GOD WORKS IN HIS WORLD

“From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works” – Psalm 33: 14-15

The Bible affirms that GOD WORKS IN HIS WORLD: “The Lord looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. From the place of His dwelling He looks on all the inhabitants of the earth; He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works” (Psa.33: 13-15). This psalm describes the sovereignty of the Lord in creation and history. Despite the blight of sin on humanity, God is still involved and at work in the world He created. God didn’t simply create the world; He sustains it. He has not abandoned His creation. The complex workings of the universe attest to the unceasing Hand of the Creator at work.

The Lord is involved in the everyday matters of our world: “For the kingdom is the LORD’s and He rules over the nations” (Psa.22:28). Nothing is excluded from the scope of His sustaining work. Even chaos, tragedy and pain are under God’s control! He can take evil and make it something that works for His good will (Rom.8:28). God “works ALL THINGS according to the counsel of His will” (Eph.1:11). For example, years after Joseph was betrayed by his brothers, he declared to them, “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good, in order to bring it about as it is this day, to save many people alive” (Gen. 50:20). If God could allow the devil to bring pain to Job’s life and still used it ultimately for good, then, according to the medieval proverb, “God can use a crooked stick to draw a straight line”!

No matter how chaotic things may appear from our perspective, the eternal reality is that God is the ultimate Sustainer and Governor of the Universe. We can meditate on His Work in three distinct, yet interrelated dimensions.

God’s Physical Work: The world was created by God and is sustained by Him (Psa. 33:6-11). His handiwork is evident all about the physical universe. The atmosphere, seasonal changes, heat, and rain are all “acts of God.” Sometimes we refer to  a terrible storm as an “act of God.” While this is true, it is also an act of God when the sun rises on a clear day and when it hides behind a cloud on others. The amazing characteristics of our physical bodies also remind us of the immense wisdom and creativity displayed in the work of God. The human body is directed through human nature by which He works His purposes in the world. God has established the boundaries of the nations and the general course of human history. He is at work in the internal and international affairs of many nations as He prepares all nations for the end times.

God’s Work in Society: is fulfilled through three key institutions, namely: the family, government, and Church. If these crumble, the lives of many will crumble with them. Marriage between a man and woman was ordained of God from the Beginning as the legal and accepted means of birthing and nurturing children for God’s Glory. Government is a Divine Institution initiated to assure Order – never anarchy. Leaders are ministers of God (Rom.13:1-4). Believers are called to support, honour, and pray for all in authority (1Tim.2: 1-3). The Church is the spiritual and social conscience of the community, stemming the evil in the world (Mt. 16:13, 18). Each of these institutions has a divinely-authorized role to play in executing God’s Work on earth. We must see God at work, and seek to work with, rather than against Him in these areas.

God’s Spiritual Work: God permitted sin to enter the :world but also determined to provide for salvation in a two-fold manner. First, He provided the means of salvation in the Blood of Christ. Second, God provides the messengers of salvation to procalim the gospel. Beyond that, He has commanded that every Christian should be a witness, actively involved in bringing the message of salvation to every creature. We are all called to be functional, productive parts of God's Work!