God can and will judge men for evil thoughts and deeds He used for His own glory, as the Assyrians (Is 10:5-15) and the Jews that crucified His Son Jesus (Acts 2:23; 4:28; Matt 22:1-7). They chose their sinful deeds willingly, so He is righteous to judge them, even though He always uses man’s wrath for His own praise (Rom 9:18-20; Ps 76:10). He can restrain any man’s heart from doing evil, when He chooses to do so. He withheld King Abimelech from touching Sarah, whom he had taken from Abraham to be his wife (Gen 20:6). And He similarly withheld the Canaanites from desiring the land of Israel, when all the men went up three times a year for the feasts (Ex 34:24). Why does He not restrain all sin like this? Because He is using man’s wrath to His own praise (Ps 76:10)! God prepared good in the hearts of Israel (I Chron 29:18), Cyrus (Ezra 1:1), Darius (Ezra 6:22; 7:27), Nehemiah (Neh 2:12; 7:5), the psalmist (Ps 119:36), Zerubbabel and the remnant (Hag 1:14), Lydia (Acts 16:14), Titus (II Cor 8:16), and the elect (John 6:45; Heb 8:10; 10:16). If you desire to serve Him at all, He prepared that as well (I Cor 12:3)! Consider the tongue. Men think their lips and tongues are their own, but that is not what the Lord declares (Ps 12:4). Even Balaam’s dumb ass answered from the LORD (Num 22:28-30; II Pet 2:16). Balaam himself tried to curse, but the Lord brought forth a blessing (Num 23:11-12). Shimei did curse, but it too was from the Lord (II Sam 16:10). When Caiaphas thought he was conspiring, he was rather prophesying (John 11:49-51). And Peter’s blessed answer was straight from heaven (Matt 16:17). Our Lord’s apostles could speak gloriously without preparation (Luke 21:12-15; Acts 6:10), and they did by God’s power in numerous foreign languages they had never learned (Acts 1:8; 2:1-13). There is no evil that should frighten or perplex you, for it is all under the governing control of the LORD. And every good and noble thought you have toward heaven, you should give thanks, for God has prepared your heart toward Him (I Chron 29:9,14,18). Run with such a blessing. He does not owe you another convicting thought. Any good thought or confession is proof of His love for you, for He drew it from you (Hos 11:1-4).
Posted on: Sat, 17 Aug 2013 21:05:09 +0000
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