Just this past Sunday, during our Sunday school class in church, somebody asked a question that seemed to suggest that God is not often fair and someone else rushed to God's defense almost immediately, trying so hard to explain God and His ways. The truth is God is always just and righteous. I don't know about fairness particularly as men count fairness because I have found that man's interpretation of what is fair is very subjective. My point today though, is that we must realize that there are still things we can never fully explain about God and His ways. The bible says His ways are unsearchable. If you can explain everything God does, then you are God and the truth is you, you are not God.
If you are one of those people who take delight in questioning God's every act, you will end up a very miserable and frustrated person because some things He does will never make sense to us. They are a product of the thinking of a God whose thoughts are so far from ours. So far the bible says, as the heavens are from the earth. We can only know and understand the thoughts that are revealed to us through the Holy Spirit. No wonder God sometimes appears not to make sense but that is because our minds are too small to comprehend the magnitude of His thinking. Have you ever experienced a delay whilst waiting on God to bring His word to pass in your life and you have done all you know to do and yet, no answer? Interestingly, this is when everyone tries to explain why God has not answered but sometimes they speak in ignorance feeling the need to explain a God who does not need anyone to explain Him.
Isaiah 55: 8 & 9“My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts."
I was thinking about Elizabeth and Zacharias who had no children until they were very old. In fact, they had been praying for years before they finally heard from God. Even the bible describes them as old by the time the angel showed up to announce that their prayers had been answered. I know that God must have had a purpose in keeping them waiting but I wish I understood it. I have heard people say it was because they were going to give birth to John the Baptist but I find that funny because who says they could not have had other children before John? There was no prophecy that said John would be the first or only child of his parents. I must admit though that I thank God for this story because it encourages me. It tells me that you could be pleasing God and yet your entire life may not go as you would prefer for it to. It also tells me that at the end of the day those that trust in The Lord shall not be put to shame.
Isaiah 50: 7 "Because the Sovereign Lord helps me, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like a stone, determined to do his will. And I know that I will not be put to shame."
If anyone was confused about the way God perceived this couple, the fact that God entrusted John, the forerunner of Jesus, into their hands should tell us that He regarded them highly. John was so special that as the angel told them about him, he also gave clear instructions as to how he should be brought up and what he should be called. Clearly, Zacharias and Elizabeth were also highly favored for them to have been chosen by God to parent John but God's favor tested them. His favor takes us through paths we sometimes do not understand; paths that cause other men to wonder what is going on in our lives and make people wonder if God is truly for you when indeed He is. Thank God for these two who did not stop praying. Don't let anyone deceive you, God does not get angry because you prayed about it more than once. You have to keep asking until you get it or the Holy Spirit tells you to stop.
Luke 1: 18-20 "Zechariah said to the angel, “How can I be sure this will happen? I’m an old man now, and my wife is also well along in years.” Then the angel said, “I am Gabriel! I stand in the very presence of God. It was he who sent me to bring you this good news! But now, since you didn’t believe what I said, you will be silent and unable to speak until the child is born. For my words will certainly be fulfilled at the proper time.”
Let me close by observing that I find it amazing that when the angel worried about Zacharias possible unbelief, all he did was shut his mouth. I wondered why he did not leave him in a coma because then his mind would be completely inactive so his faith would not be negatively impacted. would not even have cause doubt so that unbelief would not ruin his miracle. I dare to suggest that the words we speak from a doubting heart can impact our miracles greatly so it was necessary to make him dumb. God sent Gabriel all the way down to earth to tell Zacharias that it was time for the manifestation of answer to His prayer and even told him about the child indicating that heaven was ready with the miracle but just so that Zacharias would not ruin it, his mouth had to be shut. One may have thought, if heaven was so ready to answer would the words of Zacharias have stopped the manifestation, obviously it could have if he had to be stopped from talking. Please watch those words.
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