QUOTE OF THE WEEK

Faith is a living, daring confidence in God’s grace, so sure and certain that a man could stake his life on it a thousand times. — Martin Luther

His Ways are Perfect

 

"Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass: Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he. They have corrupted themselves, their spot is not the spot of his children: they are a perverse and crooked generation. Do ye thus requite the LORD, O foolish people and unwise? is not he thy father that hath bought thee? hath he not made thee, and established thee? Remember the days of old, consider the years of many generations: ask thy father, and he will shew thee; thy elders, and they will tell thee. When the Most High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children of Israel. For the LORD's portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance."

Deuteronomy 32:1-9

Things may not go perfectly according to our plans, but we can trust that things always go perfectly according to God's plan.

If you've ever played the game of bowling, you understand the difficulty of bowling a perfect game with a score of three hundred points. Only the best of bowlers are able to accomplish such a feat. It's said when one bowler bowled three hundred, he collapsed after the final pin fell. Another bowler was so nervous about messing up his final roll that he refused to bowl his last turn. He never again set foot in a bowling alley and spent the rest of his life wondering what might have been.

The pursuit of perfection reaches beyond bowling and sporting events. Many people pursue perfection in their daily lives. They want the perfect job, the perfect spouse, the perfect children, the perfect home, the perfect salary, and so on. Yet while many people pursue perfection, as Christians we realize nothing in this sin-infested world is perfect. Things may not go perfectly according to our plans, but we can trust that things always go perfectly according to God's plan.

Psalm 18:30-32 tells us of God's perfect plan, "As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the LORD is tried: he is a buckler to all those that trust in him. For who is God save the LORD? or who is a rock save our God? It is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect." Things don't always go as planned. Our schedules can change, our plans can be stopped, and what we once thought was important can fall away. A bad medical report, a loss of a job, a wayward child, or a loss of a home can throw us into a downward spiral, yet God proves that no matter what enters our lives, His plan is perfect.

Realize that any situation you face is in God's hands. Any trial you come across has already been approved by God. God does not allow trials to hurt you, but to perfect your faith. Author Warren Wiersbe put it this way, "Christ has already run this race of faith and conquered for us! He is the Author (Pioneer, Trailblazer) and Finisher of our faith; He is Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. What He starts, He finishes; He can see us through to victory."

God is not finished with you yet. He has not finished perfecting, maturing, shaping, and molding your life. Honestly, God will never be done until you reach full perfection in Heaven. Accept the fact that trials and difficulties will enter your life. Do not view them as inconveniences, but accept them as God's work. Ask God what His purpose in each trial is, and allow Him to mold you into a more Christ-like being.

Remind yourself of Deuteronomy 32:4 today as you go about your not-so-perfect day, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." God's ways area always perfect. Rest in the fact that He's working through even the trials today.