Consider God’s Works

“The works of the Lord are great, sought out of all them that have pleasure in them” ~ Ps. 111:2

                Often the Lord tells us to study his works, consider his works, and to remember them (Ps. 46:8; Isa. 41:20; Jer. 9:17; Phil. 2:13). Our God is living and active, speaking and working (Deut. 5:26; Acts 14:15). He knows all, sees all, has ordained whatsoever comes to pass, and is working all things according to the counsel of his own will (Acts 4:28; Eph. 1:11). His providential works are his “most holy, wise, and powerful preserving and governing of his all his creatures and all their actions” (Shorter Catechism #11).

                For example, in recent national events, we can clearly see God’s working to frustrate the counsels of God-hating men who rule in such a way as to eradicate God, his word, people, and worship, from public life and memory. The Lord has rebuked them, brought their purposes crashing down, and exposed their plans and folly. We should study this work of God, praise him for giving us reprieve from oppressive and deadly wickedness, and then improve this opportunity by standing against public evil, defending God’s law as the only righteous standard for men and nations, and calling upon men to repent and turn to Jesus Christ as the only Savior and King of the nations. “When God’s judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the earth learn righteousness” (Isa. 26:9).

                This verse connects God’s judgments to our learning righteousness. Bring this down to our lives: when we are rebuked by someone in authority over us, we are to change our ways and learn to practice righteousness. When the Lord chastens us for a sin, we must turn away from that sin and learn obedience. When we begin the day without seeking the Lord and committing our ways to him, then we are troubled and weak. Why is this? Our Savior desires communion with us, and we need him! He is calling us to seek him and never to undertake anything without submitting all our plans, ways, and heart to be ruled by him. This is one very common example of the way we study God’s works, take pleasure in them, and learn from them.

                We are to study our own lives and the Lord’s hand in them. He is never idle; his works are wonderful (Ps. 40:5; 86:8). Our birth and parentage, upbringing and education, callings and connections are all part of his working in our lives, the story he is telling. We are to study these and learn to see his wise, holy, and powerful hand guiding, protecting, developing, correcting, and moving all things in all our lives and all their lines of connection with other lives by his unceasing wheels of providence.

                Perhaps you have had a lifetime battle with discouragement. Why does the Lord do this? He wants you to hope in him, to trust him when you do not feel well, to take your tears to him. This will be your part of the song of heaven – I hoped in the Lord, and he heard my cries. He also knows that a problem-free life would be very bad for you, however attractive it may seem. You would not feel your own weakness as you should, cry to him as your Father, and learn to boast in his grace despite your weakness.

                Perhaps you lost a beloved spouse, parent, or friend early in life, or have struggled all your life financially, or find yourself in a dissatisfying marriage. Perhaps one particular sin has plagued your soul for as long as you can remember. Consider God’s works in you and do not doubt his handiwork. When the flesh shouts at you to escape your circumstances, to blame God, to close your heart to him, remember he has brought your specific troubles to humble your heart, chasten your sins, and lead you to trust him, like our Savior did. We must learn to reverence the Lord’s hand in all his works, whether we call them “good” or “bad.” They are all good in his children, even those that are presently tearful and painful, for they are working for us “an eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor. 4:17).

                Yes, but we crave relief now. All the influencers promise us that we shall be as pretty, rich, happy, and smart as they are. This is not God’s best but hell’s substitute. Relief now means we stop crying, stop being lowly before the Lord, stop learning patience through trials, and stop being made like our Savior. How horrible for the Lord to stop testing and working in us in his way. To ask him to do so is to ask him to stop being your Father, to treat us like worldlings and heirs of hell, who receive all their good things in this life (Luke 16:25). Do we want him to leave us alone and stop working in us? If he stops working in us, the soul dries up and dies. Be careful what you ask for. Be careful that you regard God’s works of chastening, sorrow, and sanctification. Trust that his working is better and wiser than our present comfort. He is working our everlasting joy.

                In all God’s working in us, we should remember this: “It is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure” (Phil. 2:13). He is shaping us to be his beautiful, new creation in Christ. God’s working in us does not mean we are passive. He is working in us so that we will to please him. He changes our desires away from sin and toward him. He works in us efficaciously by his grace so that we are enabled to do his good pleasure. Believe, would you be more joyful this week? Ask God to do more of this work in you, not less.

Then, instead of the unrest that comes to us when we work against his working, we can have the peace that comes when we submit to his working in us and work with him. Too often we work against him – against his loving and wise purposes, to do our own thing, fighting against his word, or a doctrine we cannot understand, or an unpleasant circumstance or season we hate. Stand in awe of God’s working hand in your life. Respect God’s love in his working. He knows what is best for us, and he will never do any work in us that is not an expression of “God is love.” We will not understand this now, but if we will trust him and strive to make our ways pleasing to him, we are working with him. This is one of God’s most glorious works – the new creation made from a sinner, a child of the devil becoming his submissive and trusting child.