Many people become bewildered or frustrated with God, if they have prayed for help and guidance in a matter but things did not turn out the way they had expected. In many instances these disappointments could be traced back to our lack of understanding of the ways of God, which often causes folks to harbor unrealistic expectations of Him.
Others erroneously believe that He is unpredictable, and thus, when some of us pray, it’s with a question mark hanging over our heads, about whether God is going to answer or not. Thus, many persons live the Christian life with uncertainty, as if the ways of God cannot be known.
But while God is omniscient and knows everything, and while His ways are infinitely higher than ours, yet it is possible for us mortals to know Him. If this were not the case, then our relationship with God would be a vain experience, riddled with doubts, and unanswerable questions.
God desires us to have an intelligent understanding of His character which in turn will cause us to run the Christian race with a steady, and even tread. At the same time, our confidence in God will build with an increasing knowledge of His ways so that we may view Him as being dependable, and consistent, One who can be relied upon in good times and bad.
Now, there are certain passages of scripture, which on the surface may seem to suggest otherwise, but these must be understood in context, for when the various verses are studied line upon line, there will appear a golden thread of consistency, so that all who would, may come to know Him.
Indeed, a relational, hands on knowledge of God is at the heart of Christianity, being the essence and stability which so many are in need of. Therefore, in getting to know Him, we must study His ways, what He does, how He does it, when He does it, and why He does it, wherever such information is revealed in scripture, and also in His providential workings.
Wherever possible, persons who endeavor to seek to know God and His ways should study the truths written in Bible, for several passages teach us that God can be known, and they also give assurance that He will be found of them who search for Him diligently. Let’s read:
John 17:3 And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
Jeremiah 9:23 Thus saith the Lord, Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches:
24 But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these things I delight, saith the Lord.
Jeremiah 29:12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
14 And I will be found of you, saith the Lord.
However, at least in some instances a different take on the same matter of knowing God is raised in the scriptures. But before jumping to any erroneous conclusions, we should seek to understand the very context in which those words were uttered, for in one instance they were spoken by one who had an indistinct view of the ways God, and for which he was later rebuked. Let’s read:
Job 11:1 Then answered Zophar the Naamathite, and said,
7 Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?
8 It is as high as heaven; what canst thou do? deeper than hell; what canst thou know?
9 The measure thereof is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea.
Job 42:7 And it was so, that after the Lord had spoken these words unto Job, the Lord said to Eliphaz the Temanite, My wrath is kindled against thee, and against thy two friends: for ye have not spoken of me the thing that is right, as my servant Job hath.
8 Therefore take unto you now seven bullocks and seven rams, and go to my servant Job, and offer up for yourselves a burnt offering; and my servant Job shall pray for you: for him will I accept: lest I deal with you after your folly, in that ye have not spoken of me the thing which is right, like my servant Job.
In another passage we read that the ways of God are past finding out. Such passages should not ever be understood to mean that as Christians we are to live in limbo, thinking that God is capricious in His ways. The misunderstandings of God referred to in the Bible primarily pertain to those who have not known God personally, for when taken together the Bible passages explain themselves perfectly. Let’s read:
Romans 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
Isaiah 32:17 And the work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever.
18 And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places.
1st Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
10 But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
14 But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
16 For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? but we have the mind of Christ.
Therefore, we who are living in the 21st century, are cautioned not to repeat the same errors of the past, by which many persons claimed to know God, but in reality, only had a superficial knowledge of Him. In the book of Hebrews, we read that after forty years of experience, the majority of God’s people still did not know Him. Let’s read:
Hebrews 3:8 Harden not your hearts, as in the provocation, in the day of temptation in the wilderness.
9 When your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years.
10 Wherefore I was grieved with that generation, and said, They do always err in their heart; and they
have not known my ways.
11 So I sware in my wrath, They shall not enter into my rest.
12 Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.
13 But exhort one another daily, while it is called Today; lest any of you be hardened through the deceitfulness of sin.
14 For we are made partakers of Christ, if we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast unto the end.
Thus, there are some fundamentals about God that we should understand. In this segment we will seek to address a few basics, then we’ll move on to some practical illustrations which would help us to better understand what God does or permits, and why it is that certain experiences occur.
[1] God is a God of order.
Everything that God does, pertaining to heaven and earth is done in an orderly manner. Nothing is left to chance or mere feeling, for feelings will fluctuate, whereas principle is eternal. Thus, for starters, the ways of God are characterized by consistency, and perfect order. Confusion, disorder, and untidiness are all products and derivatives of evil angels. Let’s read:
1st Corinthians 14:27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.
40 Let all things be done decently and in order.
John 20:6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
Deuteronomy 23:12 Thou shalt have a place also without the camp, whither thou shalt go forth abroad.
13 And thou shalt have a paddle upon thy weapon; and it shall be, when thou wilt ease thyself abroad, thou shalt dig therewith, and shalt turn back and cover that which cometh from thee.
14 For the Lord thy God walketh in the midst of thy camp, to deliver thee, and to give up thine enemies before thee; therefore, shall thy camp be holy: that he see no unclean thing in thee, and turn away from thee.
Acts 10: There was a certain man in Caesarea called Cornelius.
3 He saw in a vision evidently an angel of God coming in to him, and saying unto him, Cornelius.
4 And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said, What is it, Lord? And he said unto him;
5 Send men to Joppa, and call for one Simon, whose surname is Peter.
6 He shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do.
Acts 9:1 And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest.
3 And as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven.
4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?
6 And he trembling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do.
Some may have wondered why in both instances in Acts, The Lord, and the angel from heaven sent to Cornelius wouldn’t divulge the information needed, but instead, put the persons in question in contact with an ordained messenger of God.
That is because order and protocol is being followed because wherever a prophet, or messenger of God, or an ordained person has been established among His people, God speaks His will through that person primarily. Hence the reason why our references are to be taken from the Bible primarily, for it’s written, holy men of God spoke as they were moved by The Holy Ghost.
This brings us to the experiences of Moses and the Hebrews, for God had specified that Moses was to be the human channel through which His will for the people would be made known. Information and instructions would be disseminated from The Lord through Moses, and from Moses to the people, just as it was with Jesus, Saul, and Ananias, the angel Peter and Cornelius. Let’s read:
Exodus 19:3 And Moses went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus, shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel;
9 And the Lord said unto Moses, Lo, I come unto thee in a thick cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee and believe thee forever. And Moses told the words of the people unto the Lord.
Numbers 12:1 And Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.
2 And they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it.
4 And the Lord spoke suddenly unto Moses, and unto Aaron, and unto Miriam, Come out ye three unto the tabernacle of the congregation.
5 And the Lord came down in the pillar of the cloud, and stood in the door of the tabernacle, and called Aaron and Miriam.
6 And he said, Hear now my words: If there be a prophet among you, I the Lord will make myself known unto him in a vision, and will speak unto him in a dream.
7 My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house.
8 With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?
Therefore, Moses being God’s chosen vessel, their murmurings against him would be an affront to God who sent him in the first place, and as the Hebrews continue to falsely accuse Moses they would trigger experiences which demonstrate the ways of God in His dealing with similar situations.
There will be both negatives and positives that will accrue as a direct result, and the way in which the difficulties are resolved will teach us some valuable lessons in the ways of God, if, and when problems arise in our own experience. Let’s read:
Exodus 17:1 And all the congregation of the children of Israel journeyed from the wilderness of Sin, after their journeys, according to the commandment of the Lord, and pitched in Rephidim: and there was no water for the people to drink.
2 Wherefore the people did chide with Moses, and said, Give us water that we may drink. And Moses said unto them, Why chide ye with me? wherefore do ye tempt the Lord?
3 And the people thirsted there for water; and the people murmured against Moses, and said, Wherefore is this that thou hast brought us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our cattle with thirst?
4 And Moses cried unto the Lord, saying, What shall I do unto this people? they be almost ready to stone me.
7 And he called the name of the place Massah, and Meribah, because of the chiding of the children of Israel, and because they tempted the Lord, saying, Is the Lord among us, or not?
8 Then came Amalek and fought with Israel in Rephidim.
This attack by Amalek was a direct result of the murmuring of the Hebrews. Continual complaining for no valid reason will often cause our defense to depart from us for murmuring effectively opens the door to great temptations. On the other hand, the attitude of praise and thanksgiving will often dispel darkness and forces the enemy into retreat. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 20:21 And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed singers unto the Lord, and that should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army, and to say, Praise the Lord; for his mercy endureth forever.
This particular instance occurred at a time when the Hebrews were surrounded and vastly outnumbered by their enemies, who were hell bent on wiping the entire nation off the face of the earth. Did the Jews have reasonable cause for grave concern? Yes, they did; but instead of dwelling on the ominous clouds before them, and instead of indulging the “why me” syndrome, they took a different route of praise, and thanksgiving, and the rest is history. Let’s read:
2nd Chronicles 20:22 And when they began to sing and to praise, the Lord set ambushments against the children of Ammon, Moab, and mount Seir, which were come against Judah; and they were smitten.
Here it is again. The Lord is teaching us how to fight to win, how to surmount difficulties, instead of the tendency to grovel in our misfortunes. God never proposes to us that the road will be easy, but He provides a never-failing Refuge in Christ, if we will be humble and willing enough to access Him when difficulties arise. Let’s read:
Acts 16:23 And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely:
24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks.
25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them.
26 And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed.
Whenever we are in difficulty, or whenever we face seemingly insurmountable problems, an attitude of prayer, praise, and thanksgiving to God will trigger a multitude of blessings and deliverances, if like Paul, Silas, and the Hebrews in Jehoshaphat’s day we do not dwell on the negatives. Let’s read:
[Messages To Young People. Pp 53] Satan cannot endure to have his powerful rival appealed to, for he fears and trembles before Christ's strength and majesty. At the sound of fervent prayer, Satan's whole host trembles and when angels, all-powerful, clothed with the armory of heaven, come to the help of the fainting, pursued soul, Satan and his host fall back, well knowing that their battle is lost.
Exodus 17:9 And Moses said unto Joshua, Choose us out men, and go out, fight with Amalek: tomorrow I will stand on the top of the hill with the rod of God in mine hand.
10 So Joshua did as Moses had said to him, and fought with Amalek.
11 And it came to pass, when Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed: and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed.
12 But Moses hands were heavy; and they took a stone, and put it under him, and he sat thereon; and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands, the one on the one side, and the other on the other side; and his hands were steady until the going down of the sun.
13 And Joshua discomfited Amalek and his people with the edge of the sword.
In this instance, some of the Hebrews were actually lost to the Amalekites whenever Moses’ hands were let down. Real people died as a result, which is one of the sobering truths we need to understand about the ways of God. Let none be deceived into thinking that their problems, and enemies will be defeated without prayer.
As Moses lifted his hands to the sky, just so we too must lift our hands to God in prayer whenever the enemy comes in like a flood, for this is when God will lift up a standard against him. But the human tendency is to try to go it alone, without God, and the sure result is that “Amalek” will prevail if we do not pray for help. Let’s read:
Ephesians 6:10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
11 Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.
12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
13 Wherefore take unto you the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
16 Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.
18 Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints.
It’s a delusion to think that we can beat back the forces of the enemy without help from God. In one particular instance the angel Gabriel had to call for reinforcements from heaven as he battled satan for 21 days without success. Then, we who are mortals, who were made lower than the angels should never even think of fighting battles on our own because failure will be the result. Let’s read:
Daniel 10:2 Then said he unto me, Fear not, Daniel: for from the first day that thou didst set thine heart to understand, and to chasten thyself before thy God, thy words were heard, and I am come for thy words.
13 But the prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me one and twenty days: but, lo, Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me; and I remained there with the kings of Persia.
20 Then said he, now will I return to fight with the prince of Persia.
Let us then not fail to know, and understand the ways of God, for the things that are written in the Bible are there for our admonition and instruction, especially as we will have to fend off numerous and determined attacks against our souls in these last days. We therefore end with a passage of scripture that will enable us to live victoriously each and every day. Let’s read:
Psalms 91:1 He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.
3 Surely, he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.
4 He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.
God Bless!