May 28, 2016 WWJWMTD by Steve the son of John

Ouch! #2

The Politics of God; Finding God’s Will

As I mentioned in the first article, Ouch Politics: then, now, & tomorrow, (which you can find in my blog, wwjwmtd.com), I stated:

We think that if all is going well God is pleased with us and we are within His will. Rarely is this the case. “The Kingdom of God suffers violence and the violent takes it by force.” There is a battle for the will of God to be done on earth, either collectively or individually.

Christians struggle in defining or discovering what’s God will is for themselves or others. It does not need to be so complicated, but it must contain some common attributes that Scriptures have defined for us all. Let’s consider Proverbs—it is a book full of wisdom. Scholars and many believers think that ‘fear’ is: noun—an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain; or verb—a threat or be afraid of (someone or something) as likely to be dangerous, painful, or threatening. However, the ‘fear of the Lord’ has nothing to do with either of these definitions.

Rather, the fear of the Lord has everything to do with what God wants to do. When you want to do what God wants to do you can connect to God’s will. God’s will requires decisions on your part that leads to realizing God’s purposes.

So often we do not want what God wants. We do not like the outcomes nor does God’s actions seem rational to us. We dismiss God’s plans and focus rather on our wellbeing. The Book of Job is a great example of a man struggling to agree with God. God says one thing but Job replies, “I did nothing wrong!” Job did not agree with God nor did he believe God was fair to him.

Job lost his children, all his income/possessions, and his health. His wife left him and his friends criticized him. Job became a pawn in the hands of Satan, and God allowed all this evil to happen to him. Job wanted to know why, and believed he did nothing to deserve all of this. He decided to enter into a debate with God. When God finally came face to face with Job, God said to Job, “Come-on Job answer me”, but Job said “I rather be silent.”

This is the bottom line regarding the ‘fear of the Lord and God’s will’. Whatever God decides to do—it is always right and just—no matter what! God said to Job, “Who made you my counselor? How can you ever know what is righteous and just?”

God’s ways are not our ways. It is hard to comprehend why God does what He does. Not everything that appears good comes from God and not all hard times come from God. To know and understand the difference is wisdom and the fear of the Lord. The Kingdom of God is righteousness, joy and peace in the Holy Spirit. It was not joyful for Jesus to be crucified and suffer what God had planned for His Son, but the Bible said, “that because of the joy set before Him (Jesus), He endured the cross and despised the shame.” Job did not understand this wisdom till the very end of the Book of Job.

Are we willing to endure our cross and despise the shame and rejection of others? Are we willing to experience all God’s will for our lives? Do we have the fear and knowledge that comes solely from God? Are you able to find His wisdom for your life? Can you say, “I fear the Lord?” Can you say, “No matter what you do Lord or ask of me, it is always right, just and fair?” Are you willing to experience the purposes of God in your generation? Are you willing to accept the politics of God?

WWJWMTD

Dr. Steven J. Wentland www.wwjwmtd.com

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