“Perfect Intention, Perfect Implementation"

The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…

"Perfect Intention, Perfect Implementation"

   

     "So He fed them according to the integrity of His heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of His hands" (Psalm 78:72).

     Perfect intention and perfect implementation characterized God's provision and guidance of Israel, as it does for all who trust the God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Of course, as with Israel, our response to such gracious care is far from perfect.  In His wisdom, our Heavenly Father must deal with our detours from His prescribed path of "This is the way.  Walk ye in it" (Isaiah 30:21).  This leads to rerouting and sometimes chastening along the path of our lives, resulting in His wisdom being all the more wondrous as He provides and guides in alternate ways made necessary by our imperfections.  To us, however, such integrity of the Heart and skillfulness of the Hands may at times seem more bewildering than wondrous.  We easily forget how prone we are to complicate matters by our missteps, and how amazing that God will nevertheless "perfect that which concerneth me" (Psalm 138:8).

   We must establish as a fundamental and bedrock conviction, based on Biblical doctrine, that "as for God, His way is perfect" (II Samuel 22:31).  We will be tempted often regarding this Truth, even as Satan cast aspersions on God's character and way in the first temptation.  "God doth know in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil" (Genesis 3:5).  The devil questioned God's integrity and skillfulness.  He deceived Eve into disbelieving that "they that seek the Lord shall not want any good thing" (Psalm 34:10).  The same liar confronts us throughout our earthly lifetime, tempting us no less to forget, ignore, or disbelieve the pristine perfection of our Father's intentions and implementations.  Throughout the Psalms, David asked "Why?… How?… What?" regarding his Lord's ways and working.  Had God specially responded to the inquiries, His answers would often have been, "My perfection, David.  Your imperfections."

   Our Heavenly Father must deal with what is, as opposed to what should be.  He is able to do this, perfectly, and we must build an altar within our hearts whereby we determine to "trust the Lord with all thine heart" (Proverbs 3:5).  Indeed, isn't it interesting that Genesis 3:5 involves the devil telling Eve to not trust the Lord with all her heart, but Proverbs 3:5 tells us we can "trust in the Lord with all thine heart?"  Our God is wise enough and faithful enough to warrant such confidence.  May we be far more wise and faithful in the growing conviction that affirms "the integrity of His heart" and "the skillfulness of His hands."

"His understanding is infinite."

(Psalm 147:5)

"He is the Rock.  His work is perfect, for all His ways are judgment, a God of truth and iniquity, just and right is He."

(Deuteronomy 32:4) 

Weekly Memory Verse

    So He fed them according to the integrity of His heart, and guided them by the skillfulness of His hands."

 (Psalm 78:72).

  

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