4“Where were you when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell Me, if you have understanding, 5Who set its measurements? Since you know. Or who stretched the line on it? 6“On what were its bases sunk? Or who laid its cornerstone,
Job 38:4-6 (NASB)
10 And, “YOU, LORD, IN THE BEGINNING LAID THE FOUNDATION OF THE EARTH, AND THE HEAVENS ARE THE WORKS OF YOUR HANDS;
Heb 1:10 (NASB)
The solar system revolves around the sun. The Earth is flat. Man will never fly. It is impossible to fly faster than the speed of sound. Man can’t go to the moon.
Science set all these things at one time or another as immutable facts. At one time the church even persecuted people for heresy to suggest anything to the contrary of these ‘absolute facts’. Today, we know all of these statements aren’t accurate. Nicolaus Copernicus proved the Earth orbits the sun. Ferdinand Magellan circumnavigated the globe proving the earth is not flat. The Wright Brothers flew for the first time at Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Chuck Yeager broke the sound barrier. Neil Armstrong was the first man on the moon. The world changes with or without our approval.
I see those who follow Science, big ‘S’, as an absolute valuation of life like Job, sometimes. Job thought he knew it all. He complained mightily about the changes that had come into his life as unfair believing he knew everything there was to know about how things ought to be in life. God reached out and set him straight.
We run around in our lives like Job. We schedule our lives, time everything perfectly, plan to get the most out of each and every minute. Then, something unexpected changes something else, tossing our plans into the trash. Some people are incapable of recovering and continuing with the day while others recover and regroup quickly making the best of the situation. The problem is, that change that came along really wasn’t ‘unexpected’, not by the Grand Scheduler, anyway. While we are languishing under what we see as destroyed plans, that amazing opportunity passes us by. While we sit catatonic in the rubble of a blasted Daytimer unable to recover, that big break slips away.
We as individuals, planning our lives ourselves, leave out the greater impact our decisions might have were we to operate inside a much wider sphere of understanding. If we acknowledge the part God plays in the creation of everything, in the foundation of all that is, we acknowledge a greater wisdom for directing the whole of creation and can view ‘change’ in a new light.
In the future, perhaps we would be better served giving up the pen, so to speak, when creating ‘our plans.’ The next time you’re preparing to outline a plan of action or schedule of events hold up the pen and ask the Master Scheduler for his input. You don’t have to ask out loud, or even do anything more than raise the pen skyward (or perhaps your hands if you’re just typing on a computer), he’ll know what you mean. If you ask for God’s input and allow him to direct your efforts you will see something amazing, something you’ve never seen before, I guarantee it.
Don’t raise your pen out of a sense of duty, or rules following, that isn’t the point. Raise your pen with a heart for discovery. Raise your pen seeking adventure. Raise that pen in the spirit of accepting a challenge and defy the unknown. You can handle it, I know you can and so does God. He knows because he was there at your foundation. He knows because he “…stretched a line…” on your soul and he thinks You Are Worthy.
Questions for Reflection
- When change strikes your plans do you react with anger or acceptance? How does this reaction affect your ability to move forward?
- Do you view change in your plans as Discovery or Destruction? How would it change your reaction if you viewed it as the other?
- Do you involve God in assisting with managing change in your plans? Why or why not?
This devotional relates to the scripture used in the book You Are Worthy by Mark Malcolm, coming to Kindle soon. To be kept up to date on the release of this, and other writings from The Cavalier, join us on Facebook HERE or follow us on Twitter @FirstChevalier
