Who's In Charge Here?

Somewhere in the list of books I'll someday get around to reading is one by Craig Groeschel. It's called "The Christian Atheist: Believing in God but Living As If He Doesn't Exist." Scanning the table of contents at the bookstore recently got me to thinking along these lines.

The book addresses a key problem believers have faced throughout our history: practical unbelief.

Faith, at its root, is not so much a confidence or assent to FACTS, but a confidence in a Person.

As a litmus test, how do we react to difficult situations?

Believer (present or historical) faces a Problem:
the influence of God's people seems small, even declining.
-Today: Europe is basically Secular, North American churches are in a shambles.
- 1800s: "Darkest England" -- Wm Booth saw a nation in decline.
- 1700s: England -- John Wesley saw England ready to collapse into Civil War like France did.
- 1500s: Europe -- Luther, Calvin, Knox faced enormous opposition to defend Biblical authority.
- 1200s: Thomas Aquinas saw Europe threatened by a militant and advancing Islam
-Before that? Wars and heresies small and large. Persecutions. Athanasus exiled by the Church he tried to defend. Riots. Lions. Nero and the Caesars. Martyred Apostles. Beheading of John the Baptist.

But it went back futher, too. Israel chaffed at different times under Rome, Greece, Syria, Assyria, Philistines, Midians, These-ites and those-ites, Egyptians and more.

David lived in exile. Joshua lost a battle to Ai. Laban cheated Jacob, Lot was kidnapped.

What do all of these things have in common? The "bad guys" seemed to be winning.

STOP.

This is the point at which we must examine our thinking.

Our assumptions do one of two things:
1) Establish the problem as Bedrock reality that God might (or might not) be sufficient to change.
2) Establish God as Bedrock reality, trusting that God, can Sovereignly turn even the most terrible acts of His enemies to the fulfillment of His Holy purposes, and easily reverse any situation that He wishes to reverse.

Do we believe in a capital-B "Big" enemy with a lower-case-g-god? (Then our prayers are finished before they've started.) OR do we believe in a Great and Faithful God who is King over even His enemies?

Could our own assumptions be deceiving us?

Joseph went to Egypt as a slave, and was imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit. Why? To initiate God's promise of making them into a nation, and bringing them out by a great deliverance.
Did anyone know that at the time? -- No.
Did it matter that they didn't know it? -- No.

Joshua lost at Ai. Why? God did not grant them victory. He had to deal with their sin first.

Gideon cowered from the Midianites. God made their enemies strong. Why? They were chasing false gods, and hostile to YHWH. Then God threw those same enemies into confusion.

The Ark was captured by the Philistines, because they treated God as a means to an end. But even there God showed Himself greater than His enemies.

Problems are not always because of sin, either. Zechariah and Elisabeth didn't have a son, even into their old age. Was it sin? No. God had particular plans for the timing and nature of John the Baptist's birth.

The opposition we face is PART of God's plan. It can demonstrate the sustaining power of God even in hardship. It helps us to rely on Him, and not some external formula. It exalts God's ability to change an obstinate and wayward heart (Saul of Tarsus comes to mind) for His glory.

Roman might was overthrown by arms stretched out on crosses and necks stretched out before swords. "Jesus is Lord" was the final statement many of them would ever speak.

God prevailed.

The strength our enemies have are limited to the strength God permits them to have.
Even in their hate of Him, they are unintentionally glorifying the Greatness of His Name.
His Enemies are putting forward their strongest competing ideas, philosophies, governments, virtues, loves.
The Lord patiently permits them to put forward these best arguments, to have those idols shine in their fullest strength.
Until He tires of it, and sweeps them away into the rubbish heap with all the others.

He is MORE Glorious.
He is MOST Glorious.