King's Business - 1950-05

Consider fo r a moment the story of water (Job 5:10). Two parts of hydrogen and one part of oxygen equals water. Rather strange isn’t it? Hydrogen is a highly inflammable gas, and oxygen an absolute requisite for every fire. Yet when these two combustible elements get together they form a compound to put the fire out. Now when you take this water and heat it to 212° at sea level, it releases itself into steam and goes back into its atmospheric elements o f oxygen and hydrogen. On the. other hand, when you cool water down to 32 degrees it becomes ice. Now it is an irrevocable law of the universe that warm things are light and cold things are heavy. Yet when it comes to the matter of ice, it’s cold, but it’s light. Now why is this? Well, of course, you can readly understand the answer in fish (Gen. m m 22). If, when the streams became cold they would be coldest at the bottom and start to freeze from the bottom up. Consequently the fish would be forced all out to the top, and would die out of water and there would be no fish. But no, God has planned a new law here which supersedes the general law. For water, when it freezes, expands and becomes lighter. This is God’s wisdom, of course. And it is God’s forethought for His creatures. Do you really doubt the story of God’s planning? If you would examine a butterfly’s wings or watch the gyrations of a hummingbird, or note how wonderfully the fish fits into his watery environment, or look at your own hand and see the most amazing and versatile tool in all the universe you should be convinced (Matt. 10:29; Job 12:8). Now if God plans for these least things of His creation, does it not stand to reason, concerning you and me who are the highest of His creation, and those who are destined to live eternally with Him, that God would meticulously and affec­ tionately plan our lives? Of course it does—and He does (John 17:20, 21). Or, talk with your Christian friends today. Inquire from them about God’s present willingness to lead. You will find definite proof that God is the same, He plans for His children the same as He always did, today . . . now . . . (Rom. 8:14). Yet the greatest proof of God’s desire to guide your life is to be found in the living and powerful Word o f God, the Scriptures themselves. Over and over it is directly stated, and everywhere it is implied that God has a purpose, a plan and a will for the lives of His children. Constantly on the pages of the Bible you are earnestly besought to surrender your will to the omniscient will of God. Our greatest example is the Lord Jesus. He testified: “ I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me” (John 6:38). “ My meat is to do the will o f him that sent me” (John 4:34). “ Not my will, but thine, be done” (Luke 22:42). The great Apostle Paul testifies similarly: “ Paul, called to be an apostle . . . through the will o f God” (1 Cor. 1:1). “ Brother Saul . . . The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, that thou shouldest know his will” (Acts 22:14). “ Assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us” (Acts 16:10). Many Bible verses call this truth to our attention: “ Teach me to do thy will; fo r thou.art my God” (Psa. 143:10), “ I beseech you . . . that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God” (Rom. 12:1, 2). “Where­ fore be ye not unwise, but understanding what the will of the Lord is” (Eph. 5:17). “ We . . . desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will” (Col. 1:9). “ That ye may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God” (Col. 4:12). “ For ye have need of patience, that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise” (Heb. 10:36). “ For so is the will of God, that with well doing ye may put to silence the ignorance of foolish men” (1 Pet. 2:15). “ For it is better, if the will o f God be so, that ye suffer for well doing, than for evil doing” (1 Pet. 3:17). And here is the mighty promise to those who do the will of God. “ And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof, but he that doeth the will o f God abideth for ever” (1 John 2:17). Can you doubt this truth? These words are written to you. The same God who guided the mighty men of old desires to guide you. His plan for you is the very highest, the most noble. If you follow it completely, your life will be worthy of God’s commendation.

God Has A Plan for You Too How do I know? Well, let’s think for a minute. Man is the highest of God’s creation. It was intended that man should have dominion over all the rest of God’s creatures (Gen. 1:26). As far as the creative hand of God is concerned, man is God’s masterpiece. Does it not seem logical that God having so care­ fully made man would have a wise and detailed purpose for man’s life (Eph. 1:9-12)? Consider the amazing body God has provided. It is the seat of a million marvels. There are trillions and trillions of in­ dividual cells each working together harmoniously in the body. Man is intelligent—he is efficient—he is self-reproducing. Were there no other marks o f God’s design in all the world, the human body would be overwhelmingly sufficient. Now, why would God create such a body if not to fulfill a purpose which He had intended? Or ponder man’s environment. The body which God has given us fits perfectly into the environment which God has pro­ vided. We have eyes and there is so much to see—flowers and sunsets, mountains and people. We have ears, and the air waves are full of sounds and melody, too. We have feet and there are many places to go. We have mouths and there is food to eat and water to drink. But all these things are not an end in themselves. The end is to find and fulfill the will of God (1 John 2:17). Then remember the lives of those, God’s former worthies. We have Noah and Moses. There are Joshua and David, Paul and Peter (Josh. 1:5; 2 Sam. 7:8-15). These men knew positively the direct leading o f God. Or, come a little hearer and consider David Livingstone, for instance. He started out for China, but God turned him about and headed him for Africa where he became God’s fearless evangel of light to the dark continent. Adoniram Judson was God’s man for Burma, and William Carey was God’s man for India. Hudson Taylor was God’s man for China. It isn’t possible to know of these giants of the gospel, and not be tremendously impressed by the fact that their lives were outstanding because they found and fulfilled the will of God!

I f God plans fo r the least of His creatures, will He not plan fo r us?

M A Y , 1 9 5 0

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