." (Isaiah 46:10-11, KJV).

God knows what He's doing and doesn't need our counsel!  He didn't ask us for advice and doesn't need our feedback.  He took every one of our failures into account when He made His decrees.  "Hast thou not heard long ago, how I have done it; and of ancient times, that I have formed it?  now have I brought it to pass..." (Isaiah 37:26, KJV).  There is nothing too difficult for God (cf. Jeremiah 32:17,27), including bringing about His will and there is no Plan B!  Everything is going according to plan and we are privileged to be part of it as vessels of honor.  God cannot fail and we cannot fail when we join God.  Don't even hint or suggest that God doesn't know what He's doing! "With God all things are possible" (cf. Luke 1:37).  This includes the success of His divine decrees! As it is written:  "... [W]hose plan is wonderful, whose wisdom is magnificent"  (Isaiah 28:29, NIV).  

It's never too late for God's best and all tragedy, adversity, trial, tribulation, and discipline comes to pass as Father-filtered, or with God's permission, and all proximate evil has ultimate good as the result (as Romans 8:28, NKJV, says, "... [All] things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose").  Let me mention John Wycliffe's famous tenet that "All Things come to pass of necessity.  "In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will"  (Eph. 1:11, KJV, emphasis mine).  Soli Deo Gloria!