When You Disagree with God. Part [6] 06/22/2024 (Morning thought)

Luke 5:1 And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret, 2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.

Again, God’s methods and ways, together with His thought processes, may seem to make no sense at times, and the human agent often wonders if God really knows what He is doing. In the next instance, we’ll observe that Peter, James and John, who were experienced fishermen, had packed up for the night, after having not caught a single fish. Like we so often do, they had chalked up their own failures to an absence of fish that night.

But as the narrative would disclose, the problem was not with the fish, the problem was one of inverted priorities, for there were actually millions of fishes that night, waiting, hoping, and begging to be caught. These same disciples had previously left their nets to follow Jesus, after He had personally called them to His ministry, but it seems as if their priorities in life were not as yet rearranged in the right order of priority.

So, they fished all night, putting their best energies and most ardent efforts into working for their daily bread, to make a living to provide for themselves, and their families. This is good and worthy of every true believer, and it is even commanded in the Scriptures, that he who will not work, will not eat. The problem here is that providing for ourselves and our families is never to be our highest motivation in life because all of these “necessary” things, pale in comparison to the great commission God has called each of us to.

John 4:31 In the mean while his disciples prayed him, saying, Master, eat. 32 But he said unto them, I have meat to eat that you know not of. 33 Therefore said the disciples one to another, Hath any man brought him ought to eat? 34 Jesus saith unto them, My meat is to do the will of him that sent me, and to finish his work. 35 Say not you, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest.

May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!

When You Disagree with God. Part [5] 06/22/2024 (Evening thought)

Genesis 15: 7 And he said unto him, I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur of the Chaldees, to give thee this land to inherit it. 8 And he said, Lord God, whereby shall I know that I shall inherit it? 9 And he said unto him, Take me an heifer of three years old, and a she goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtledove, and a young pigeon.

Again, The Lord shows us that His thoughts are not like ours, for in making the promise of a great nation to Abraham, He permits situations and providences that may not sit well in the minds of mortals. A lot of what God does, or permits, occurs as a result of Him taking into account our freedom of choice. Thus, God incorporates that human element and He plans around it, all the while not forcing anyone into doing that which they would not otherwise have done.

Thus, His providences must be understood in this context, because, if it were not for the obstacles incidental to our freedom of choice, God would, in many instances, have taken a different route. For instance, it wasn’t His ideal will for the Hebrews to take forty years to enter Canaan, a journey that would normally have taken a few days at the most. But the obstacles presented by the human agents, thus caused Him to work with them on their level, so that His secondary will was accomplished.

The same is true of the nation that would come of Abraham. It was because of their tendency to like idolatry, why they were permitted to go down into Egypt, The Lord by this providence showing them what the worship of idols does to people, so that if they chose to, they might relinquish it. But to the surface reader, it may appear as if God is taking a circuitous route to achieve what He intends to. Thus, as He makes His prediction to Abraham we are to understand that He incorporated the freedom of choice, to fulfill His purposes.

Genesis 15:12 And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and, lo, a horror of great darkness fell upon him. 13 And he said unto Abram, know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years;16 But in the fourth generation they shall come hither again: for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet full. 17 And it came to pass, that, when the sun went down, and it was dark, behold a smoking furnace, and a burning lamp that passed between those pieces.

May God add His blessing to the study of His word. “Good night” and God bless!