God will bring it to pass…

Would it not be an understatement to say that we get in a hurry? Would it also be safe to say that we often procrastinate? Both can intentionally or unintentionally go unnoticed due to choice, busyness or whatever other deterrent that comes our way. This real fact in our lives can present a continuum in the context of purpose and opportunity. Arguably, everyone has been on both sides of this line multiple times. But our Creator God is not this way, His way is perfect and He doesn’t procrastinate nor does He get in a hurry to see something come to pass. However, His love and mercy allows us to make these daily choices and often we find ourselves doing what we don’t’ want to do either being too anxious or too lax.

Moses found himself on both ends of this continuum. He went from savior to coward, from having almost everything in Pharaoh’s court to the Median desert, from aggressive to passive. Observing Moses’ life, things are much of a rollercoaster, but we have the privileged to look at his entire life from a very distant perspective. We see his beginnings and his end in only a few chapters of the Bible and we do not see the small day-to-day things, to these we are left only to imagine. Just before he ran for his life after killing an Egyptian things really look great for him. He has it together. However, on his way back to Egypt after spending a lot of lonely, humiliating time in the desert of Midian we see him so passive that his wife has to take control or he would have died (Gen. 4). I think if we are honest with ourselves we can relate to Moses. I think if we are honest with ourselves we often look a lot like Moses. But what about our Creator God?

Notice the call of Moses by God in Genesis 3:4. God uses Moses’ name twice consecutively, “Moses, Moses.” This is not the only time God does this. When God called the great prophet Samuel He does the same thing, “Samuel, Samuel” (1 Sam. 3:10). It happens again in the New Testament with the calling of the Apostle Paul, when God says, “Saul, Saul” (Acts 9:4). But this pattern does not end with calling of persons names, Jesus often repeated words back-to-back especially the Hebrew word “amen” often translated in our English Bibles as “Surely, Surely”, “Truly, Truly”, or in the KJV, “Verily, Verily.” Why is this?

First, this shows the certainty of God, the sovereignty of God and how our God is not like a shadow moving depending on the pressure or light source (James 1:17). God is in control of what He chooses to be in control of and He never looses or has lost control since the beginning of everything. Wow! There is more though. There is a verse, a bit of evidence in the story of Joseph that brings all this to reality. Joseph is given a gift of prophecy in the form of dreams and dream interpretation. He first has a repetitious dream about his family (Gen 37). Then after he has been sold by his brothers and finds himself in Egypt. Pharaoh has repetitious dreams and Joseph says “And the doubling of Pharaoh’s dream means that the thing is fixed by God, and God will shortly bring it about” (Gen. 41:32).

When God sets a certain thing in order it will come to pass. He is without shadow or turning (James 1:17). He is steadfast, He is God! Notice further in the account of Saul’s call, as we have already seen He uses Saul’s name twice. But when He calls Ananias to go see and minister to Saul God only uses Ananias’ name once. Why is that? Could it be that one way or another it was God’s plan and purpose (Doctrine of Providence) that Saul would be the Apostle Paul, but in Ananias’ case if he passed up this opportunity (procrastination/sin) God would have simply used someone else? The harmony of God’s sovereignty and human responsibility, it happens everyday and it happens in your life too.

Be blessed in knowing that we serve a God who is in control of all things yet loves us enough to give us a choice. Be blessed in knowing that that same God loves you and wants you to depend on Him and at the same time be diligent in the opportunities He brings you. Do not stress out thinking you will blow it. First, we all have blown it and second, if you ask Him, He will bring it to pass (Prov. 3:1-12).

Father, we praise you for your sovereignty and your patience in our lives. Direct us and guide us and please by the power of Your Holy Spirit help us to be submissive, obedience and diligent. Help us to make our yes, yes and our no, no. Amen.