Deuteronomy 18; Psalm 105; Isaiah 45; Revelation 15
In ancient times, the Jews were taken captive by the Babylonians. After a time, God ‘grasped the right hand’ of Cyrus, the king of Babylon, to change history. This pagan king released God’s people and sent them back to their land. His words to Cyrus:
For the sake of my servant Jacob, and Israel my chosen, I call you by your name, I name you, though you do not know me. I am the Lord, and there is no other, besides me there is no God; I equip you, though you do not know me, that people may know, from the rising of the sun and from the west, that there is none besides me; I am the Lord, and there is no other. I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things. (Isaiah 45:4–7)
This is not the first time God’s power enabled a change in human thought and action to affect the well-being of His people. He did it in releasing them from bondage in Egypt and He used pagan power to discipline them for disobedience, particularly idolatry.
His goal was always the same, whether the actions involved well-being or calamity. The psalmist, after a brief review of their history and deliverance from Egypt and slavery, said this:
So he brought his people out with joy, his chosen ones with singing. And he gave them the lands of the nations, and they took possession of the fruit of the peoples’ toil, that they might keep his statutes and observe his laws. Praise the Lord! (Psalm 105:43–45)
If God brings well-being into my life, it is so I will obey Him and honor His name. If He brings calamity into my life, it is also so I will obey Him and honor His name. The New Testament verifies this:
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2–4)
It has been a journey to finally realize that steadfast maturity is more valuable than personal comfort. In most if not all of the ‘trials’ in my life, they seemed more like ‘calamities’ and all I wanted was for them to be over, for life to return to ‘normal’ — without realizing that ‘normal’ was not the goal God has for me. In my head, I wanted to be like Jesus, but in the rest of me, I wanted to be in control and comfortable.
As I read about God using the calamity of captivity in Babylon and using a pagan king to bring His people to finally realize the shame and evil of idolatry, I think of my own history and realize afresh that God’s thoughts are very different than mine and His values for my life are about character and obedience. He wants joy for me, but not at the expense of having my own way.
What about a bigger picture, a deeper understanding of what God is doing in history today? Most North Americans are griping about the leaders in our two countries and about the virus pandemic and all the restrictions imposed to protect us. Is it possible that God has appointed calamity and a modern version of Cyrus to produce godliness and obedience in His people? Are we being idolatrous by praying for ‘normal’ when we should be praying for deeper maturity in Christ and a return to our first love?
My life is comfortable, yet I realize this is not a promotion to self-indulgence but to greater praise and obedience. God can and does impose calamity and send trials — but that also is that I might be all He wants for me and joyful because of it.
APPLY: Obviously, I must see the hand of God in my own life, whether it is comfortable or not, but I must also desire the same faith a perspective in the lives of God’s people. We need to realize that He is sovereign over all that is going on, not just the parts that please our sinful natures.
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