We learn from childhood about various laws that operate in the natural. One such law is the law of gravity. If we say that we do not believe it, it makes no difference. The law of gravity operates on planet Earth and we soon discover that what goes up, must come down unless it is superseded by another law, such as the law of aero-dynamics.
Just as these laws operate in the natural, so do God’s spiritual laws. He has set certain divine laws which are eternal, for example, sowing and reaping:
Ephesians 6:7 “Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap.”
2 Corinthians 9:6 “…He which sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he which sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully.”
If I say that I do not believe this, then I set myself up to prove otherwise. We all live with the results of our sowing, the choices we have made. Our choices produce consequences that we have to live with, good “seed” (choices) produces a harvest of righteousness, bad “seed” (choices) produces after it’s own kind – consequences we would prefer to live without!
Have you ever looked at your man-made mess and despaired of the harvest you are reaping? Do not despair! The day of your visitation is at hand! Jesus Christ’s finished work on Calvary has made a way through, and eventually out of, your bondage. Under the guiding hand of the Holy Spirit, humbly take the blame for the consequences you find yourself in. God, in His infinite grace and mercy, comes along side of you in your man-made consequences, and uses them to fashion you into a vessel fit for His divine purposes. You are still in the same consequences, but the difference now is that He is in the situation with you and His enabling grace and strength makes the burden so much lighter with His presence and guidance. Your murmuring will cease, His joy and peace change your attitude as the life of Jesus is lived and demonstrated to the world through you. Under the loving, chastising hand of our Heavenly Father, He uses the consequences we are in to fashion us as a vessel for His glory. He teaches us His way to live in the circumstances. When the work is done in that area, the season begins to change as we follow in the Master’s guiding footsteps.
Reading the whole chapter of Hebrews 12 is of great benefit. It expounds the wisdom of our loving Heavenly Father over the chastening of His sons and daughters. We are encouraged not to despise His chastening as it is an evidence of His great love for us. A loving parent chastens the child for their good because they want the best for them, to learn the right way to the path of life and health.
Acts 9 relates the account of Saul travelling the Damascus Road on his way to persecute the followers of Jesus. He was a devout man who thought he was carrying out God’s will in persecuting Christians. After his divine visitation and instruction, God changed him forever. He continued on his way to the Christians, but now with a new motive birthed of God.
We can so easily get into projects by our choices that are not God birthed, and the consequences we find ourselves in, so often, are so obviously, and painfully, man made. When we seek God and invite Him in, there will be divine consequences of that right choice. He will use the consequences of our previous choice to bring us closer to Him, using them for a season to conform us to the image of His Son. When God has a man’s heart, He has his life.
We are created as creatures of choice, made in God’s image. His Holy Spirit is made available to us to guide us into right choices to be in God’s PURPOSE and fulfill our destiny. Our wrong choices result in our lives being in PERMISSION, God’s permitted will, but not His glorious divine purpose for us. Even the devil is in “permission,” he was not created a devil, he fell and became one through choice. Beware of whom you make your bed-fellow, in purpose or permission!
This is the day that the Lord has made for us to draw closer to Him. Psalm 3;3 “You, O Lord, are a shield for me, my glory, and the lifter up of my head.” Let us arise from our down-sitting, take His hand and walk into our glorious future with Him. Our divine purpose and destiny awaits – to be conformed to the image of His Son, that God, in us, will be glorified!