You Will Know That God Is Lord

Have you ever had one of those weeks when you spent more time praying than you have in a long time? You spent time talking to God about all the normal requests, but circumstances around you - and other people’s needs - brought you to your knees more often?

That’s what last week looked like for me. I was praying about a difficult relationship, specific needs in our youth group and several health problems within our church body. Being in a constant attitude of prayer took on a whole new meaning.

On days like these, it’s easy to question God’s plan and timing. Everything seemed to happen all at once, and in many cases praying was the only thing I could do about them. I know we often say prayer is the least we can do, but it is also the greatest we can do.

It’s definitely ok to question God, as long as it’s not a fist-shaking, foot-stomping demand to know what He is thinking. We have so many examples in Scripture of people taking their questions to God in a humble way and receiving an explanation of His heart. This is the same compassionate God who is in control of your situations today.

While I was wrestling with understanding why He would have so many difficult and at times emergency circumstances happen all at once, I was reading and studying in Ezekiel for our devotion here this week. That’s when this unassuming passage of Scripture jumped out at me as though it was written for just such an occasion.

Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divination: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye shall know that I am the LORD. Ezekiel 13:23

The context of the verse is that there were evil, manipulative prophets among the people who lied about having visions and prophecies. God told Ezekiel that they would be punished above and beyond anything they had seen before because they were leading His people astray for their own reputations. That never ends well.

But it is the last few words of that verse that made all the people and issues I was praying about make sense. Everything God was doing in my life and lives of those around me was so we could know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He is Lord. The healing of illness was by His grace. The safe travels was His mercy. The renewing of a relationship was His compassion. It wasn’t about the resolution of problems, but watching God work in amazing ways.

My prayer this week is that we will take our eyes off our circumstances and put them on the God who already knows what they are. We will face nothing this week that hasn’t already gone through the filtering hands of the Lord. That gives us peace and joy, but it also reminds us that others will see Him work, too. And they will know that above all else, He is Lord!

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