JANUARY 13

OUR PERSONAL PROMISES

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1 Timothy 6:16

“Who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light, whom no one has ever seen or can see. To him be honor and eternal dominion. Amen.”

Psalm 115:3

“Our God is in the heavens; he does all that he pleases.”

Psalm 33:11

 “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart from generation to generation”

Galatians 6:14

“But God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.”

Psalm 19:9-10

“The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; the rules of the Lord are true, and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and drippings of the honeycomb.”

Daniel 4:35

“All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand or say to him, ‘What have you done?’”

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This month we’re reading  the new devotional   “Becoming New”,  written by  Warren W. Wiersbe and compiled by his grandson.  Pastor Wiersbe was the President of Moody Bible Institute before the current President, Erwin Lutzer.  

GOD DOES WHAT HE PLEASES

Read Psalm 135

No believer would ever question the fact that the Lord is good, (verse 3), great (verse 5), generous (verse 12), and glorious (verses 13-14).  But have we ever questioned whether the Lord knows what He is doing?  “the Lord does whatsoever pleases Him throughout all heaven and earth, and on the seas in their depths.” (Verse 6).

Moses thought God was making a mistake when He called him to lead his people out of Egypt (Exodus 3-40.  Joshua  was sure God made a mistake when He allowed Israel to be defeated when they attacked Ai, and he prayed until evening for help (Joshua 7).  David wondered if God was mistaken when He permitted King Saul to pursue him year after year.  The young man Jeremiah thought the Lord was making a big mistake by calling him to be a prophet, in Jeremiah chapter 1, and Peter was sure Jesus was mistaken when He put Calvary on the agenda in Matthew 16:21-18.  A few years later, Peter told the Lord He was mistaken when He commanded him to eat unclean food, in Acts chapter 10.

“Our God is in the heavens, and He does as He wishes.” (Psalm 115:3).  Job 23:13 says it even more bluntly:  “But once He has made His decision, who can change His mind?  Whatever He wants to do, He does.”

This means, not that God is inconsistent and inconsiderate, but that He is free to work His own will as He sees fit.  His character does not change; in fact, it is His unchangeable attributes that give Him the freedom to act as He does.  Because He knows everything, is active everywhere,  and can do anything, He is free to exercise His own will for our good and His glory.

We might be worried or even frightened because God always has His own way, except for one thing:

The reality of God’s eternal love.  God called Moses because He loved him and wanted to magnify His name through him. 

God called Joshua to be defeated temporarily by the people of Ai so that he might discover Achan the sinner and prevent future failures.

David’s years as a fugitive molded him into a great general and even greater king.

On and on it goes, “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to His purpose for them. (Romans 8:28).

When circumstances baffle us and we think God has made a mistake, remember the cross of Jesus Christ.  It looked like a mistake to Peter and his friends and a victory for the enemy, but it meant the defeat of Satan, the redemption of sinners, and the fulfillment of God’s perfect plan.  Paul boasted in the cross (Galatians 6:14), and so should we!

 From the human viewpoint, our Lord’s arrest and death were unthinkable, unhuman crimes, but they led to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, His ascension, and His present ministry as High Priest.

One of my seminary professors called the cross of Christ “that great plus sign on the skyline,” and it is.  It looked like everything had come apart, but the cross brought it all together.  The Lord does whatever He pleases because He knows what He is doing!  Is there a prayer God hasn’t answered yet?  He can be trusted.  Is there a hope unrealized you are still holding closely?  It may seem to us like God made a mistake or cares little.

But take heart, for God is good, great, generous and glorious!

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