God Always Prepares Us for Eternity
Of all the appellations directed to God there is one that I love most and I think that is the most appropriate attribute for him – God, Our Father!
You may be wondering – what is the correlation between our topic and the attribute – God, Our Father – mentioned above? You would find out as you tag along.
Where is ‘the God of Now’? Where is that God who answers even before I pray? ‘The God of Now’ that “Every Modern Christian” claims or desires to worship; Does he really exist? Or is he the product of human imaginations, failings or curse. “The God of now” is an attribute given to God in a bid to elicit immediate action or answer to our expected and desired request. When we call on ‘the God of now’ it suggests that we are in control and we only have to wish/pray and the universe is immediately reordered to soothe our ordinate and inordinate desires.
This appellation that attempts to provoke instantaneous responses from God is a confused product of human failings because we have failed to acknowledge God as God. Firstly, God is not a man, nor an errand spirit nor a servant – He is your creator and the creator of the whole universe and of all that is in it; He does not do your bidding nor is He at your beck and call, so why do you think you can wish him unto immediate response?
Secondly, many Christians have failed to realise that God has a divine plan for us all. They also fail to accept God’s divine plan or realise that it supersedes our plans; and that his ways supersedes our ways. Hence, we have Christians who with zest, pray and fast pursue personal plans and forget God’s divine plan. They simply fail to put God first. Remember – “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” Matthew 6:10 or have you forgotten the lesson Jesus taught us in Mark 14:36 – “He said, ‘Abba, Father, for you all things are possible; remove this cup from me: yet, not what I want but what you want.” Do you seek and surrender to the plan of God concerning any situation you face?
Another point raised is that it might just be a curse of the ‘Modern Christian’. How are we cursed? Man is perturbed by the limitations of time; by the brevity of his existence; and by the desire for immediate apprehension and manifestation of events. Man craves to control the future – now; forgetting that we must live one day at a time. Unfortunately, the infinite God determines the length of days of man. The curse is: that strong desire to wish for the future – today; because of the limitations we have as humans.
Again, we can ascertain that God basks in eternity, because God is God, yesterday, today and forever. Therefore the curse we bear is that man desires helplessly and impatiently to satisfy the here and now because the future is beyond his control. Hence, we are often myopic in our plans, thoughts and prayers.
We must Know that…
We must know that God’s desire to answer our prayers is very compelling but he does it in his time because in his time he makes all things beautiful. This is so because God doesn’t consider you alone in your prayer but the thousands around you, which your prayer, desire and wish would affect. God considers the present desire, the future aspirations and the circumstances that would prevail at the right time according to his divine plan. Now you know that any time you pray, it is important you seek to pray according to God’s plan for you.
Any idea on how God’s divine plan is realised…
I would not pretend that I have a foreknowledge or the full picture of what God’s divine plans are; it’s above my pay-grade oh. However, God sometimes reveals and explains the reason for his actions as they unfold. An example can be seen in Exodus 13: 17-18; 14: 1-7; Nevertheless, the Holy Bible provides us with copious examples of God’s divine plan displayed in key biblical characters. Let us look at the stories of three great biblical characters.
Abraham – Our Father in Faith – Genesis Chapters 12 – 25
Jesus explained that with faith we can move mountains, (Matthew 17:20). Yes, but has your faith ever been tested? Faith is a vital ingredient for prayers to be answered and Abraham was marked as a man of Faith (Hebrew 11). Abraham worked with God. He waited for his son of inheritance – Isaac, for 25 years. In fact, in Genesis he asked God – you wish to bless me but I have no heir to inherit the blessing – then God revealed to Abraham the events of his fourth generation and beyond (Genesis 15:1-14 & Exodus 6: 2-6) So Abraham waited for God’s time. In God’s time Sarah gave birth to Isaac (Gen. 21:1-5). Is your faith greater than that of Abraham’s? We must learn to wait for God’s time and plug into God’s plan.
David – the King of Israel – 1Samuel chapter 16 – 31, 2 Samuel, 1 Kings Chapter 1 – 2
At the time of David’s anointing as King, he was just a young man (1 Samuel 16:12), or better still a boy (1 Samuel 17:33, 42); while Saul was already the King of Israel. Of course, for David to be King, King Saul had to either give up the throne or die. The story goes that it took David many years before he ascended the throne. You would also recall that David had 2 opportunities to kill Saul and become King but NO! Even in his situation as a refugee and going through hard times in the wilderness because he had to save his life; he still waited for God’s time.
Joseph – The Dreamer and Prime Minister of Egypt – Genesis 37 – 50
Do you get excited when you receive revelations about God’s plan for you? Or you are tickled when you hear a prophecy or revelation? Or you are overjoyed when you dream about a great future? Well, you are not alone; and how your situation turns out depends on if you are ready to hold on to God till the end. Joseph dreamt that he would attain some dignifying status in the future (Genesis 37: 5-11) but the events that ensued pointed in the opposite direction. In fact, he escaped death (Genesis 37: 18-28), became a slave (Genesis 37:39), then a prisoner in a foreign land (Genesis 39: 19-20). Imagine you were Joseph – what would be your thoughts towards God considering the unpleasant turn of events; how would you pray? And what would your prayers be? Especially when you had been unjustly punished by persons whom you trusted; or framed for a crime you didn’t commit? It took Joseph 13 years before the “God of Now” answered him – before he was free from slavery and prison. Genesis 37:2 & Genesis 41:46.
Or do we say that our definition of ‘Now’ is different from God’s? Or can we apply that scriptural reference where a thousand years is just a moment in God’s sight to this case (Psalm 90:4, 2 Peter 3:8). Obviously, it is folly to fully explain heavenly things with earthly description. Remember – His ways are not our ways, period!
From the stories cited above and many other biblical stories not cited here, you would realise that when God is interested in you he doesn’t engage in quick-fix solutions. God is not a magician – He is God, Our Father; who provides for us perfect answers at the perfect time, if only we learn to ask according to his will.
God doesn’t change your situation alone, he changes you…
God doesn’t change your situation alone, he changes you – God prepares you for the full haul and prepares you for eternity. God knows what is best for now and for the future. He caters for you now and prepares for your future. No wonder in Genesis 15 – God revealed to Abraham what his descendants would experience. This is revealed as Joseph goes to Egypt (Genesis 37:28) and the Israelites take possession of a part of Egypt (Genesis 47:1-12) and also, when they are freed from slavery in Exodus 12: 31-42). God is the Alpha and Omega and knows the end from the beginning.
God’s will to re-establish a relationship with man after the Great Flood began with Abraham. In Abraham, God saw a man who trusted him and promised to make his descendants (the Israelites) an example to all nations. So through one man – Abraham, a nation is born; a people are called unto God to know him and serve as an example to other nations of the earth – to follow God. Through this nation, God reveals himself to the whole world. Hence, God changes Abraham’s situation to meet a divine plan. So also, Abraham’s prayers are answered in line with the divine plan. The question I ask myself… Am I part of God’s divine plan?
The timing of a revelation or a solution is ultimately in God’s hands…
Sometimes I ask – why did God anoint David at a tender age, or reveal Joseph’s future to him at such a young age. Were they ready for the information? What effect did this have in their destiny? Would they have been able to add to the plan?
Let’s take a cursory look at various professions. If you desire to take up any profession, you prepare yourself; engage in the necessary study that would help you achieve the dream. Your mind-set is gradually framed in line with the dream or future aspiration. Can this be similar with what God wishes to achieve with us? David was gradually groomed to become a leader and as usual, God does not depend on conventional methods. David learnt briefly in the King’s court (Genesis 16:14); was forged in the wilderness (Genesis 23:14) and he learnt to be a leader and defended the Kingdom of Israel from many enemies surrounding them. By following God’s will he sustained the spirit of God in him.
Joseph’s method of leadership training was unique; even as a slave he was a leader; in the prison – he was a leader; and he excelled in leadership when he was King/Prime Minster of Egypt (Genesis 39: 4, 9, 22; 41: 40-44). What I deduce from this is that at the point God calls us and reveals to us a future plan/position, he begins to prepare us. He gives us his Spirit. The question is – are you ready for God to prepare you? Are you willing to align with the Spirit of God?
This preparation comes with different types & levels of trials, temptations, tests and testimonies. As a child of God, you would be tried, tempted, tested and I pray that you would testify. Of course, various difficulties would rear their ugly heads and you must at that point trust God and wait for God’s hand to prevail. Why? Because God holds us like a father holds his child: God desires for his child – a wonderful future; but prepares the child through the challenges of life for the glory ahead. And sometimes, like Jesus, God patiently bears with you on the cross – and even still – he is your father!
Now… we must see God as Our Father…
Jesus taught us to pray (Mathew 6:9) and he called God “Our Father” and explained that our heavenly Father knows what is best for us (Matthew 7:9-11). Unfortunately, the God of now is our selfish expectation of God to act now and answer a prayer immediately, in line with our plans. Yes, this is very human; based on the limitations on the brevity of our existence and that we live impatiently, hoping to get tomorrow’s answers – today. It is also caused by the fact that we do not seek or understand that God’s will must be done. We must learn to live these simple principles that: our faith must be in accordance to the will of God and his plans for our lives; that God is our father and in his time he makes all things beautiful.
In the discourse above, one thing is certain, the characters in the stories have taught us that human time is inconsequential with God; but we must learn to grow in faith and trust in God and truly love and depend on him as a father – Our father.
In conclusion, for those that believe, he has given them power to become children of God (John 1:12) – hence we call God, Our Father. As children, we must understand that God’s time is perfect and it’s in line with God’s will. Following God’s will is accepting and following God’s path; it is also accepting that the Spirit of God should work in and through us. If we stop acting according to the will of God, we are gradually denying the works of the Spirit through us. [Let’s forbid that God’s spirit leaves anyone]. We cannot fully understand/tell the time or the working of the Spirit, as Jesus said – the wind blows where it choses and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8). If we cannot control the Spirit, then we have no control over when a prayer would be answered but we ask in faith that God, ‘Our Father – the God of Now’, would act according to his will as he prepares us for eternity.
Speechlesswaters…