A Divine Order

Happy New Month! It’s been quite the year. Glory to God. In the course of my Christian walk and my study of scriptures, I have increasingly become a student of patterns, not in the least because of their reproducibility but also because they help to shape and guide expectations.

We live in a world where human agency is important. Oftentimes God will use others to intervene or interfere with the events and affairs of our lives. He could use them actively or passively.

It is also our common response that we can sometimes turn to men, seeking from them specific help, interventions, and favours, and often we end up disappointed, discouraged, and maybe even bitter because we think they are ‘simply‘ refusing to respond favourably to us. After all, it is entirely up to them to do so. But is it?

[11]Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.
[12]And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

Jeremiah 42:11-12

This was God speaking to the children of Israel through the prophet Jeremiah. It concerned the role of the king of Babylon in the administration of God’s judgment in that season. Notice what God says: ‘I will shew mercies unto you that he (the King of Babylon) may have mercy unto you… ‘

I spent some time contemplating that verse. Why didn’t God say I will cause him to show you mercy? Technically that will still achieve the same outcome. But it’s instructive, that God phrases it the way he did. He is making it clear that the only reason why the king will have mercy on them is that He(God) has first had mercy on them.

This is an important point we must note, for the help, favors, and interventions that we are quick to seek from men, except God first acts in that way towards us, men are incapable of doing anything.

[26]And as the king of Israel was passing by upon the wall, there cried a woman unto him, saying, Help, my lord, O king.
[27]And he said, If the LORD do not help thee, whence shall I help thee? out of the barnfloor, or out of the winepress?

2 Kings 6:26-27

We see a similar pattern here. A woman is in a dire situation, and she calls out to the king for help. We note the response of the king. He said: ‘If the Lord do not help thee, whence shall I help thee?’. Notice the order again: Except the Lord acts, it’s in vain to look to men and expect action from men. It will only end in frustration and disappointment.

This is a divine order.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. (KJV)

James 1:17

It is to God we must first look. Not men. Men can only bring forth that which God has established. Except God acts, man can’t. And if we have secured God’s intervention, we can be sure that men will be moved to act accordingly.

What does this mean for us?

For starters, it changes our estimation of men. We cease to be intimidated or afraid of their abilities and authority.

It changes our approach to prayer and to the scriptures. We realize that, we must first secure in God his desired outcome for us, before we turn to men, for the act of God is the most decisive part of the process.

It also protects us from the anger, disappointment, and frustration that can seep into our hearts when we think men are deliberately being unhelpful and it’s in their power to act favorably to us.

So from today, make a quality decision to always go to God first, secure his hand as it were before you engage with men, and you will find a world of progress and possibility.