Here is the revelation that is shaping my life today…
You’ve allowed our enemies to prevail against us. We’ve passed through fire and flood, yet in the end you always bring us out better than we were before, saturated with your goodness.
Observation
God allows evil!! “You’ve allowed our enemies to prevail against us”.
He allows my evil, your evil against me, it would not exist if He did not allowed it. That is what happens when you value love above all else: you allow people freedom, for love demands freedom, and freedom gets exercised, and evil gets chosen!
God is all powerful but the greatest display of power is restraint. God withholds his power to enable my freedom, and that is where evil finds its place. In actual fact God can’t not give me freedom, for if He is love, and love demands freedom, then for God to be God – I must have freedom.
When, in my freedom, I choose to keep God’s presence at bay then evil fills the void. When I live in a world that keeps the presence and ways of God distant then evil fills the void. God allows this to happen, for to not would be to take away our freedom and destroy love.
How often have I blamed God for the presence of evil? I kick and I scream, “why do you allow this to happen”. How often do I choose to walk out on God because of the presence of evil? What I don’t realise, see, or understand, is that I don’t just walk out on God, but what I walk into. I don’t walk into a void, I walk into the arms of evil and invite him to shape my story. You see there is no Switzerland, there is no neutral territory. I blame God for the evil I hate and then I push Him away in favour of the arms of the evil I hate. In my frustration and despair of not being able to answer the unanswerable question – “why God did you not stop this happening to me when you have in the lives of others,” I choose to further the cause of the one I want stopped.
When I blame God for evil it is a complaint against the gift of freedom, the very thing that enables love, the very thing I want more of. I must come awake to the fact that because He loves me so deeply He gives me the freedom, and with freedom comes the release of evil. I see the problem – I don’t want to be responsible for my freedom, yet I also want to be loved. Anyone hearing ‘cake and eat it too?’
Let’s not forget that He always enables me to walk through the fire and flood of evil. I am not separated from the presence of God in the midst of evil – “in the end you always bring us out better than we were before, saturated with your goodness”. What an amazing promise. If I exercise my freedom in the flood and fire to walk in the presence and power of God then I will walk out of evils attack with my hands full of blessings, “saturated with your goodness.”
If only I would see clearly what’s happening and be mature and responsible with my freedom in the fire and flood.
Application
Be alert and stand strong in my truth. Don’t be surprised by the fire and floods of evil, expect this to happen in a world of brokenness that denies its need for God. Expect to walk through the fire and flood, have my hands ready to be filled with his goodness, even when it would look like, feels like, my enemy will prevail. It’s never over till the majesty of God sings.
Thank you for freedom. Thank you for love. These are two of the greatest gifts you have placed upon mankind. Thank you that you never walk away from the restraint of your power to enable my freedom, when you could step in and squash the evil I choose, you stand back and allow me to make bad choices, what a gift. Thank you that you overcome evil when I walk with you through it, thank you that you saturate me with your goodness as I experience your power in the midst of the fire and the flood.
Response
Sorry for all my complaints, my continual complaints about evil and it’s presence. Thank you that you don’t just turn your back and walk out on me. Sorry for all the times I have blamed you for evil, when I have complained about the fire and flood. I blame you when I am too lazy to take up the responsibility of my freedom and choose you. Sorry that I treat you like my servant God who jumps when I click my fingers, instead of majestic, creator, all powerful King. I am amazed at the things I do, the ridiculous ways I treat you, the amazing things I say to you. I will still my tongue of complaints and release my tongue of praise. Thank you for your kindness and faithfulness, I am a blessed man!
Meditation
Spend some time meditating on the all powerful, creator king who is with you in the midst of evil.
JOURNEY DEEPER
Greig
great, I loved it too