GOD’S WORKS AND WAYS
Psalms 103:7 NLT
[7] He revealed his character to Moses and his deeds to the people of Israel.
[7] “He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:” NIV
Have you noticed how God differentiated between Moses and Israel when He revealed Himself to them? God gave His people ample evidence of His character through the care He gave them throughout their journey from Egypt to the Promised Land… but they never got it. They failed to connect His works with His ways. Whenever a crisis (test) arose, they forgot everything they had experienced, and sank into misery and complaining.
Moses, on the other hand, slowly gathered titbits of God’s ways as the journey progressed until he formed a faith-picture of God that carried him through many trials.
Hebrews 11:27 NLT
[27] “It was by faith that Moses left the land of Egypt, not fearing the king’s anger. He kept right on going because he kept his eyes on the one who is invisible.”
To the discerning, God’s works lead to an increasing understanding of God’s ways. Faith in God grows as we learn more of His character through His deeds, producing a confidence in God that weathers storms and crises, steadfastly trusting God until our trust
is vindicated.
How tragic that many of God’s people never get past God’s works. They go from one test to another, sometimes the same test, over and over. When the trial hits, they sink back into their insecurity and unbelief. Their faith wobbles and shakes. They go into emotional meltdown until the test is over. Then they fly high on their testimony of God’s goodness… until the next test. Then it’s “another lap around the mountain”, never learning the secret of steadfast faith in an unchanging God.
David understood this principle… God’s works lead us to know God’s ways… and so he prayed,
Psalms 86:11 NLT
[11] “Teach me your ways, O Lord, that I may live according to your truth! Grant me purity of heart, so that I may honor you.”
The only way we can grow in grace and in the knowledge (can also be translated as “wisdom”) of the Lord Jesus is to seek understanding of His character by the way He deals with us in every situation.
We learn that He is holy by the hardships and discipline we experience when we have wandered away from His Word. We learn that He is good when He answers our prayers and meets our needs. We learn that He is faithful by His unceasing love and presence in our lives.
As we build an understanding of God’s ways through the ups and downs of life, so we grow in confidence and trust in an unchanging, faithful, and reliable Father. When the big crises hit, we are able to stand firm and unshakeable because we know the God who promised, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you!”
Such faith in a faithful God helps us to live by the truth of His Word, responding to Him by applying that truth to our everyday lives. In turn, we honour, respect, and fear Him because He is utterly worthy of our trust.
Now, that’s a recipe for a fruitful life!