Our great Almighty God has made a plan for you and me, (Jeremiah 29:11). We may not always understand, know or see the plan, but we can see and know God, in it’s unfolding. Only in Him, the great “Upholder” will we find His rest referenced in Hebrews 4.
Hebrews 1:3 declares of Jesus: “…..upholding all things by the word of His power….” Indeed! Jesus Christ is the omnipotent “Upholder”.
Horizons belong to men. In their limitation, men cannot see beyond them with their natural sight. There are no horizons of limitation in God. The Unlimited One dwells in the land beyond our horizons with His all-seeing eye. With the gift of faith, sometimes the Lord enables us to see with our spiritual eyes in to the beyond of God. At other times, He will leave the horizon and require of us to lean hard on Him and trust for whatever lies beyond. Here is the test, to trust the Almighty “Upholder”.
God requires of His children to find His peace and joy in every circumstance of life. It is a deep work in us when we truly “see God in all things”, especially in adverse circumstances that we would prefer not to endure. We often quote, “God permits, in His wisdom that which He could prevent, by His power”. He permits it to do a work in our hearts where we choose to bow and declare, “True and righteous are ALL your ways, O Lord”. Here we access His rest in the storms of life and the enabling power of our resurrected Lord to navigate the troubled waters.
Trouble is not in “trouble”, but in our attitude to trouble. Attitude determines altitude in the Spirit. God is seeking to tune our hearts to worship Him in every adverse circumstance, instead of murmuring and complaining.
God has a plumb line, a measuring stick by which He measures us. We see it so clearly displayed in the character and nature of His Son. He is the measure by which we are measured. Ephesians 4 clearly sets out God’s divine plan. Incrementally He works with us to add another measure to bring us to full stature. My daily choices are the advancement or limitation of my Father’s divine plan for good for my life. A complaining heart in a situation I dislike, will prevent me entering in to all God has for me in it. The measure I empty out of my flesh life and surrender to Him, is the measure that He will fill me and replace me with His life and nature. The more I dispense with, the more He fills. There is no substitute for the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 11: 29 Jesus encourages us to embrace His yoke and “…learn of me”. His life displayed the pattern for ours, how to live to the glory of God. Only as I yoke myself to Him, take up the cross to die to self, will the enabling power of His glorious life manifest through me. This death opens the gates to a glorious liberty and life in Christ. Here lies the secret to joy in God in every situation: “Learn of me”.
1 Peter 5: 6-7 teaches us: “Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time. Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you”.
It is the will of God for me to give thanks IN all situations, not FOR them, there is a difference. Here is where I grow and mature in God. I do not have to understand everything, but I do need His peace in everything in order for me to hear Him clearly, and crown Him as Lord of my situation. His peace bypasses my understanding as I bow to His Lordship of everything that comes to me in life through His grid. The grid of God…..What He permits to come my way is for my good with Him by my side to learn His ways.
(We are not talking here about the consequences of sin, wrong choices. That is something different. However, if I repent of my sin, through Calvary, the Lord Jesus will make a way back to right living with Him, as I allow Him to help me through the consequences of my wrong choices. His unconditional love will teach me how to make right choices. His grace and mercy enables me to live right and learn from my failures.)
The ground we tread along our earthly pilgrimage is not always a smooth passage. Our Heavenly Father is seeking to make of us true worshipers. Whatever the outcome of our trials, His love is greater than the things that trouble me. I can navigate anything in life if I make Him Lord of the situation and commit the outcome to the Master. “He upholds all things by the word of His power”. My part is to follow as He leads and keep in step behind Him, leaving the end result to Him.
A surrendered life is not moved by circumstance. My security is not in any gain, but resting in the knowledge of whose hands my life is safely held, trusting the Lord Jesus to bring about His divine purpose according to His plans, not mine. The outcome is His business, my attitude is mine. May He continue the work whereby I may always declare joyfully, “True and righteous are all your ways, O Lord”.
(Note for reference: Look up and meditate on the words of the hymn penned by Madame Guyon (1648-1717) “All scenes alike engaging prove….”)
