God works in mysterious ways, His wonders to perform.
No doubt the working of God in our world is mysterious. However, the Scripture gives us some revelation into the mystery of the way God works. Let’s note some things we discover about God’s working from the Bible:
1. God is at work.
“But Jesus answered them, My Father has worked [even] until now, [He has never ceased working; He is still working] and I, too, must be at [divine] work.” - John 5:17 (Amplified)
Notice that our focus in life is to be on God. Our desire must be to discover where He is at work and join Him there. That is why I think it is appropriate that as we think today about the way God works, we are looking to a passage that speaks of prayer.
You see, if God is going to be able to communicate to me, I must take the time to commune with Him.
What Jesus describes here is a life-style of total dependence on God:
“Keep on asking and it will be given you; keep on seeking and you will find; keep on knocking [reverently] and [the door] will be opened to you. For everyone who keeps on asking receives; and he who keeps on seeking finds; and to him who keeps on knocking, [the door] will be opened.” - Matthew 7:7-8 (Amplified)
Jesus is describing a life-style of dependence on God, of communing with God so that we might know His guidance and direction in life. If you are going to discover how God works and make sure you are living your life “under the spout where the glory is pouring out,” you must have an absolute dependence on God. You must determine that there is no better way to live than to live in absolute dependence on Him.
“To that they said, ‘Well, what do we do then to get in on God’s works?’
Jesus said, ‘Throw your lot in with the One that God has sent. That kind of a commitment gets you in on God’s works.’” - John 6:28-29 (The Message)
2. God is at work to fulfill His purposes.
God’s work is always purposeful. All things are for His honor and glory. Therefore, in seeking things from the Lord, we must always ask within the context of desiring His will above all else.
The Bible reveals that there are basically five purposes that God is working out in our world today. God works . . .
A. To draw unbelievers into His kingdom (Evangelism).
B. To lead His people into greater intimacy with Himself (Worship).
C. To bring His people into greater intimacy with one another (Fellowship).
D. To develop Christ-like character in His people (Discipleship).
E. To send His people out to serve others in His name (Ministry).
The working of God in our world is tied to these purposes. Until I understand this, I will not be in a position to discern how God works or understand where He is working. This brings up a second important principle I must understand if I am to recognize where God is working and how He wants to involve me:
If I am going to know God’s direction, I must be willing to do what He says.
This was the point Jesus was making in the verse right before our text:
“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.” - Matthew 7:6 (NIV)
God will not entrust you with His pearls of revelation if you are only going to disobey Him. He has more important things to do than to waste His revelation on a disobedient people. The only way I will live a purposeful life is to live it in surrender to God’s purposes for my life! You will only live a life that truly counts, if God can truly count on you!
It has been said that for some Christians, their relationship with God is like a SPARE TIRE (used only in the case of an emergency). For others, it is like a WHEELBARROW (they must be pushed and are easily upset). Still for others, it is like a BUS (ridden only when it goes your way). How do you view your relationship with God?
Some think that God exists to serve their purposes! In reality, we exist to serve His purposes!
This brings us to a third thing the Bible tells us about God’s working.
3. God is at work to fulfill His purposes through His people.
“He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does,
the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” - Ephesians 2:10 (The Message)
In his book, "The Purpose Driven Life," Rick Warren speaks of the ways in which many people (including Christians) go about living. Some are driven by guilt; some are driven by anger; some are driven by fear; some are driven by materialism; and still others are driven by the need for approval.
But the life God desires for us is one that is driven to have His purposes for us fulfilled - a Purpose Driven Life. When I live my life surrendered to God’s purposes, my life will have meaning; my life will be simplified; my life will be focused; my life will be energized; and my life will count for eternity.
What a contrast! If I am surrendered to allowing God to work our His purposes through my life, then I can be mightily blessed by God and used by God!
When you say that God can do nothing significant through you, you are saying more about your belief in God than you have said about yourself!
“Now glory be to God! By his mighty power at work within us, he is able to accomplish infinitely more than we would ever dare to ask or hope.” - Ephesians 3:20 (NLT)
This brings us to fourth thing we can know about the way God works.
4. God is at work to fulfill His purposes through His people by means of His provision.
“He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:24 (ESV)
“For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need.” - Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19 (KJV)
Where God guides, He provides!
How do we discover God’s resources that will enable us to accomplish the work He calls us to join Him in? (REREAD TEXT)
A. Sometimes, it’s a matter of receiving – “ask and it will be given”
Sometimes, God miraculously provides whatever you need in order to partner with Him in His work.
B. Sometimes, it’s a matter of perceiving – “seek and you will find”
Sometimes, God will show you how what you need to partner with Him in His work is already there. You simply need to make an adjustment in your lifestyle to free up His provision.
8 Biblical Ways to Stretch Your Money
By Brian Kluth, pastor, national & international financial speaker, author & radio commentator.
By actively applying these principles, "little can become much, when God is in it."
#1 Always honor God by returning the FIRST PORTION of any resources you receive back to the Lord. Proverbs 3:9,10, Haggai 1:4-11, Deuteronomy 14:23
#2 Develop with your spouse an annual REALISTIC working budget that you carefully monitor and follow. Proverbs 27:23, 22:3
#3 Adjust your lifestyle to live within the means God has currently provided for you. Ecclesiastes 5:10, Luke 3:14,1 Timothy 6:8-12
#4 Commit to seeking the Lord’s provision instead of using credit or debt to buy things that aren’t in your annual working budget. Accelerate payments on any debt you are currently carrying. James 4:13-16, Proverbs 22:7,27, Luke 12:15
#5 Make a written list of any new or major items you feel you need or want to purchase. Commit to praying about the item(s) for 30 days. Ask God to direct you to His provision or His direction concerning each purchase. I Peter 5:7, Philippians 4:19, Proverbs 13:22, Ecclesiastes 2:26, Job 27:16,17
#6 Discuss and consider 3 creative alternatives (options) to meet any needs you face. Proverbs 24:4,5
#7 Only make expenditures that both you and your spouse agree upon. Psalm 133:1, 1 Peter 3:7, Philippians 2:2
#8 Actively "de-accumulate" (sell, give away, or throw out) unneeded, unused or unprofitable possessions. Matthew 6:20
C. Sometimes, it’s a matter of achieving – “knock and the door will be opened”
Sometimes, the provision does not present itself until we take the steps to obey. Sometimes, you need to take a new step in your obedience to God – go back to school, take that new job, work that extra job, sell the house, start that new business, etc. like Peter, who used his skill as a fisherman to discover God’s provision for the disciples and Jesus to pay the temple tax (Matthew 17:17), sometimes God calls on us to use skills and opportunities we already have to bring His provision into our lives.
Conclusion:
When we settle our commitment to allowing God work out His purpose through our lives, we will know His direction as we commune with Him, and as we obey, we will discover His provision.
In the process, we also discover who we are as the children of God - we are children of the King!
THE RICH FAMILY IN CHURCH by Eddie Ogan
I’ll never forget Easter 1946.1 was 14, my little sister Ocy was 12, and my older sister Darlene 16. We lived at home with our mother, and the four of us knew what it was to do without many things. My dad had died five years before, leaving Mom with seven school kids to raise and no money. By 1946 my older sis¬ters were married and my brothers had left home.
A month before Easter the pastor of our church announced that a special Easter offering would be taken to help a poor family. He asked everyone to save and give sacrificially. When we got home, we talked about what we could do. We decided to buy 50 pounds of potatoes and live on them for a month. This would al¬low us to save $20 of our grocery money for the offering. We thought that if we kept our electric lights turned out as much as possible and didn’t listen to the radio, we’d save money on that month’s electric bill. Darlene got as many house and yard clean¬ing jobs as possible, and both of us babysat for everyone we could. For 15 cents we could buy enough cotton loops to make three pot holders to sell for $1. We made $20 on pot holders. That month was one of the best of our lives.
Every day we counted the money to see how much we had saved. At night we’d sit hi the dark and talk about how the poor family was going to enjoy having the money the church would give them. We had about 80 people in church, so we figured that whatever amount of money we had to give, the offering would surely be 20 times that much. After all, every Sunday the pastor had re¬minded everyone to save for the sacrificial offering.
The day before Easter, Ocy and I walked to the grocery store and got the manager to give us three crisp $20 bills and one $10 bill for all our change. We ran all the way home to show Mom and Darlene. We had never had so much money before. That night we were so excited we could hardly sleep. We didn’t care that we wouldn’t have new clothes for Easter; we had $70 for the sacrifi¬cial offering.
We could hardly wait to get to church! When the sacrificial offer¬ing was taken, we were sitting on the second row from the front.
Mom put in the $10 bill, and each of us kids put in a $20. As we walked home after church, we sang all the way.
Late that afternoon the minister drove up in his car. Mom went to the door, talked with him for a moment, and then came back with an envelope in her hand. We asked what it was, but she didn’t say a word. She opened the envelope and out fell a bunch of money. There were three crisp $20 bills, one $10 and seventeen $1 bills. Mom put the money back in the envelope. We didn’t talk, just sat and stared at the floor. We had gone from feeling like million¬aires to feeling like poor white trash. I knew we didn’t have a lot of things that other people had, but I’d never thought we were poor. That Easter day I found out we were. The minister had brought us the money for the poor family, so we must be poor. I didn’t like being poor. I looked at my dress and worn-out shoes and felt so ashamed--! didn’t even want to go back to church. We sat in silence for a long time. Then it got dark, and we went to bed. All that week, we girls went to school and came home, and no one talked much. Finally on Saturday, Mom asked us what we wanted to do with the money. What did poor people do with money? We didn’t know. We’d never known we were poor.
We didn’t want to go to church on Sunday, but Mom said we had to. At church we had a missionary speaker. He talked about how churches in Africa made buildings out of sun dried bricks, but they needed money to buy roofs. He said $100 would put a roof on a church. The minister said, "Can’t we all sacrifice to help these poor people?" We looked at each other and smiled for the first time in a week. Mom reached into her purse and pulled out the envelope. She passed it to Darlene. Darlene gave it to me, and I handed it to Ocy. Ocy put it in the offering. When the offering was counted, the minister announced that it was a little over $100. The missionary was excited. He hadn’t expected such a large offering from our small church. He said, "You must have some rich people in this church." Suddenly it struck us! We had given $87 of that "little over $100." We were the rich family in the church! Hadn’t the missionary said so? From that day on I’ve never been poor again. I’ve always remembered how rich I am because I have Jesus!
“And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work. You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.” - 2 Corinthians 8:9, 11 (NIV)
