After – not only paying in full the unspeakable cost for our redemption – He gave us high and holy privileges.
The Lord of peace Himself (2 Thessalonians 3:16 Amplified) grant you the peace of His kingdom at all times and in all ways under all circumstances and conditions whatever comes.
Right now, I can hear somebody say – if you knew my circumstances you would not mention peace in the same breath. God is supposed to answer prayer but I’ve prayed and prayed and my situation never changes.
Now let’s build our case to reveal how that person has allowed his wrong focus or Satan to twist his thinking.
(Romans 8:28) – God works in all things. We know that this is for God’s purpose to conform us to the image of His beloved Son. But just for now leave aside the reason and concentrate on those 5 words. Do they mean some things – a few things – most things – some little thing once in a while?
When God says all things, He means ALL THINGS. Do you see the tremendous significance of that? Because God works in all things, it means that He ordains every circumstance in my life and nothing happens to me by chance. Stress and worry are total strangers to a life in which God controls every detail. Everything that happens in my life comes to me from God’s loving hand and is based on His (Ephesians 3:17-19) unconditional love, so that I will know Him better.
Jesus makes (Hebrews 7:25) intercession for me and the Holy Spirit (Romans 8:26-27) prays in me. He reveals (1 Corinthians 2: 10) the deep, profound, bottomless things of God as He continues to teach me. The power of my prayers doesn’t come from me but from the Holy Spirit, Who needs my conscious life to be His shrine to intercede on my behalf and far beyond.
How does God use and control my circumstances? By making them His instruments (2 Corinthians 3:18) to lift me to higher plains of glory on the road to full restoration of the Divine Image. As I go through the common sense of ordinary days in ordinary ways among ordinary people –I need to be always mindful that. – OSWALD CHAMBERS – “BY God’s providence He has put me among these people to bring them before the throne of God and give the Holy Spirit in me a chance in me to intercede for them. In this way God is going to sweep the whole world with His saints.”
I’m thrilled to think about what could happen as I pray for anybody – anything – anywhere in the world as the Holy Spirit Himself prays in me. BUT - - Jesus said (Matthew 21:12-13) My temple is to be a house of prayer and you have defiled the temple. My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19) and the throne where He makes intercession for those I meet in my God-ordained circumstances – prayer which I cannot utter.
OSWALD CHAMBERS – “Our conscious life is only a tiny bit of our personality and is to be regarded by us as the shrine of the Holy Spirit. He will look after the unconscious part that we know nothing of, but we must see that we guard the conscious part for which we are responsible”.
If you are in really painful – really scary circumstances, use them as an impetus to pray for others including the persecuted church. Remember – Job was healed (Job 42:10) when he prayed not for himself but for his friends. (I always thought they were poor excuses as friends but God wasn’t finished with them then – just as He’s not finished with me now).
Think about this - - Paul wrote the JOY BOOK while chained in prison and the word JOY or REJOICE occurs 16 times in Philippians.
Now we can understand what Oswald Chambers meant by “the undetected sacredness of circumstances.” Some time ago this thought came into my mind - - In this fallen world I cannot have roses without thorns but if I am a complainer – I can have thorns without roses.
Now to a brief overview of God’s promises which are as true as God Himself (Numbers 23:19, Romans 3:3-4) is true. Take note that the promise I started with is based on (2 Thessalonians 2:15) – Stand firm and hold fast. We must remember that some of God’s promises are totally unconditional – such as (Genesis 8:22) as long as the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, summer and winter, day and night shall not cease. Some of God’s promises are warnings against consequences (Ezekiel 18:4) the soul that sins, he shall die.
Some of God’s promises are conditional (John 15:7) Ask whatsoever you will and it shall be granted IF you abide in Me and My words abide in you. IF I regard iniquity in my heart (Psalms 66:18) the Lord will not hear me.
There are many more verses to confirm these principles. It is foolish and dangerous to presume on God’s grace-filled promises if we are not meeting His conditions.
All the many promises of God (2 Corinthians 1:20) have the YES answer in Christ by His love and power. By our obedience we put the AMEN to His promise.
I am filled with wonder as my realization grows regarding how much and how highly God values redeemed sinners. After – not only paying in full the unspeakable cost for our redemption – He gave us high and holy privileges.
We converse freely with the Sovereign Creator of the universe and call Him Father in loving relationship. We have growing deepening intimacy with our incarnate Lord Jesus. Almighty God the Holy Spirit is our loving patient one-on-one Teacher. Our bodies are not only the temples of the Living God – not only the temples of the Holy Spirit – but also the shrine where the Holy Spirit prays in us on our behalf for others – and there’s more! With full confidence we are looking forward to our complete restoration to the perfection of eternal beauty.
Blessing, honour, glory, majesty power, might and dominion and praise be to Him Who sits on the throne and to the Lamb Who was slain forever and forever.