Proverbs 8:8
“All the words that have come from God’s mouth are correct.
There is nothing wrong, deceptive or dishonest in them.”
God has nothing but our good in mind…and we can never go wrong by following his directions.
As it says in the above proverb, “…there is nothing deceptive or dishonest about what God tells us to do…or the direction in which he leads our lives.” God has no ulterior motives. There is nothing deceptive or crooked about him, and he has no ego that needs to be affirmed. If God says something that does not necessarily make sense to us, it doesn’t mean that it is not good for us. Sometimes God directs our lives like a bow with the arrow…he first pulls us backwards in order to launch us forward…to the place where he wants us to be.
A perfect example of that is found in the life of Joseph. As a young boy, Joseph had a vision that he was to become a great ruler, a ruler that would eventually come into a place of authority over his parents and older brothers. However, it was not long before he was thrown into a pit, sold into slavery, betrayed into prison…then finally…exalted into the palace of Egypt. As chief steward over the most powerful kingdom of that age, through God’s wisdom and direction, he saved himself, his family, and most of the known world at that time from a terrible five year famine. Each step backwards for Joseph…became an eventual exponential step forward in the realm of God’s will for his life. Sometimes we are looking to simply walk into the palace…when God wants to back us into it!
No matter how desperate our circumstances might appear to be in the midst of our obedience to God…it still is the safest place to be…the safest place in the whole wide world. I remember many occasions in my life, finances would dry up, tribulations would mount against us, and there seemed to be no way out! Suddenly, I would just pause to gaze at my healthy family, the roof above our heads, and the simple safety which surrounded our lives. Happiness and health are blessings that far outweigh any other.
King David writes in Psalms 56:13 saying, “You have saved my soul from death, will you not also deliver my feet from falling?” In other words you have accomplished that which for me was impossible, will you not also take care of the normal day to day issues of my life. If Christ redeemed our lives through his death and resurrection, will he not also have the power to care for our families, our health, and our finances?
Our ways are not God’s ways. We do not always have the same perspective that God has on the situations of our lives. Just as football teams have coaches that sit up in the top of the stadiums overlooking the entire perspective of the field of play, in order to make the best decisions concerning the events of the game. In this same way, God sits up on a higher level than humanity, on the edge of eternity, looking back on time. There is not anything that he does not know, whether things past, present, or future But this one thing we can know. All God’s thoughts are to give us good things, a bright future, and bless our lives both now and in eternity. God speaks in Jeremiah 29:11 to his church by saying, “I know the thoughts that I think towards you, thoughts of peace, and not of evil...”
God has our lives completely mapped out for our good. All we must do is be obedient and trust in Him. This begins through our daily submission to His direction, His Will, and His Wisdom. As we move forward, let us be more determined than ever to hear God’s voice…obey it…and at all costs…daily trust him…hear his voice…and follow his directions!