The Encourager

1. God is infinite in His ways as well as His being. Because of this some things remain a mystery to us. (Psalm 50:21) We compare God with ourselves. That is; that God can only act as we finite creatures perceive He can.

2. God is never the author of sin. (James 1:13, 14) but, He does use the sinful acts of men to accomplish His purpose. (Genesis 50:20; Acts 4:27-31)

3. People make real choices of their own will. They are held accountable for those actions.

How should we react? Your life and future are in the hands of God. This should keep us from resentment and bitterness when treated unjustly or maliciously by others. Bitterness usually stems not so much from the other person's actions as from the effects of those actions on our life.

1. Don't use the sovereignty of God for an excuse for your shortcomings. You must do what you can in obedience to the revealed written Word of God.

2. You cannot act passively; you must act but within His will.

3. You can't use it as an excuse for your sinful actions. God will hold you accountable.

In Isaiah 45:7 God accepts the responsibility for disasters. The Bible says what is the TRUTH and we can't make it dance to our tune. The disasters that come are either sent or allowed by Him for His purpose. What the reasons for these actions are, it behooves us to find out. Habakkuk seen all the evil around him and in chapter three he prayed. He knew some of the conditions that might happen due to the evil that existed. “Lord, I heard the report about You and I fear. O, Lord, revive Your work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make it known; in wrath remember mercy--- though the fig tree should not blossom and there be no fruit on the vines, though the yield of the olive should fail and the fields produce no food, though the flock should be cut off from the fold and there be no cattle in the stalls, yet I will exult in the Lord, I will rejoice in the God of my salvation. The Lord God is my strength, and he has made my feet like hinds feet, and makes me walk on the high places.” (Habakkuk 3:1, 17-19)

As we see the events taking place in this country and around the world, we are amazed at all the evil that exists. When I say all the evil that exists remember, these things are stacked up and measured by God's holiness and His standard. We have devised so many plans and programs to deal with man's behavior and yet what we are trying to do is remake man from the outside in. There is not one person on the face of this God given earth that is able to change his nature. Man is a sinner by nature and the only transformation that can come to him to change that nature is a personal surrender to this God that we are talking about. It is not having a head knowledge knowing there is a God, it is not a working to find favor with Him, and it is not trying in our lives to be a `good' person. Although all of this is admirable, yet, it's to no avail. If man could do anything to have this relationship with God on his own then we're telling God He made the biggest mistake He could have ever made by sending His son to die in our place.

In Psalm 57:2 we cry unto Him because He is able to answer. Psalm 127:1 “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builder's labor in vain, unless the Lord watches over the city, the watchman stands guard in vain.” ALL OF OUR PLANS ARE TO NO AVAIL UNLESS THE LORD PROSPERS THEM.

We must depend upon God to do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. We must to the same degree, depend upon Him to enable us to do what we must do for ourselves. We have responsibility to carry out His divine plan not only for us, but for the church and the world. HOW He does this and in what way He uses circumstances, and other people are entirely up to Him who is perfect in wisdom. Should this seem contrary to the comprehension of our finite minds then let us trust Him who does all things well.

The glory of God and the wisdom of God are displayed more profoundly out of calamity than out of good. God is able to take all the pain and sorrow and all the bad elements and make full good use of them to His glory. He has done this in the past with many in the Old Testament and the New as well and He continues to do it to this day.

Nothing was more heinous than taking the God who became flesh and who was holy, the One who loved them. They took Him and nailed Him to a wooden cross like one of the thieves that were crucified with Him. But out of the thoughts and evil actions of men came the greatest blessing to mankind that this world has ever known nor will know.

The wrath of God was satisfied and salvation was made accessible for every person on the face of this earth. WHAT COULD BE MORE TO BOTH EXTREMES!!

God still uses the evil desires of men today to perfect his servants, to chastise individuals as well as nations.

We may not know what God is doing through a certain set of circumstances, but we can learn from the scriptures what he has done in the past and the reasons why he acted in that way. We are not to interpret what He is doing based upon our own reasoning.