There are things in this world that simply make sense to us. They make sense to God, also. We plant a seed, and after a period of waiting, it breaks forth into new life. We cast a line, and before the sun falls below the horizon, we dine on fish for our supper.
It is when we try to force our world out of its natural order that we make our lives difficult.
Isaiah 29:12 tells us, “And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, ‘Read this,’ he says, ‘I cannot read.’ ”
That seems obvious to us. If a man has not been taught to read, then he will not be able to read the Scriptures. No one would question the brilliance in that seemingly obvious observation.
Yet, how many times do we sit under the teachings of God’s Word and not see the obvious? God connects the dots, and we cannot find the pattern. The afternoon follows the morning, and we fail to understand that his Word is no more than a natural progression of events, ideas, and expectations that simply make sense to God.
Oh, that they would make sense to us, also.
Matthew gives us a wealth of insight into God’s natural order of things. Let’s look at several examples:
Example #1:
Matthew 1:18. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit.”
The world tells us the virgin birth is impossible. Yet, the afternoon follows the morning, and the new plant follows the seed. In God’s way of thinking, the birth of Jesus makes perfect sense.
Example #2:
Matthew 11:11. “Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
These words apply to the entirety of God’s creation. If we come to Christ and accept him as our savior, we are elevated to the greatest of honors. We don’t have to be a great evangelist, winning huge swaths of converts. We only have to know him as our God to fall within his orderly plan.
Example #3:
Matthew 7:16-20. “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
These examples showcase the wisdom of man, but they exemplify the wisdom of God. If we pay attention, God’s order makes sense, both in the natural realm as well as in the spiritual realm.
Example #4:
Matthew 16:19. “I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.”
When we become sons and daughters of Christ, we will be imbued with power from on high. We don’t have to back down in the face of the devil. That falls in God’s natural order.
Example #5:
Matthew 17:11-13. “He answered, ‘Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.’ Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.”
We learn two things about God’s way of thinking from this passage. First, he expects us to use his historical revelation, the Bible, as our guide in understanding how he works in our lives. The second is that we cannot skip the steps that must occur for him to work his will in the world around us.
We cannot harvest the seed before we plant it. There is a three-month interval between digging the hole and pulling the fruit from the vine. Yet, we pray, and we expect God to bring our demands to fruition on the morning. That doesn’t make sense, either in the natural world or in the spiritual one.
Let’s give God his due. He knows what he’s doing. He orders all of creation, and the afternoon follows the morning. When we pray, we plant the seed. We must then weed, water, work the soil, and generally quit expecting God to be a magician.
Our answers will come in the natural order of things.
God is a God that makes sense, if only we let him be God.
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