JOTS FROM OLD JAKE
To God be the Glory!
Tuesday, Dec. 18, 2007 - 3:19 p.m.
Romans 11:32-35 For God has shut up all to disobedience, that he might have mercy on all. Oh the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and the knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past tracing out! "For who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" "Or who has first given to him, And it will be repaid to him again?"
I know that at times in my past life I had thought of things like: �How can a true living God allow such and such to happen?� After I came to know Him in a personal way I began to understand why such things happened. I have also heard some folks take that type of thinking to a deeper level saying, �That is just not fair, God would not do that!� Well if that is my thinking� I should consider that the same was probably true of Lucifer before his fall. It just might be an expression of pride.
God is all mighty! He created all things! He, and only He, has the right to alter any of His creation! Who are we being part of His creation to say that we were created wrong? Who are we to say that He is wrong?
God spoke us into existence. What He says is the only truth. He can not lie because if He spoke it, it would be true. Thus He has the right to decide what to do and how to do it. If we are against Him we are being proud and will reap the reward of the proud who exalt themselves above God as did Lucifer!
We being born-again Christians have the spiritual desire to exalt our Lord and Savior, and our Heavenly Father. The Holy Spirit guides us in our mannerisms and presents spiritual desires to us to follow. It is up to us to follow them or not. The old nature does have a tendency to make not following the Spirits lead more attractive to us. This is where the dying to self has to take place. This is also why we need to pray without ceasing, to get into His Word often, and keep our minds, hearts, and thoughts centered on Him.
We also need to give the glory to God for everything we accomplish. He finds pleasure in our accomplishments and even more pleasure when we praise him for them. I know that all of the accomplishments I have ever achieved in my lifetime were directly because of God�s hand on them and all of my failures were due to my own self-righteous or self-center input.
Romans 11:36 For of him, and through him, and to him, are all things. To him be the glory for ever! Amen.
To me this means: Because out of Him, and through Him, and unto Him are all things. To Him (I owe) the glory unto the ages. Amen.
One scholar labeled this verse �the sublimest apostrophe existing even in the pages of inspiration itself.�
�Out of Him� means God is the all�sufficient cause and source of everything.
�Through Him� means God is the mighty sustainer and worker. John 5:17 But Jesus answered them, "My Father is still working, so I am working, too."
�Unto Him� means God must call every creature to account to Him. All things flow toward God.
�To whom be glory��the glory belongs to Him in all ages. Are we robbing God of His glory by taking credit for things we have no business to claim? The glory belongs to Him.
We, I say we but mean �I� tend to forget from time to time to give God the glory. He does things without me even asking Him to. So many things I don�t ever realize He has done. Sure we need to tend to business of the world as we do our jobs, but never forsake giving the glory to the Lord.
There is an expression that has been the object of many cartoons that says, �He/she is so heavenly minded that he/she is no earthly good!� We don�t have to be that way and still be able to give God the Glory. I know of a person who has done an outstanding job in their workplace who is the burnt of much prayer and guidance from the Holy Spirit. They excel above the others around them. The reason is because the Lord gives them strength and knowledge and also discernment beyond normal understanding. This person gives the glory to God and will continue to do an outstanding job as long as the Lord gets the glory.
VERSE FOR THIS ENTRY!
Isaiah 46:4 and even to old age I am he, and even to gray hairs will I carry you. I have made, and I will bear; yes, I will carry, and will deliver.
ULTERIOR WORDS OF WISDOM� OR/NOT!
Don�t you just hate when you have words with someone and you don�t get to use yours?
~Anonymous~
May you be filled to overflowing with the Holy Spirit!
