When my world feels uncertain and my circumstances overwhelming, I intentionally bolster my peace by reflecting upon the unchanging attributes of God. The more I understand and contemplate who God is, in all of His vastness, the less frightening my greatest challenges appear.
Scripture assures me He is alert to every danger, present in my crises, the inexhaustible source for all I need, more powerful than my greatest foe, and the Supreme Ruler who always retains full control. What’s more, the Mighty Creator of all that ever has or ever will exist loves You and I with a perfect, fierce, and relentless love. To put it simply, the Commander of heaven’s armies, Yahweh Sabaoth in Hebrew, is for us.
While numerous Bible passages reveal these truths and more, I find particular comfort in the historical accounts that reveal God demonstrating these traits in action.
Numerous places in Scripture demonstrate what scholars refer to as God’s omniscience, which means His perfect knowledge of all things, past, present and future. One example I’ve reflected on in uncomfortable seasons comes from Exodus 13. This was immediately after the Lord rescued His people from 400 years of slavery and oppression in Egypt. Verses 17-18 state, “When Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter. For God said, ‘If they face war, they might change their minds and return to Egypt.’ So God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea. The Israelites went up out of Egypt ready for battle.”
1 Samuel 9-10 provides another example of God’s perfect foreknowledge in the circumstances surrounding the anointing of ancient Israel’s second king. This story begins when a man named Saul, along with a family servant, went in search of his father’s donkey. After an extensive journey, he wanted to give up and return home, but his servant convinced him to visit “a man of God” in the nearby town (1 Sam. 9:6). Meanwhile, God told this man, named Samuel, to expect someone “from the land of Benjamin,” whom he was to anoint as ruler. Saul appeared, as the Lord had said, and Samuel did as commanded.
These passages remind me of two important truths. First, God uses His wisdom for my benefit. Second, I usually am oblivious to the dangers ahead. With these things in mind, I’m less apt to respond to life’s apparent detours and delays with angst.
No matter what we encounter, we can trust that God has good, hope-filled plans for us (Jer. 29:11), ordained by Him before we took our first breath (Eph. 2:10). He forged our path, alert to our every challenge and mistake, and already accounted for each obstacle and personal weakness.
Additional Verses
“Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit” (Psalm 147:5, emphasis added).
“If our hearts condemn us, we know that God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything” (1 John 3:20, emphasis added).
“Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father’s care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered” (Matthew 10:29-30).
One of the most obvious examples of God’s constant presence occurred during what scholars refer to as ancient Israel’s desert wanderings. Once again, this was directly following their liberation from Egypt. In Exodus 13:21-22 we read, “By day the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud to guide them on their way and by night in a pillar of fire to give them light, so that they could travel by day or night. Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people.”
God could’ve led His people in numerous ways. He could have whispered His guidance to Moses, their earthly leader. He could have instructed someone to give them a map designating their steps from Northern Africa to the Promised Land. Or, He could have instructed Moses through dreams and visions. While He may indeed have done that, He also ensured that everyone in the group – from young to old – could visibly see His presence going before them.
This tells me that He wanted more than external obedience. The Lord wanted His people to know and trust Him. No doubt He understood how overwhelming their desert travels felt, and so He comforted them with Himself. At night, when anxious thoughts threatened to steal their sleep, they could look to the light emanating above them and rest assured that the Lord was near. During the day, when the sandy expanse stretching before them elicited a sense of panic, they could once again glance up and know they weren’t alone. Their Creator, Redeemer, and Provider would never leave.
He makes the same promise to us. In Hebrews 13:5, we’re told that “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’” Jesus spoke the same assurance in Matthew 28:20 when He said, “And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Additional Verses
“‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the Lord” (Jeremiah 23:24b).
“If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast” (Psalm 139:9-10).
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (Isaiah 43:2, emphasis added).
When financial struggles come, my fear and anxiety tempts me to develop a survivalist mentality. This, in turn, drives me to hoard my resources rather than live with peace and generosity. When our income sources seem unstable or unexpected bills flood our mailbox, I find solace in the unchanging faithfulness of my Father. As Scripture proclaims, “He owns the cattle on a thousand hills” (Psalm 50:10), He “causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45), and He “will meet all [our] needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19).
He is not and never will be limited by our circumstances, bank account, or ever-shifting economy. One of my favorite biblical accounts of His abundance and care comes from 1 Kings 17. During this time, an evil king named Ahab ruled Judah. He married a Sidonian princess named Jezebel and began to worship pagan deities (Baal and Asherah). Because of his wicked behavior, God caused a devastating drought that extended throughout Judah and beyond to Sidon, Jezebel’s birthplace and the city that manufactured Baal idols.
The Lord told His prophet Elijah to “go at once” to a widow living there who would supply him with food. God’s directive couldn’t have been more unexpected. Not only was He sending Elijah to a pagan land, but He was promising to provide through one of the most destitute people in the ancient world.
In 1 Kings 17:10-12, we read “When he came to the town gate, a widow was there gathering sticks. He called to her and asked, ‘Would you bring me a little water in a jar so I may have a drink?’ As she was going to get it, he called, ‘And bring me, please, a piece of bread.’ ‘As surely as the Lord your God lives,’ she replied, ‘I don’t have any bread — only a handful of flour in a jar and a little olive oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it — and die.’
But Elijah knew God’s provisional power extended well beyond the meager staples this woman possessed. Therefore, he said to her, “Don’t be afraid. Go home and do what you have said. But first make a small loaf of bread for me from what you have and bring it to me, and then make something for yourself and your son. For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says, ‘the jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord sends rain on the land’” (1 Kings 17:13-14).
She did as Elijah asked, and God provided food for her, her family, and His prophet, just as He’d promised.
Our Father can multiply our meager resources into abundance and withhold the figurative pestilence that might otherwise deplete them. He owns all, has power overall, and faithfully cares for all – us and our loved ones included.
2 Chronicles 20 records a time when a vast army invaded the northern kingdom of Judah and was advancing toward the capital city of Jerusalem. By the time the king, Jehoshaphat, learned of this, the enemies had already reached En Gedi, a mere 30 miles away. Terrified, the king immediately sought the Lord, gathered his people, and declared a national fast. He stood before them in front of the Temple courtyard and prayed, addressing the Lord as the God of their ancestors who resided in heaven and ruled over all kingdoms and nations.
At this point in history, most individuals believed deities rules over, and were largely limited to, certain areas or city states. When war broke out and one people group prevailed against another, they assumed this also meant that their god had prevailed, thereby conquering and seizing the land. But the Almighty had made it clear, way back when he liberated His people from Egypt and its numerous manmade “deities,” that He alone reigned over all humanity. In his desperate prayer, King Jehoshaphat proclaimed this truth.
God wasn’t confined to one particular local or community. The One who always had and always would remain with His people also existed in heaven, and therefor, above all. From there, He reigned over all, and no one and nothing could withstand Him or thwart His plans.
In the events that followed, the Lord verified every word the king uttered when He alone defeated Judah’s attackers. The ancient Israelites didn’t have to raise an arrow or a sword. They’d faced in their enemies, in faith, singing God’s praises, and He fought their battle and secured the victory.
This is as true to today as it was during the time of King Jehoshaphat. Our God is for us, and as Romans 8:31 states, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Additional Verses
“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will,” (Eph. 1:11, emphasis added).
“For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together” (Col. 1:16-17, emphasis added).
“The Lord has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19).
Although our news channels tell us today’s leaders have the capacity to destroy the foundations upon which our country rests, Scripture assures us that our Savior always retains full control. May we consistently shift our focus off the world’s fearmongering and onto our loving, all-knowing, ever-present God of abundance who reigns over all and will never be dethroned.
She’s passionate about helping people experience Christ’s freedom in all areas of their lives. Visit her online to learn more about her speaking or to book her for your next women’s event, and sign up for her free quarterly newsletter HERE and make sure to connect with her on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and GodTube.
He is a cross pendant.
He is engraved with a unique Number.
He will mail it out from Jerusalem.
He will be sent to your Side.
Emmanuel
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