“According as He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4 KJV). Like being rescued from drowning, we come to life in Christ gasping for Christ, for He is our life (John 14:6). Only time and tradition can acclimate us to an alternate version of Christian reality. We are at the mercy of those who came before us to teach us what is Normal Christianity, so we can become acclimated to those around us. And, we need to be attentive, for that is the concept of discipleship. “And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (2Timothy 2:2). But, our true responsibility is not simply to follow the pattern of the Christianity of those discipling us, but to replicate the life of Christ — even to grow beyond our disciplers. “Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father” (John 14:12). Before we go off on the prideful tangent of looking down upon those seeking to disciple us, “Let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall” (1Corinthians 10:12).
You and I did not accidentally appear out of nowhere. “Who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” (Esther 4:14). God’s providence has knowingly placed us in our present circumstances. Ours is not to object to our lack of advantages; but, we are to “rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4). When given a project, find what you already have to bring before the Lord and ask Him to bless it. “And they had a few small fishes: and He blessed, and commanded to set them also before them” (Mark 8:7).
It may be, humanly speaking, humble to suggest we have accidentally stumbled into our present circumstances. And, so it would seem to us. But, “He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love” (Ephesians 1:4). Our circumstances are not limitations but features designed for us and into us as tools of His good pleasure. Rather than complain of our lack of physical, economic, political, religious, or social circumstances, we need to commit our small basket of a “few small fishes” (Mark 8:7) for Him to bless and see how many He will feed.
Human history is not the accidental convergence of unknown forces, but the direct result of a Sovereign God “who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will” (Ephesians 1:11). It should bring us great joy to know our God is the One “declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure” (Isaiah 46:10).
Father, may You richly bless us with confidence that Your will is being done on this earth. And, may our eyes be opened to see our small part of the design. May our confidence in Your will being done on earth find its impact in every area conceivable and inconceivable that it would upend the popular notion that opposes the fact that “greater is He [the Almighty] that is in [us], than he [the devil] that is in the world” (1John 4:4). Turn our faith into sight. Lord Jesus, return quickly. Amen.
We Need A Miracle 