Sunday, April 1, 2012

In Control Of All

When we consider just how in control God has revealed Himself to be through Scripture, it is quite discomfiting when things seem to spin out of control in our personal affairs. Is He still in control? Does He care about us? Does He "feel our pain" and understand our uncertainty at times? Perhaps we are on a small shelf in a back room somewhere in the realm of eternity and He will get to our issues when He has a chance?


Nothing could be further from the truth! We must press on. When the lady with a blood issue reached out with all of her might to just touch His garment as He passed by, she was immediately healed. Christ felt it in His Spirit when she touched Him. It was as if power left His body and was transported to her. He has promised us that He feels our infirmities. He is not only with us, but is in us through the Holy Spirit; dwelling in our body.


I am presently suffering from some kind of tick our spider bite. I went to our doctor and have been on antibiotics; the bite looks the same and I have have another spot that has appeared. I go back to the doctor tomorrow. Has God forgotten that I am here? NO!


I have a retired Minister friend I met during one of my hospital stays last year. He is undergoing dialysis for kidney issues. I spoke with him last evening and we encouraged each other in the LORD. He got very ill yesterday at the health care facility and was weak. He said "greater is He that is in us than He that is in the world..." I agree. Are these just words? The Bible says that the words of God are powerful enough that in the very end of time Christ will destroy Satan with the words of His mouth. That is powerful! I believe His word no matter how things look in my life at any given moment.


Just one chapter in the Book of Isaiah gives us an important picture of just how in control God is, yes, even in our life. It is the revelation of God's calling out a Persian king named Cyrus hundreds of years before this man was even born! That is control. The description of this event gives great insight of God's control of all circumstances and events. Chapter 44 ~


" Thus saith the LORD, thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I AM the LORD that makes all things (even ticks!) that stretched forth the heavens alone; that spread them forth by Myself; I frustrate the tokens of the liars and make diviners mad; I turn wise men backward and make their knowledge foolishness."


"I confirm the word of My servant and perform the counsel of his messengers; I say to Jerusalem Thou shalt be inhabited and to the cities of Judah You shall be built and I will raise up the decayed places."

This happened quite a few years later when Cyrus was born, became king and overthrew the Babylonian empire. Cyrus, a king named be God before he was even formed in his mother's womb! God's Words are faithful and true. They will come to pass; in His time.


Zechariah 1:6 says, "But My words and My statutes which I commanded My servants the prophets, did they (words) take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, ' Like as the LORD of Hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath He done unto us.'


God will do also unto us; He has, does now, and will always keep His word. A further explanation of His mighty actions in times past; He is the One that says to the deep, be dry and I will dry up thy rivers; He is the one that said of king Cyrus that he was His shepherd ( a Persian king!) and he shall perform His pleasure. Through Cyrus God said that Jerusalem would be rebuilt and the foundation of His Temple would be laid. "Thus saith the LORD to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held...(past tense hundreds of years before Cyrus was born!)


God even tells Isaiah how Cyrus would overthrow Babylon; the river would be dried up, the mighty gates would be opened, and the armies would enter. "The gates shall not be shut". God promised to go before and make the crooked places straight and to break in sunder the bars of iron." This is exactly how it happened.


God promised Cyrus, and I believe each of us in whatever difficulty we may be experiencing that there are treasures in the darkness (Isaiah 45:3) and hidden riches of secret places, that we may know that He, the LORD, who calls us by name is our God and the God of Israel. He said that He has carved our name in the palm of His hand! How can He forget us? Impossible!


He has promised that "even to your old age, I AM He, and even to gray hairs will I carry you; I have made you and I will bear, even I will carry and will deliver you."  (Isaiah 46:4)


Fear not for He is with us;
do not be dismayed for He is our God and their is no other.
He is in total control!

1 comment:

Amy said...

I'm sorry to hear about your bite - I pray it will heal and not keep you sick. Thank you for continuing to post encouraging words. Amy