In God we trust

There is great temptation attached to any type of urgent need. The need to do something in order that results may be evident can and will often drive the needful into desperation, trying all sorts of alternatives until one actually works, may well be the way of the world but certainly not the way God works. I wonder how long it will remain the “straw-man trap” for even many leaders leading reputable churches. It is easy to become desperate, but I am persuaded that nothing slips God’s attention and I mean nothing, in fact even the hairs on our heads have been numbered! Our God is a God of precise detail; nothing has been overlooked as if He could be caught unawares. Whatever He has chosen to do will come to pass, period! There are absolutely no if’s and but’s linked to that equation. Every single “i” has been dotted and every “t” has been crossed; where we get it wrong is when we anticipate a different outcome to the one we have hoped for, it is at these times when we are vulnerable to error. It is the little foxes that end up soiling the vine. The giants are easily seen and rightly targeted and brought down by the knees.

Let me draw from some examples throughout scripture to help us understand how apparent the reality of God’s decision is… Davis slept with Uriah’s wife and she feel pregnant and Nathan the prophet was sent by God to expose his sin and once David acknowledged his sin and sought out God’s forgiveness for it, he found forgiveness but not without consequence to his action; “Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'" David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die." (2Samuel 12:9-14)

We know the end of how David’s life ended because it has been recorded for us in scripture; His son soon died after birth and even though David wept and fasted for him, God still took his life. Absalom His son tried to overthrow his kingdom and David was constantly at war throughout his reign. His son Amnon slept with his half-sister Tamar and Absalom slept with David’s concubine in the sight of all Israel, it was public knowledge; “Ahithophel said to Absalom, "Go in to your father's concubines, whom he has left to keep the house, and all Israel will hear that you have made yourself a stench to your father, and the hands of all who are with you will be strengthened." So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof. And Absalom went in to his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.” (2Samuel 16:21-22) – We are able to conclude from scripture that there was most certainly a consequence to David’s sin and what God had determined by His judgment was irreversible. God always will have the final say! That may seem like an obvious statement but we as mere men sometimes hope beyond hope, it is always about His will and what we need to learn is to align ourselves with His will whatever that may be.

The Apostle Paul understood this without question; look at his reasoning in the book of Corinthians; “For Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel, and not with words of eloquent wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (1Corinthians 1:17-18) – using any other lure to arrive at ones goal will only ever end badly, we must always come the way of the cross and the way we have been instructed to come through scripture. The sooner we learn this as our own reality the sooner we will be able to find rest in our God. This is a principle we must apply to every area of our lives. Whatever our lack, we know that if we come God’s way we will arrive at a valuable conclusion. And even if we do not get what we want we will certainly receive what is needed.

Signing off

Tyrone