God's Long-range Plans

Therefore Daniel went in to Arioch, whom the king had appointed to destroy the wise men of Babylon. He went and said thus to him: “Do not destroy the wise men of Babylon; bring me in before the king, and I will show the king the interpretation.” Then Arioch brought in Daniel before the king in haste and said thus to him: “I have found among the exiles from Judah a man who will make known to the king the interpretation.” The king declared to Daniel, whose name was Belteshazzar, “Are you able to make known to me the dream that I have seen and its interpretation?” Daniel answered the king and said, “No wise men, enchanters, magicians, or astrologers can show to the king the mystery that the king has asked, but there is a God in heaven who reveals mysteries, and he has made known to King Nebuchadnezzar what will be in the latter days. Your dream and the visions of your head as you lay in bed are these: To you, O king, as you lay in bed came thoughts of what would be after this, and he who reveals mysteries made known to you what is to be. But as for me, this mystery has been revealed to me, not because of any wisdom that I have more than all the living, but in order that the interpretation may be made known to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your mind. (Daniel 2:24–30)

The king wanted his dream interpreted, but he refused to tell his wise men what the dream was so he told one of his men to kill all of them. Daniel intervened. God gave him the content and the meaning, thus saving the wise men from death. Did he know what the descendants of these men would do? Not likely. But God did.

Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:1–2)

Most theologians believe these wise men were descendants of those that lived in Babylon many centuries prior to the birth of Christ and it was very likely that Daniel told them that a Jewish messiah would come and the sign would be a star that would take them to His birthplace. Knowing the power and plan of God from this side of those events, it is easy to agree. That ancient group had to live on and be told, therefore God revealed the meaning of the king’s dream and kept them alive.

When unusual events happen, realizing God has an agenda for good helps me agree with this understanding. As my mother often said, “We must need it or we would not be getting it.” This applies to ‘good’ events as well as those that alarm us or make us shake our heads in wonder. He has a plan that we do not know about.

For instance, my hubby ‘lost’ something valuable, but after nearly two years of wondering what happened, he found it again because his luggage got left in a faraway airport and forced him to fully examine it to make certain nothing had been removed. He then found his missing items. I thought later how upset travelers get when their luggage goes missing, but as my mom said…! And God says:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

Those “all things” may not feel good, but sometimes God is showing us the wonder of His grace with surprises that reveal His goodness, and it is gazing into His glory that changes our lives. 

And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. (2 Corinthians 3:18)

Spending time with Jesus in His Word is one way. Talking with Him all day long is another. Seeing Him in the lives of Spirit-filled believers is another. We may not see Him as we look in the mirror unless that helps us confess our shortfall, but it is His amazing goal that we be like Him.

Jesus, there are times that You are so real and visible, and times where I feel abandoned, yet all the time You are active and working in my life, even in my dreams. For that, I am grateful. And I love Your surprises!

Sovereignty of God produces peace… or cursing?

Last week I read a social media post where the woman who wrote it declared she was not a child of God and not subject to Him in any way. She said she could do what she wanted and expressed her views with colorful language.

This made me both sad and disgusted, sad because she didn’t have a love relationship with her Creator, and disgusted that she had no regard for God except to curse Him and boast of her independence from Him. Doesn’t she know Paul’s words to the unsaved people of Athens that they should “seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, for ‘In him we live and move and have our being’; as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ “ (Acts 17:27–28)

No one can draw another breath apart from the will of God. As for being subject to Him, Charnock writes this: “He can make a man of not willing, willing; the wills of all men are in his hand; i. e. under the power of his scepter, to retain or let go upon this or that errand, to bend this or that way; as water is carried by pipes to what house or place the owner of it is pleased to order and backed it up with:

The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the Lord, he turns it wherever he will. (Proverbs 21:1)

Years ago, before my hubby knew Jesus as his Savior and Lord, he asked me to bend the truth to a supplier so we could save some money. I didn’t want to do that, so I asked God to help me with the right response. He surprised me by somehow changing my husband’s mind. That, and countless other examples demonstrate His power to me and in the world.

This is an historical reality, the reason why Christians pray big prayers. It is because our BIG God can do whatever He wants done. 

An OT story is just brief but shows how the Lord thinks about human needs. Baruch was a secretary for Jeremiah. He knew God’s words about the enemy coming in to take His people into captivity and this man was upset about the threat. This is what God did:

The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch the son of Neriah, when he wrote these words in a book at the dictation of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of ß the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch: You said, ‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest.’ Thus shall you say to him, Thus says the Lord: Behold, what I have built I am breaking down, and what I have planted I am plucking up—that is, the whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold, I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go.” (Jeremiah 45:1–5)

Sometimes I hear Christians moan because of current threats to our safety and well-being. Sometimes I do it too. I need to remember that God is still able to turn the hearts of kings. I may wonder why some of them are bent on destruction or other sinful goals despite our prayers, yet God takes care of those who obey Him and He uses catastrophe to discipline those who do not listen or do what He says. Jeremiah makes that clear. The experiences of my life also make it clear. 

PRAY: Lord Jesus, You know what You are doing. I trust You even as I fear the direction the world seems to be going. At times, I feel as if You are saying: ‘You want to run your own lives? Let’s see how that works out for you.’ At the same time, You are bringing many to Jesus, stories that seldom make the news but stories that began with You going to the fearful and giving them new life in Christ as a prize, even as those fearful events do not cease. You can change hearts, and for that I am both excited and grateful. 


 

Did the devil make this happen?

In reading about God’s dominion over all things, I’m encouraged to trust Him even more by reminders that all evil spirits are subject to His authority. Job comes to mind as everything that Satan did to harm this man and take from him the evidences of God's goodness happened only because God gave this evil enemy permission to do it. 

That OT book reveals that when terrible things happen, God is not oblivious. He has a purpose, just as the NT says:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

While I know that if God gave sinners what we deserve, we who trust Him would not be enjoying His mercy and grace, but as Charnock says, the evil devils “have cast themselves out of the arms of his grace into the furnace of His justice” and by their revolt, forfeited the treasure of his goodness. But they cannot escape from the realm of His dominion.

This applies not only to evil spirits but to all who refuse to own Him as Lord and Father. Instead, they are under Him as Lord and Judge and not set free from His rule.

Just as a human ruler is lord over his criminals as well as of his loyalest subjects, so God has this same rule over all. Job’s story tells me that God uses wickedness to do His will, not by their authority but by His.

Even when criminals and sinners refuse to live under God, those who punish them or pull them into the consequences of sin, it is not about the power of anyone else. No one can say that the devil made them do it or the devil is punishing them, because when the devil is used by God for the punishment of any, it is an act of His sovereignty to make evident His justice. Many nations use vile people to do their dirty work with their natural malice but for His own purposes. 

That is, God can use evil beings to execute His judgments upon their followers, as well as sometimes inflict discipline upon His own servants. No matter what is happening, God has reason and purpose because He is sovereign. Think of it: He ordered the destroying nature of fire to preserve His three children, and let it loose to consume their adversaries.

And the satraps, the prefects, the governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together and saw that the fire had not had any power over the bodies of those men. The hair of their heads was not singed, their cloaks were not harmed, and no smell of fire had come upon them. (Daniel 3:27)

Jesus ordered storms to cease because, “You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, You still them.” (Psalm 89:9) His dominion extends over the highest ruler and the lowest peasant; the proudest millionaire and the poorest beggar. He “shows no partiality to princes, nor regards the rich more than the poor, for they are all the work of his hands.” (Job 34:19)
In innocence, or in revolt, I am under His authority, whether I obey or violate His will. He even orders where I live. (Acts 17:26)

History shows human pride designing and attempting to rule, politicians and religious figures alike, yet none can do it because God’s authority cannot be surpassed.

PRAY: Lord, in these days when leaders spar as if they are the ultimate monarchs or will be, You laugh at them (Psalm 2) knowing how foolish are such notions. Yet fear strikes many that tyrants will ruin our lives. As I read of Your dominion and yield to it, fear walks out the door and my heart laughs too. Who can out-do God Almighty? You gave me the ability to say NO to evil and evil ideas, and YES to Your will and purposes. Grant discernment and faith to know which is which and to laugh with You at the vanity that hits the news. May I see it knowing that no matter what is going on, You are pure goodness and righteousness, and You remain on the throne — nothing happens without Your permission and Your righteous good will.



 

Jesus knows best

We are spending time with a person whose life has changed. I don't know if it is a "pull up your boot straps" change or a commitment to Jesus. I want to know. Is this an answer to my many prayers? Or do I need to wait and continue to pray?

I asked the Lord to speak about this and Piper’s devotional reading for today says this:

"Nothing you will touch or feel or see or think today is apart from Christ. What can this mean but deep humility before such an all-encompassing, all-sustaining, all-governing person, and, since he loves us, indomitable confidence?"

To put this in my words, He is telling me to remember that He is the Sovereign God. He is in charge of whatever I see or hear today. That means no attempts at manipulation on my part. Instead of anxiety and being eager to know what I want to know, He wants humility and a deeper trust in Him. He knows what He is doing. I don’t and I don’t need to know. Trusting Him is enough.

This is not the answer I wanted or expected — but should have. It echos what He said when Peter asked Him about John:

When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, “Lord, what about this man?” Jesus said to him, “If it is my will that he remain until I come, what is that to you? You follow me!” (John 21:21-22)

PRAY: Thank You, Jesus. This is not what I expected but You gave the right answer. Fill me with Your Spirit that I can do what You say and just trust Your power in that person’s life and I my life as well. You are always wise and always good. Bless Your holy Name.

Grace undeserved

 

One of our friends struggles with the sovereignty of God when it comes to the evil in the world. He might say that God ‘allows evil’ but does not cause it to happen. He would also say that we are not puppets and what we do requires us to make decisions and act on them. It is sinful man that causes evil, not God.

Logically speaking, that could make humans sovereign over God, which makes mockery of His power. Several verses quote the Lord saying things like this: “I form light and create darkness; I make well-being and create calamity; I am the Lord, who does all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7) What if God, like a parent, allows His children to go their own way to teach us the folly of it? Caution is also needed here for the Bible also says:

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change. (James 1:13–17)

“Calamity” is about an unfortunate event or a period of ruin. It points to the deserved punishment of wicked people but the righteous can also suffer such events. The prophets continually warned apostate Israel that calamity would happen to them because of their disobedience.

The last time our friend brought this up, he asked how God could be blamed for the evils done in the holocaust. He was almost in tears at the thought that the God he loves would do such a thing. At the time, I had nothing to say, but later thought about this and wondered what would happen if all of us got what we deserve? I’m not judging those who died, only saying that all fall short and do not deserve mercy.

Apart from grace, there is no leniency for sin. Apart from Jesus taking my punishment, I would have to suffer the consequences myself. In this life, the consequences could be shame, losses of many kinds, and calamities as the result of my own foolish choices. But because of Jesus, and because of grace and faith in Him, God spares me from eternal damnation (not necessarily from calamities). . . .  

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. (2 Corinthians 5:17–21)

Could anything be more gracious? Instead of a shameful death, Jesus took that on Himself and suffered that I could be reconciled to God. I didn’t do anything to earn or deserve that, but shudder to think that many in this world say no to Jesus Christ and thus will bear whatever their sin warrants.

All this tells me that Jesus Christ is Lord over all people upon this earth. He is Lord over the righteous and the wicked, the living and the dead, the believing and the unbelieving Believers recognize, acknowledge and surrender to His lordship. Unbelievers deny it and rebel against it. But He is nonetheless Lord and His purposed will be accomplished.always and in all things.

PRAY: Lord, sometimes we ask the wrong questions. Instead of “Why did You save me?” It ought to be “Why do You save anyone?” Instead of “why did such calamity happen to them” it should be “What if we all got what we deserve?” You are God and You make those decisions. The ‘why’ of them is beyond my understanding. I do not deserve your grace, only wrath and certainly  calamity. It is only because of You that I’ve been allowed the grace of an abundant life and the incredible certainty of eternal life.

ALL things serve God’s purposes

 

Last week I got a call from someone who wanted to talk about the injustice and evil in the world. By the end of our conversation, he was saying that God uses all that evil for His purposes, even to bring many to salvation. He acknowledged God's sovereignty, and His wisdom in what He does.

Today’s reading says the same thing in a different way, beginning with these verses:

By your appointment they stand this day, for all things are your servants. (Psalm 119:91)

So let no one boast in men. For all things are yours, whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas or the world or life or death or the present or the future—all are yours, (1 Corinthians 3:21–22)

The word ALL is key. It refers to all things, not a few, not just on Sundays, not just the good things or godly people, but all things are God’s servants, made to work together to accomplish His purposes. This is difficult for us because we believe in His love and goodness. How can He govern evil? Yet if He does not, then we cannot say He is sovereign.

I don’t understand it, nor can anyone else. The devotional writer says the Lord does not inaugurate evil, yet His power makes it His “servant” to bring blessing to His people as it transforms us into the image of His Son:

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Romans 8:28–29)

The psalmist speaks of the enemies of the gospel and their treatment of God’s people, yet also how God can use them to bring Him glory:

The insolent have dug pitfalls for me; they do not live according to your law. (Psalm 119:85) yet…

Surely the wrath of man shall praise you; the remnant of wrath you will put on like a belt. (Psalm 76:10)

Thoughts like this give me peace even in watching all the bad news. The whole world seems to be lost in evil yet at the same time God is using it. Some are standing against evil because they are seeing the results. For instance, government officials are ruling that schools must display God’s commands. This week, the gospel was presented to thousands at the beginning of a world class soccer game. Several have said we would not know the power of God without the presence of evil and seeing Him use it. It blesses us when evil is confronted, at least the evil of others...

Yesterday’s sermon at our church was about the way our heavenly Father disciplines us for our good. He often uses hardship to help us see the importance of obeying Him. His methods can even seem like punishment, yet His incredible love put our punishment on His Son. Jesus needed no training in righteousness, but I do, and God uses all things for that training, even the evil in the world to combat the sin in me. At the same time He assures me that this is not His anger at sin but His great love for me and desire for my good.

For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:38–39)

PRAY: Jesus, what can I say to this? Your great love uses evil for Your purposes. You use it to show a sin-sick world how much we need You. You use it for my good (not always for my comfort) so that I might experience the greatest good anyone could have — to become more like You, the perfect man. While You do not ask me to embrace evil, this amazing truth invites me to praise You for such amazing grace and power, and erases my fears when troubles come. Yes, You are an amazing God!

The sooner the better . . .

 

READ Revelation 11–14

A day or so ago, I tested positive for Covid with no idea where I picked it up. It is not severe but for some reason, feeling yucky makes reading about the end of time and the wrath of God seem more vivid. These chapters tell me truths to keep in mind, particularly when listening to the news and watching the world move farther and farther from obedience to God.

In those latter days, God shows who has power over the climate, and that He can give that power to whomever He chooses:

 . . . . “And I will grant authority to my two witnesses, and they will prophesy for 1,260 days, clothed in sackcloth.” These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands that stand before the Lord of the earth. And if anyone would harm them, fire pours from their mouth and consumes their foes. If anyone would harm them, this is how he is doomed to be killed. They have the power to shut the sky, that no rain may fall during the days of their prophesying, and they have power over the waters to turn them into blood and to strike the earth with every kind of plague, as often as they desire. (Revelation 11:3–6)

As people vainly think we can change the weather, the Bible continually reminds me that God is sovereign over every drop of rain, every breath of wind, every day of sunshine. What an affront to think we are that powerful. Yet at the same time, He will judge people for all lack of care for this planet. Adam and all humanity was given responsibility to govern the earth and we have fallen short:

And the twenty-four elders who sit on their thrones before God fell on their faces and worshiped God, saying, “We give thanks to you, Lord God Almighty, who is and who was, for you have taken your great power and begun to reign. The nations raged, but your wrath came, and the time for the dead to be judged, and for rewarding your servants, the prophets and saints, and those who fear your name, both small and great, and for destroying the destroyers of the earth.” (11:16–18)

Revelation tells of the devil being “thrown down to the earth” and “the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God.” He was “conquered by the blood of the Lamb” and his power is useless against those who testify faith in Him and who will die rather than recant. Even now, this is happening in many parts of the world. However, this passage also says, “Woe to you, O earth and sea, for the devil has come down to you in great wrath, because he knows that his time is short!” (12:9–12)

While his efforts are already visible, someday this spiritual enemy will raise up powerful followers, the first called a beast who will be “allowed to make war on the saints and to conquer them. And authority was given it over every tribe and people and language and nation, and all who dwell on earth will worship it, everyone whose name has not been written before the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain.” (13:7–8) This tells me again of God’s sovereignty even in the death of His people. John must have been dismayed as he heard it, but then he heard a voice from heaven saying:

“Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Blessed indeed,” says the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!” (14:13)

Many gross actions follow, but as the news reports of increasing violence all over the world, this last horror is not the shock it used to be:

So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the grape harvest of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden outside the city, and blood flowed from the winepress, as high as a horse’s bridle, for 1,600 stadia. (14:19–20)

Being a child of God does not guarantee a life of comfort in this world, but it does guarantee eternal life with Him. Towards the end of Revelation John saw visions of thousands who hid from the horrors but refused to repent and trust Jesus to forgive them and grant them eternal security. This grieves my heart. While it is never too late at any time of life, the sooner the better to enjoy His incredible loving care.