"Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him . . ." (Job 13:15)
In God's own eternal plan he has our ways laid before us, we are offered the pathway of honor or the pathway of dishonor. It is up to us to decide which way we go. This is the beauty of our personal salvation; a part of the mystery that is deep in Godliness. Yet, through our life we give satan so much credit for the way our journey progresses. He tend to think that he has control over our life and over the things that happen to us. The fact is he has no power except what our father, which is in heaven, giveth him. We are followers of the Lord Jesus Christ and things that happen only give us better opportunities to give glory and honor unto him.
This is wonderful to write about, but actually putting into practice this foundational fact is not as simple as putting pen to paper. We must make a conscience decision ever time we face a new day that what ever happens we will approach it with the knowledge that God has given us the ability to overcome it. There is great peace in such knowledge, but our peace and faith is often tested most of all when victory doesn't seem to come in a fiery chariot showing the world that we are untouched by the trails of this life. It is in these moments that the words of Job find their perfect place. We must be so assured that our lives are directed and orchestrated by the great conductor – our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ the righteous – that when our ideal of deliverance hasn't come we will be just as secure in our knowledge as when we walk on water.
The three Hebrew children were put to a fiery test, they knew that God would deliver them, but they left nothing to speculation. Boldly and without hesitation their voices joined together and they proclaimed "If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up." (Dan. 3:17-18). They had faith that God would deliver them, but they had faith that he was still God even if he did not.
How many of us today could be counted in such a group as these three? How many of us, when trials do come and deliverance terries, do not cry as though God has forsake us? It is time that we put on the "whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked." (Eph. 6:11-18) |
