Jacob cried out, “Everything has been against me!” Genesis 42:36
Have you ever felt that way? I know I have. Stay with me as I elaborate on the intricately complex details concerning GOD’s truth found in Isaiah 55:8-11 and Ephesians 1:11 by relating just a bit of 2 Bible stories. These tidbits show us an amazing truth.
1-The LORD GOD ALMIGHTY GOD had set a plan in motion to save Jacob’s entire family of 70 people during an extended famine and then fulfill HIS promise to make a great nation out of them. But at the moment all Jacob saw was a piece of the big picture. What he saw was his favorite son’s robe shredded and covered with blood. He assumed Joseph was dead, mauled by wild animals. While the truth was Joseph had just begun a wild journey that would lead to his becoming 2nd in command over Egypt (Genesis 42-50).
2-The angel of the LORD appeared to a barren women and gave her specific instructions and telling her she would have a child that would be a Nazarite (devoted) to the LORD from her womb. Many years later that mother of Samson and her husband were very upset when Samson asked his dad to arrange his marriage to a certain young Philistine woman. They said something like, ‘Why can’t you marry an Israelite girl instead of one of our enemies?’ But let’s hear what GOD thought about it: “But his father and his mother knew not that it was of the LORD, that HE (the LORD GOD) sought an occasion against the Philistines: for at that time the Philistines had dominion over Israel” (Judges 14:4).
These true stories illustrate for us how much of what we perceive can be totally wrong because we cannot see what GOD intends and is doing behind the scenes. Like Jacob, we are prone to draw erroneous conclusions on what we can see and then speculation with our vivid imaginations. But GOD says–“… judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness…”(1 Corinthians 4:5).
“All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of GOD. (things we don’t understand GOD is using for an end result of good for you who love HIM [Romans 8:28] and they will reach other people and cause them to reach out to GOD and it will all overflow to HIS glory [Acts 17:26-27]) Therefore we do not lose heart (don’t become discouraged). Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our (comparative) light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that FAR OUTWEIGHS them all. 18 So we fix our eyes )focus our attention) not on what is seen (our circumstances), but on what is unseen(what GOD is achieving through our circumstances), since what is seen(our situation) is temporary, but what is unseen (what GOD is accomplishing through it all) is eternal (2 Corinthians 4:15-18).
“And without faith it is impossible to please GOD, because anyone who comes to HIM must believe that (1) HE exists and that (2) HE rewards those who earnestly seek HIM (Hebrews 11:6).
Faith is just believing what GOD says HE will do. GOD’s eternal word says that it all “according to the plan of HIM who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of HIS will” (Ephesians 1:11)When problems hit, instead of saying, “everything is against me!” say “I trust YOU LORD!”
Hugs
Sharon