The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"The Great Fact"
The most obvious truth in God's creation is Himself, the Creator.
"The invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and godhead" (Romans 1:20; emphasis added).
God makes Himself known to human hearts. Only a willful and determined blindness can cause us to miss that which continually stares us right in the face. The Lord Jesus Christ stated the indictment…
"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil" (John 3:19).
While the Lord primarily directed this indictment to unbelievers, having to do with judgment and "the wrath to come," believers can also miss the obvious (Matthew 3:7). Do we overlook, neglect, or sometimes determine to not see the Great Fact of all things, namely, that our Lord "worketh all things after the counsel of His own will?" (Ephesians 1:11). We certainly can, and do. Of course, this does not mean that God determines sin, an impossibility so foreign to His character that He will not even tempt human hearts to distrust and disobey Him (James 1:13). It does mean, however, that our Lord is so present, so involved, so holy, so righteous, so gracious, so merciful, so wise, and so purposeful that He coordinates all things in accordance with the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ and His "eternal purpose" in Him (Ephesians 3:11). The Word of God sounds and resounds with such assurance, as does creation and its continual message of our Lord's "eternal power and godhead." Born again believers must affirm this by faith as a matter of truth and reality. We must be sure to see the hand of God where it seems obvious. And, where it does not…
"They crucified Him" (Matthew 27:35).
Evil human hands and hearts nailed the Lord Jesus to His cross. Nothing more seems to belie the fact of God and His working than this greatest of all sins. However, nothing more reveals our Heavenly Father and His working than this greatest of all revelations of Himself and His truth. Consider the prevailing reality of Calvary. Was it human sin, or divine redemption? We know the answer. The cross had existed in the heart of God from everlasting, long before it pierced His hands and feet - "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" (Revelation 13:8). Believers look at Calvary without denying the sin of it, indeed, the most wicked of all evils. However, we see the righteousness of the cross far more, that is, the Lord Jesus fulfilling the promises of God by bearing the consequences of our sins that His righteousness demanded. "Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain" (Acts 2:23).
The truth of the cross applies to all things. Nothing compares with Calvary's revelation of human sinfulness, but also its greater revelation of redemption. Without denying the reality and consequence of the former, believers nevertheless determine to see the latter - the Great Fact of God and His working in all things - as the focus of our hearts. Our salvation and relationship with God began in such faith. It continues in our walk with Him as we see the world and its often sad realities in the light of the Word and the far more glorious reality it declares…
"For of Him, and through Him, and to Him, are all things, to whom be glory forever. Amen."
(Romans 11:36)
"Thou wilt keep Him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on Thee."
(Isaiah 26:3)
Weekly Memory Verse
Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort, who comforteth us in all our tribulation."
(II Corinthians 1:3-4).
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