Leave the Secret Things to the Sovereignty of God

Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to 

present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy,  

To the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, 

dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.  

Jude 1:24-25

If we keep ourselves built up in faith in the love of God it makes the difficult times easier to handle because we know that despite bad times, we dwell in the shadow of the almighty.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  Psalms 91:1

As we know, God looks at our heart more than our actions.  

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.  Proverbs 4:23

Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart.  Psalms 26:2

When our heart is right; pure and clean, before God and we still experience power failure, those bad situations and negative circumstances are still present, what is the problem?    Before we answer that question, let's examine the word of God on that subject.

It is important to remember that God promises us peace in the midst of our circumstances. 

And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

How can we have peace in the midst of our circumstances?  When we understand God's word.  We may not understand the who, what and how of our circumstance, but we should understand that God is sovereign and always in complete control.  Also know according to the word of God that what occurs in the spiritual world has a profound impact in the natural world.  There are many accounts in the word of God that shows different individuals seemingly in an impossible situation.  Here are 3 such accounts:

• Hannah (1 Samuel 1:1-8) - All Hannah wanted was a child.  Little did she know that it was God who had shut her womb so that she could not bear a child.  To add insult to injury, she was goaded and demeaned by her counterpart for not being able to conceive.   She had no idea of God's will for her to birth Samuel. 

• Naomi (Ruth 1:1-22)  - Naomi had absolutely no control in the hand that God dealt her.  She started off with a husband and two sons and ended up with nothing but 2 daughter-in-laws.  She recognized that this was God's doing but did not understand God's will for Ruth and Boaz to meet.

• Joseph (Genesis 17:22:33)  - This young, happy-go-lucky, man had no idea what was in store for him as his brothers over-took him and threw him in a pit.  God's will for his life had not yet been revealed.  Joseph had no idea that he would one day be in position to save Israel from famine.

Of course, we can all look to the account of Job and the discussion that was held concerning him in the spiritual world that most definitely  impacted his life!

All of these individuals were good in the sight of God but they all were put in negative situations in order for God's will to be carried out.  If you read the accounts, you will see that they never lost their faith.  

Let's take a look a how this can be.  When a believer experiences spiritual power failure, our life should be prayerfully examined. When violations are discovered, these should be quickly corrected in order for the power of God to resume its unhindered flow.  

But what if all these areas are dealt with, such as Joseph, Hannah and Naomi and still there is no miracle, no breakthrough or no way out of the situation? What is the reason one person is delivered in answer to their prayer and another is not? Here are two biblical examples:

          > The same Peter who was prayed out of prison by believers was later martyred for

                the sake of the Gospel. Why didn't the same power that once opened prison bars 

                deliver him from this terrible death?

                St. Peter is believed to have died as a martyr for his faith. Although his death is not                  described in Scripture, numerous writers of the time (or shortly thereafter)             

                described his death as having occurred in Rome during the reign of the emperor    

                Nero in 64 CE. According to tradition, St. Peter was crucified upside down because 

                he felt unworthy to die in the same manner as Jesus Christ. ENCYCLOPÆDIA 

                BRITANNICA

        > There were many lepers in Israel at the time of Elijah, but only one was healed by 

               God.

               And many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet; and none of 

               them was cleansed , saving Naaman the Syrian.   Luke 4:27

We do not have the answers to such questions. If we had all the answers, if we had all the knowledge, then we would be as God. 

Even Job, in all that he went through recognized the sovereignty of God when he said: 

But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth , even that he doeth.   Job 23:13

We must always acknowledge the sovereignty of God in the area of spiritual power. We function in delegated power. It is effective power. It is dynamic power. But it is DELEGATED; that is, it is under the authority of another; namely the sovereign one, God.

For questions for which we cannot find answers, the Bible reveals that. . .  

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God; but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law. (Deuteronomy 29:29)

In some instances, God reveals why there is no miracle. In other cases, we will not be able to find the answer. There are secret things known only to God. We function in the realm of revelation, not sovereign knowledge. But do not let this hinder the demonstration of God's power in your life. Walk in what is revealed. Leave the unanswered questions, the secret things to the sovereignty of God.

God's power is manifested in death as well as life. It is manifested in that which is known and understood as well as in that which is not known. It is demonstrated in weakness as well as in strength.

Always know, even though we may not understand, that God has a plan for us - 

For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.  Jeremiah 29:11

 - and the working of His will is good, acceptable and perfect.

. . . that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.  Romans 12:2b

(Biblical Studies)

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