For God so loved the
world that He gave His only begotten son that whosoever
believeth on him should not perish but have everlasting
life. John. 3:16 As Christians we have a very difficult time
separating what we like from what is good for us, and for
the blessing to the world. We only see what is directly in
front of us while God sees what is down the road years from
now.
For instance, two years ago I got my finger cut in a
industrial bread slicer, at the time I didn’t like it. Not
only did I bleed all over the place, I had to get stitches
and a tetnis shot. However this year when I wanted to go on
a mission trip and didn’t have the extra money for a shot I
remembered the incident and then realized that God had seen
this long ago when I wasn’t even interested in missions and
had provided for me to be able to go. So, while we
personally don’t think negatively, we wanted to take a look
at some of God’s judgments that were blessings, but are not
viewed that way all the time.
Jer. 17:9 states “The heart is deceitful above
all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it”?
We were born with this bad heart, and this is the reason
Jesus said “except a man be born again he cannot see the
kingdom of God” John. 3:3. The problem most of us have is
the same problem Nicodemus had “How can these things be”?
John. 3:9 “My son give me thine heart and let thine eyes
observe my ways” Prov. 23:26. Jesus will only accept a heart
that is given to Him. This text also says “and let thine
eyes observe My ways”.
Let us look at why this is so important.
Moses in the desert said “Now therefore, I pray
thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy
way, that I may know thee, that I might find grace in thy
sight: and consider that this nation is thy people” Ex.
33:13. To see and understand God’s ways is to know Him. This
becomes essential when you realize what Jesus said in John
17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee
the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent”.
Do you know Him? Do you know His ways? Do you understand
what His ways are?
Deut. 32:4 will help us understand more about
God’s ways, “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”. Have you ever considered that ALL
God’s ways are judgment. This may surprise you, but
blessings were a judgment of God on His
people, so were the curses. God first tries to speak to us
through blessings. If that doesn’t work He next speaks
through blessings removed. He prefers speaking through
blessings, but when we refuse to listen, He is willing to
speak in much harder language. Whatever touches our lives is
either permitted by or given from God, with the promise that
“all things work together for good to them that love God”
Rom. 8:28. But Deut. 32:4 says “his work is perfect”. Notice
what Psalms 111:7 says “The works of his hands are verity
(truth) and judgment; all His commandments are sure”. Did
you catch that? Not only are God’s ways judgment perfect,
but so are his works! And “His work is perfect” His judgment
and work are one, and they are perfect.
Looking at a few examples of God’s judgment we
find:
* To cure Samson, God
gave him blindness and slavery. Judges
16:21 (He
will be in heaven because he gave his heart to God in
the end.
That’s what God was concerned with, He wanted to spend
eternity with Samson.)
* Hagar was told “return
and submit” Gen 16:9 (God made a great nation
out of
Ishmael)
* Pharaoh rejected God’s
judgments, and each one got harder, until he
buried his
son. He despised
God’s
judgments until he lost his life and drown in the Red Sea.
* For refining Joseph,
God used slavery, prison, and suffering. Gen.37:28,
Gen. 39:20
(Then He
placed
him over all of Pharaoh’s kingdom, and the world knew of the
true
and living
God.)
* God’s judgment for
Moses was that he was not able into the Promised
Land. Num.
20:12 (But the judgment got even better, he went to Heaven.)
* King Saul heard “The
Lord hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this
day, and
hath given it to a neighbor of thine”… when he ripped
Samuels
mantel 1
Sam. 15:28. Saul was given many years
to
implement this judgment, but he refused it.
Did you notice, that accepting God’s judgments as
best for your life, results in it being a blessing? Please
pay close attention to Job 40:6-8 “Then answered the Lord
unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said Gird up thy loins
now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto
me. Wilt thou disannul my judgment?
Wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be righteous”? To
disannul means to make of none effect, to do away with, or
to make void. God was saying to Job, will you make void my
judgment, (my perfect work) in your life? Will you make of
none effect, do away with (my perfect work), my judgments in
your life Psalms 19:9 adds a new understanding to judgments
“The fear of the Lord is clean enduring forever, the
judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether”.
Because they are “true and righteous altogether”. God has
never apologized to anyone. In fact, Ezra said that “our God
hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve” Ezra
9:13. Not only are “all of God’s ways Judgment”, they “are
true and righteous
all together”. Imagine that any judgment in my life is “less
than I deserve”, and “true and righteous all together”. We
should be praising God and giving thanks already.
Let’s go back and read the last part of Psalms
19:9 and continue reading thru verse10 “…the judgments of
the Lord are true and righteous altogether. (10 ) More to be
desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb”. What is more to
be desired than gold? “The judgments of
the Lord”. Can you imagine that? God wants us to desire His
judgments, because that is the way He purifies, or
sanctifies and blesses us.
Moses, Job, Samson and Joseph would tell you that
the judgments bestowed upon them by God were “More to be
desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold:
sweeter also than honey and the
honeycomb”. They were blessings from the heart of infinite
love. Notice, Joseph gave his brothers no credit for his
being in Egypt. Gen 45:4-8 “So now it was not you that sent
me here but God” Later Joseph told his brothers “But as for
you, ye thought evil against me , but God meant it for good,
to bring to pass, as it is this
day, to save much people alive” Gen 50:20.
Read Job 42:3. Job came to understand “things too
wonderful for me”, and in reality the work that God is doing
in our lives are “things too wonderful for me”. Psalms
119:75 says “ I know, O Lord, that thy judgments are right,
and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me”. God is
faithful and not willing to allow
any to perish. God wants to save us and He wants us to
rejoice in what He gives us, so He can take us home. “If we
confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our
sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John.
1:9. The forgiveness comes from Calvary, but the cleansing
comes from judgments. He is the refiner; His judgments burn
the dross, and impurities out of our lives.
If we do not let God do “His perfect work”, “His
judgments” we will be found “Having a form of godliness, but
denying the power thereof” 2 Tim. 3:5. So please “My
brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers
temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith
worketh patience. But let patience have her
perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting
nothing” Jam 1:2-4. “Beloved, think it not strange
concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though
some strange thing happened unto you” 1 Peter 4:12.
Remember “Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be
joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the
peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are
exercised thereby” Heb. 12:11.
Are you willing to be “exercised” by God’s
judgments”? This is eternal life no matter where you are
now. The early Christian church understood this message,
that is why the martyrs were able to go singing to the
stake. That is how Paul could go to his death with calmness,
because he knew that God was more concerned
with his eternal relationship. This life is but a shadow.
John 17:3 “And this is life eternal, that they might know
thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast
sent”.
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