Is it not amazing that the Lord Jesus, who said that “He was (and is!) the way, the truth and the life” (see John 14:6) also said that although He was the embodiment of truth Himself? He nevertheless submitted Himself in everything He said in full dependence upon His Father as He said:

“For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken,” John 12:49.

This is to be true of us followers of the Lord also in this present age that we dare not say our own words or opinions before we have truly heard from the Lord Himself and He has confirmed to us by His Word and by His Spirit what is His Word and opinion on any given matter. This will make for a much more humble and less judgmental attitude in us and make us again and again aware as we submit to Him in all things that truly His ways and thoughts about things are truly higher and often different than ours.

As Isaiah 55:8 describes:

“‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord.”

Therefore it behooves us all to become zeros in the hand of the Lord. He alone is our Wisdom and Shepherd, without Him as He Himself said: ‘We can do nothing’ and I would add we cannot say anything either! That’s why Peter in His Epistle dares to write: “If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God,” 1 Peter 4:11a.

Paul even writes in his epistle to the Romans that even in relation to prayer there is need for this utter dependency on the Lord and His Holy Spirit when he writes:

“Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God,” Romans 8:26-27.

Now this underlines to us all the absolute need not to say, do or pray anything before we have in utter dependence upon the Lord, allowed Him whose opinion, thoughts and ways are definitely higher than our opinions and perception, to inspire and lead us in everything.

What the Lord will be willing to show us if we really humbly seek Him for His word and opinion will not be in contradiction to His written word but rather in confirmation of it as Paul in Ephesians so wonderfully emphasized, ‘that the Word of God is the sword of the Spirit.’

“the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God,” Ephesians 6:17.

It was the opinionatedness of the Scribes and Pharisees based on their understanding of the Tanach that led them so often to be closed to the words and person of our Lord as He Himself upbraided them for when He spoke these words:

“You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life. I do not receive honor from men. But I know you, that you do not have the love of God in you. I have come in My Father’s name, and you do not receive Me; if another comes in his own name, him you will receive. How can you believe, who receive honor from one another, and do not seek the honor that comes from the only God? Do not think that I shall accuse you to the Father; there is one who accuses you – Moses, in whom you trust. For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me; for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” John 5:39-47.

The Scriptures are clear that it is God’s prerogative to put down or appoint those who are to be in authority:

“For exaltation comes neither from the east nor from the west nor from the south. But God is the Judge: He puts down one, and exalts another,” Psalm 75:6-7.

This truth is also found in the book of Daniel:

“This decision is by the decree of the watchers, and the sentence by the word of the holy ones, in order that the living may know that the Most High rules in the kingdom of men, gives it to whomever He will, and sets over it the lowest of men,” Daniel 4:17.

Even this was true of Pontius Pilate as Jesus said when He stood before him:

“You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin,” John 19:11.

So it is so clear from these scriptures that in the final analysis God is in control as to who is “to rule in the kingdom of man” and as we have seen with Jehu whom the Lord appointed and anointed to be king over Israel also to do away with the terribly corrupt reign of Jezebel and Ahab – these chosen men were sometimes fierce and not always very nice.

So we may not try to be wiser than the Lord whose ways indeed are often higher than our ways!

May the Lord thus make us careful and humble enough to really hear from Him and so to pray according to His Will and Purpose! For we live in a time of many voices and opinions and only His is important!

 

~ Jan Willem van der Hoeven, Director
International Christian Zionist Center

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Newsletter of February 18, 2016.

Republished with the kind permission of Author Jan Willem van der Hoeven, Director of International Christian Zionist Center.

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