“If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea: even there shall Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.” Psalm 139:9-10
When the Lord, through Isaiah, said that His ways and thoughts were not those of sinful man, not only was He speaking to the need and limitations of sinful man to discern that which was of God, but He also used the illustration of the distance between heaven and earth, illustrating the greatness of His wisdom and knowledge of all things, in every place, at all times. He thus reveals the difference between His all-knowing sovereignty and man’s very small limitations to knowledge. Not only this, but He speaks of His omnipresence, the fact that He is everywhere beholding the good and evil, even knowing the words that we will speak before they are uttered. In other words, God is revealing to man the utter folly of trusting in his limitations, rather than relying wholly upon Christ. To not believe the all-knowing, all-powerful, and ever-present God, is to defy all logic and reason. It is utter folly to not trust in God. This is why in Scripture we see God revealing Himself in ways that are totally unanticipated, and certainly beyond the realm of man’s reason to understand. Why? The answer is simple: He is God, and Him alone. “Modern” man may think that because of the increase of knowledge, facilitated by technology, he rises to the point of being God, or a god. However, with all that man can learn and retain, and use, there is no comparison with the God of creation, and the Sustainer of all life. This One who keeps the worlds in place, and sovereignly brings about His will by the word of His mouth, is the One who has called us to trust Him fully. The ultimate reasons for which the call to trust Him is constantly reiterated in the Scriptures is His nature, His heart, and His purpose. His nature is holy, not tainted by the influence or effects of sin. His heart is one of truth, only truth, and which expresses itself most wonderfully by love. The truth of Christ as the Son of God, having come into this world to save sinners, presently willing to do so today, is the greatest expression of this love for the whole world. That love is also the greatest motivating force for the believer to live for God, serving Him according to the truths expressed in the Scriptures. And lastly, faith is called upon to lay hold of God, of Christ alone, because of His purpose. That purpose not only is revealed in the salvation of men, but in the glory that God gives and will reveal throughout eternity. So, this is why man should never lean to his understanding or hesitate to commit to God His way. How then are we to trust Christ, follow Him, and be brought into conformity with His purposes and ways?
The call of God to believe in Him is one where man must choose not to walk by sight, but to rely wholly upon the omnipotent God, for whom all things are possible. In the Psalms we find David writing: “Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.” (37:3) God does not tell us how He will cause us to “dwell in the land, ” and “be fed.” Later in the Psalm, David writes: “Commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.” (v.5) God calls the believer to an act and attitude of faith. The act is the commitment. The attitude is the continuance of trust in Him. God does not tell us how He will fulfill His promise, to “…bring it to pass.” True faith surrenders to God as Almighty.
In Paul’s writings, on the subject of entire sanctification, he writes: “Faithful is He that calleth you, who also will do it.” (1 Thess. 5:24) God works in the realm of “beyond what we can ask or think.”
Dear Father, Strengthen us to constantly believe Thee for the impossible. In Jesus’ name, Amen.