Bend in the Road - Lesson 7 - Divine Ways

At the time I am preparing this message Jenna is on her way home.
I just wanted to document the time and the date.
Approximately 10 minutes after three in the afternoon.
Tuesday August 24, 2004.

Keep in mind one day sooner I had to hear these words
From the Lawyer that was appointed as her law guardian.
‘You better brace yourself for the fact that she may not come home.’

I had to ask the Lord to forgive me for doubting Him.
And it certainly ties into our lesson today on ‘Divine Ways.’

June of last year I had the chance to do a lesson for the Wednesday evening service.
It was on this same topic.
Apparently I needed to learn this lesson again.


Isaiah 45:7, ‘I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.’

He creates darkness?
He creates evil?
Why?

We can’t understand it.
What possible good could come from
Some of the tragedies we read about in the world.
Or the ones we have to suffer ourselves.

Job asked his wife, ‘…What? shall we receive good at the hand of God,
and shall we not receive evil? …’ (Job 2:10)

We acknowledge and certainly receive good at the hand of God,
How do we react when we receive evil?
Who do we turn to when we feel like giving up?

Comments…





C.S. Lewis was once asked,
“Why should the righteous suffer?”
He answered, replying,

“Why not? They’re the only ones that can handle it.”
We handle it because of God’s relationship with us.

Instead of blaming God for our sufferings,
We ought to recognize in them
God's righteousness and the just rewards.

Isaiah 55:8-9, ‘For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.’

What can we learn from these verses,
In terms of trying to understanding His divine ways?





We don’t always like walking on the straight and narrow.
We want to walk on the broad street.
We want to have the liberty to stray only so slightly.

Matthew 7:14, ‘Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.’

Few find it, is that why we feel so alone at times?





Once again divine ways,
We attempt to know God through His word.
Do we truly know Him?
Maybe we can only catch a glimpse of Him.


How much time do we actually spend trying to understand Him?
Or are we resting on the same old philosophies we learned when we first got saved.
Are we gradually learning a little more each day?

Right views of ourselves will lead us to feel our need of being taught of God,
and habitually to seek help from him.

Psalm 25:4, ‘Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.’

Are we prepared to pray this to the Lord?





As you know the world is just waiting for us to leave the path.
Even the world knows the straight path.

Psalm 27:11, ‘Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path, because of mine enemies.’

Enemies meaning ‘watchers for my fall.’
Is anyone watching for your fall?





A divided heart is a great curse and
scattered affections are a miserable plague.
When the heart is not at unity with itself,
the work of faith cannot go on.

Indecisiveness and division of our affections mar any work.
The heart must be one, that the work may be one.
If our heart is wanting, all is wrong.

Psalm 86:11, ‘Teach me thy way, O LORD; I will walk in thy truth: unite my heart to fear thy name.’

What do you have to say about this heart issue?





God is un searchable
We cannot follow His tracks by foot or eye.
He is alone in His glory, and His ways are hidden from us.

The way He accomplishes what He does and the means are often concealed,
When they need no concealing,
Because they are too vast and mysterious for our understanding.

Psalm 77:19, ‘Thy way is in the sea, and thy path in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known.’

The Lord parted the Red Sea for His chosen people.
He also parted the Jordan for His chosen people.

What will he do for us with our problems?





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