It's Really Him!

One of the most profound moments in my life was when I heard the Scripture, "God speaks once, yea twice, and man perceiveth it not", Job 33:14. It was if my eyes were opened and I began to understand that all of the things we think of as coincidence are God. Does that sound crazy? Look at the rest of what He has to say about it. Read Ephesians 1:11, "...In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will." Or, Proverbs 16:1, "The preparations of the heart in man, and the answer of the tongue, is from the Lord", and verses 9&10, "A man's heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.  A divine sentence is in the lips of the king: his mouth transgresseth not in judgment". How about Psalm 139:1-18, "O lord, thou hast searched me, and known me.
² Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off.
³ Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.
⁴ For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O Lord, thou knowest it altogether.
⁵ Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it.
⁷ Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
⁸ If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
⁹ If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
¹⁰ Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.
¹¹ If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me.
¹² Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
¹³ For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.
¹⁴ I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
¹⁵ My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
¹⁶ Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.
¹⁷ How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!
¹⁸ If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee".
   These words of God are profound! We can rely on Him knowing that He knows. Verse 17 means He is constantly thinking about us...can you believe that?
   I remember being in my 30s, I was in the Army, basic training, and I had turned my back on the idea of God because I wanted to be 'sure'. I wanted to 'know the truth' and not follow some ideology without proof, and so on. I had had many spiritual experiences throughout my life that I could not explain, but I was discounting them, because 'the brain is so wonderful' that I can't be sure that those things were from God. Anyway, things started happening to me that I just couldn't keep ignoring. Some how, everything I secretly hoped for was happening. Who knew me? Who loved me? Why? For instance, I was driving back to Fort Bragg from Baltimore as I did every weekend. My family lived there and my Captain gave me permission to make the trip. I was in a big windowless Chevy van. I noticed I was running out of gas and I had about 50 miles to go with not much in sight. I looked over on the seat and realized that my purse was gone! That meant, no id, no credit card, no money, and no way to call anyone if I ran out. I made a decision to turn around and go back to see if I could find my purse, when I happened to notice a pay phone on the side of the road. I thought that since the area was so rural, an operator might actually have some idea as to where that gas station was. Well, she didn't. But, as I put down the receiver, $1.10 fell into the change receptacle. I said, "What?", "What's this for?" So, shrugging, I put it into my pocket and continued down the road. Well, I came upon a gas station and I went to look for my purse. It was there, on the back side of a toilet in the bathroom. I was so grateful and desperate for gas that I didn't even bother to count the money. I just filled up the tank. I was $1.10 short. What was in my pocket? You know? A lot of things are hard to understand aren't they? So many of these kinds of things happened to my that one day, I finally had to get down on my knees and say thank you. I had to acknowledge this Person who went so out of His way to get my attention.
   Through the years, I began to see that the Scriptures upheld this idea about His love. Then one day, I heard Job 33:14 and the light went on. He is GOD. He is omniscient, powerful, loving, and Wonderful! His Word stands. There is an Enemy, and Adversary. Those not under the umbrella of His protection due to their rejection of His authority are in extreme danger. God still speaks to them, He still reaches to them, but He will not force them. And yet, when they do call on Him in their distress, He answers. It's really Him! Psalm 107 talks about the cycle of those who call on the Lord, he answers them and repeat, such as seen in verses 10-15, "Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron; Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High: Therefore he brought down their heart with labour; they fell down, and there was none to help. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he saved them out of their distresses. He brought them out of darkness and the shadow of death, and brake their bands in sunder. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!" Psalm 107 sheds a lot of light on what is happening in this world.
   There are two camps...those who have obeyed from the heart the Word of God in trusting the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus for their redemption, who have believed God, that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him, (not to heap treasures upon themselves, but spiritual treasures); and those who refuse Him, for whatever reason. One is under the direct tutelage of the Holy Spirit, and one is a target for the Enemy of God who goeth about seeking whom he may devour.    
   We may find our refuge today, Romans 9:8-11, " But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed". Praise God for His wonderful Plan and love to the children of men!