Our present circumstances are God’s tools to make us what He wants us to be.
God’s sovereignty in the details of my life does nothing for Him except give Him the opportunity to lavish His love and grace upon me as if it was all about me. My heart longs, hungers, thirsts (Matthew 5:6) that it would be all about Him. What does God want? He wants us to know Him and continually progress in our knowledge of Him. Can we get a handle on that? The Omniscient, Omnipotent, Omnipresent, Creator and Owner of everything and totally self-sufficient wants to reveal Himself to us! (Doesn’t our hearts kneel before such condescending Love?) Our top priority should be knowing Him.
Oswald Chambers “We have to learn to interpret the mysteries of life in the light of our knowledge of God. Unless we can look the darkest, blackest fact full in the face without damaging God’s character, we do not yet know Him.”
But how can we get to know Him, clouds and great darkness (Psalms 97:2) are round about Him. We realize what Jesus does but we need to realize WHO He is. The darkness is my ignorance of WHO God is. My knowledge of Him is clouded and not growing. As I get to know Him better, the clouds that brought darkness will be transformed into clouds which bring showers of blessing. We must be persistent in our pursuit of God. So what is required of us? It’s not about seeking (Jeremiah 45:5) great things for yourself. God wants us in an ever-closer relationship with Himself. He wants us to get to know Him. God already knows our needs before we do (Matthew 6:8) so why ask? So that we may get to know Him better, even as we ask. Prayer is not a shopping list but a loving relationship.
We need to SEEK THE LORD: How? Diligently as an (Proverbs 8:17) evidence of our love, with all (Deuteronomy 4:29) your heart and soul, with all your heart because (Jeremiah 29:13) you realize your need, early and earnestly (Psalms 63:1-2) the priority above everything else. Guaranteed results – seek Him (Isaiah 55:6) and He will be found.
We know that the eternal God is revealed in His eternal Word. We cannot genuinely seek God if we are almost strangers to the Bible. I heard Dr. Stanley say; - “Some Christians know much more about who is on TV than they do about their Bible.” If this describes you, don’t expect any growth in your knowledge of the Living God. The essence is in God’s Word and the fullness comes when we apply His Word to our lives. I have treasured God’s Word (Job 23:12) more than my necessary food. My hope is in His Word (Psalms 130:5-6) and I’m looking for the Lord more than the watchmen watch for the morning.
Also we must talk to the Lord and listen to Him. We cannot gain deepening knowledge of anyone with whom we have little or no conversation. The amount of time we spend communing with God and meditating on His Word gives clear evidence of what we most highly value.
What do you want? If the Lord came to you and said, “Tell Me anything in the whole world that you want and it’s yours.” What would you request of Him? Ask yourself this question. What do you value supremely, above all else and there is nothing you would not give up for it? We don’t devote ourselves to seeking something we don’t value. But if something priceless could be sought and found, no sacrifice would be too great or even considered sacrifice in comparison. Knowing that we can progressively know God and the sacred wonders of the Triune Godhead, would we gladly say with Paul (Galatians 6:14) all my glory is in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ by Whom the world is crucified to me and I to the world.
Oswald Chambers: - “Friendship with Jesus means identity in thought and heart and spirit. The whole discipline of life is to enable us to enter into this closest relationship with Jesus Christ. Fruit bearing is the manifestation of an intimate union with Jesus Christ. Our Lord gives a life of strong, calm sanity to those who are intimate with Him.”
Dr. C. Stanlely: - “If you are hurting, remember that just beyond the pain is the best glimpse of God you have ever had. Our present circumstances are God’s tools to make us what He wants us to be.”
You can learn many things from Paul which the Holy Spirit taught him and he is eager to share with us. Take time, think, evaluate, meditate and drink in the riches of these words. Let’s make them ours.
“I count everything as loss (Philippians 3-8) compared to the priceless privilege, overwhelming preciousness, surpassing worth and supreme advantage of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord and progressively becoming more deeply and intimately acquainted with Him.”
Our growing knowledge of God is not only for our time on Planet Earth. When we get to heaven we will continue to learn and our capacity continues to expand in the very Presence of our glorious God and Saviour so that there will be neither limit or end to what we will experience in ever-increasing knowledge of Him. The light gets brighter all the way home. Just think, fellow-believer, we will be part of the fulfillment of the original plan which God made before He created Adam.