Oh, how I love it when the OT passage and the NT passage have a common theme! For me, today, that theme was God's will. Isaiah says (various verses from today's passage):
I am the LORD, and there is no other;
apart from me there is no God.
I form the light and create darkness,
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the LORD, do all these things.
“With whom will you compare me or count me equal?
To whom will you liken me that we may be compared?
I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me.
I make known the end from the beginning,
from ancient times, what is still to come.
I say, ‘My purpose will stand,
and I will do all that I please.’
And Romans says:
And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?
This is something that's become more and more clear as I've come to know the character of God better and learned more and more about both the Bible and about Him -- If God, in His perfect will and perfect plan, allowed Jesus, his perfect, sinless Son, to be mocked, beaten, abused, and ultimately killed in order to save us, why should we, imperfect, sinful, willful, disobedient human beings, expect that we won't have trials and tribulations as we follow His will?
He promised never to leave us. He goes through everything with us, and I believe that He feels pain and sadness with us when we go through something difficult. He shares our burdens and carries us through -- when we give Him our burdens and put our trust in Him!
But he's also promised to refine us and make us holy.
"...and some of the wise shall stumble, so that they may be refined, purified, and made white, until the time of the end, for it still awaits the appointed time." (Dan. 11:35)
"...being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Phil. 1:6)
There is an excerpt from a Max Lucado book "Come Thirsty" my Bible study group read last year. Actually, I'd share the whole chapter if I could, but for the sake of keeping this relatively short:
"He authors all itineraries. He knows what is best. No struggle will come your way apart from his purpose, presence, and permission. What encouragement this brings! You are never the victim of nature or the prey of fate. Chance is eliminated. You are more than a weather vane whipped about by the winds of fortune. Would God truly abandon you to the whims of drug-crazed thieves, greedy corporate raiders, or evil leaders? Perish the thought!
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the Lord your God. (Isaiah 43:2-3)
We live beneath the protective palm of a sovereign King who superintends every circumstance of our lives and delights in doing us good.
Nothing comes your way that has not first passed through the filter of his love. Margaret Clarkson, in her wonderfully titled book Grace Grows Best in Winter, wrote:
The sovereignty of God is the one impregnable rock to which the suffering human heart must cling. The circumstances surrounding our lives are no accident: they may be the work of evil, but that evil is held firmly within the mighty hand of our sovereign God. . . . All evil is subject to Him, and evil cannot touch His children unless He permits it. God is the Lord of human history and the personal history of every member of his redeemed family.Learn well the song of sovereignty: I know God knows what's best. Pray humbly the prayer of trust: "I trust your lordship. I belong to you. Nothing comes to me that hasn't passed through you."
A word of caution: the doctrine of sovereignty challenges us. Study it gradually. Don't share it capriciously. When someone you love faces adversity, don't insensitively declare, "God is in control." A cavalier tone can eclipse the right truth. Be careful.
And be encouraged. God's ways are always right. They may not make sense to us. They may be mysterious, inexplicable, difficult, and even painful. But they are right."
Happy Thursday! Have a great weekend.
Tomorrow's passage: Isaiah 47-49; Romans 9:1-15.
2 comments:
Excellent post Miriam!
A verse from yesterday ties in with v28 well I think...
"I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us (v18).... And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." (v28)
As a believer, when we go through hard times, that to me, would be the only way to get through it. To know and believe in God's sovereignty and to know that this present suffering isn't even worth comparing to the glorious eternity that awaits us. To know that there is purpose, to know that God works for good, to know that somehow someway God is being glorified through our trials.
But, excellent advice about being careful to flippantly quote verses at people, especially if they are not in that place in their relationship with God, or in the right "stage" of dealing with their trial. What brings consolation and strength to one, can be like a slap in the face to another.
In that Isaiah passage, the phrase "I am God and there is no other" is repeated over and over and over. It's obviously a pretty important truth we're supposed to pound into our heads!
Great post. The repetition of "I am God and there is no other" stood out for me too. I think our limited human minds can't even begin to understand the depth of that statement because we are continually making sense of things by comparing them to things we already understand. Yet, with God, we can't compare him to anything because he is unlike any other person we know.
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