Isa 6:22; Acts 8:1-6; James 1:1; 1Pet 1:1-2; Jeremiah 29:4-14; Phil 2:12
“I have put you where I have you”, therefore, any time we are, we are where God has us, and we are there for a reason until God says otherwise.
Some ways we end up where we find ourselves (this is not an exhaustive list), but through, or due to:
Tempting: though God does not tempt us, he allows us to be tempted (James 1:13; Prov 4). Sometimes we are where we are to be tested: character, integrity (Joseph, Jesus)
To be shown where we are strong, dependent, and properly inter-dependent (having victory over temptation - Gen 39:12; 1Sam 24:4-5)
To be shown where we are wise and discerning: that we flee strategically, proactively, avoiding peril and with it evil - seeing temptation coming and avoiding that road. (2Tim 2:22)
To be shown a weakness: we are not as strong, mature, wise, etc. as we thought we were (Prov 6)
To be shown area of youth, simpleness, underdevelopment, immaturity or an area of life, thinking, acting needing attention (Prov 1:1-6; Prov 2:1)
Sin: sometimes we are where we are because we have sinned or fallen short- consequence of sin (Moses, Samson, David, Prodigal - Luke 15:11-24, Peter, Saul/Paul)
Testing and Training: sometimes we are where we are to persevere, grow, be steeled, be tempered, matured, completed, developed (Abraham, Joseph, Job, David, Daniel, Nehemiah, Jesus; John Mark; Timothy, Apollos; Peter - Gal 2:11-21)
Deployed: sent, scattered, ambassadors for the Kingdom of Heaven - on co-mission so that those seeking God might find him - Acts 17:24-28 (Noah, Rahab, Deborah, Gideon, Ruth, Philip, Priscilla and Aquila, Heb 11; Acts 8; James 1; 1Peter 1)
But, whatever the circumstance of our being somewhere, we are where we are for a reason, God is by no means unaware of where we are or what we are going through, and through it, God is always with us accomplishing His will in us and through us according to His will, purposes, and promises.
What is our responsibility? How are we to be? How are we to view times such as this?
Jeremiah 29:4-14 How we are to live, what we are to do, by God’s commands, according to God’s will (vs. 5-6. - or as Paul would say - or, build a house and remain single! 1Cor 7:8, 17-24, 27-35, 40)
4This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles who were carried away from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5“Build houses and settle down. Plant gardens and eat their produce. 6Take wives and have sons and daughters. Take wives for your sons and give your daughters in marriage, so that they too may have sons and daughters. Multiply there; do not decrease. 7Seek the prosperity of the city to which I have sent you as exiles. Pray to the LORD on its behalf, for if it prospers, you too will prosper.”
8For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them. 9For they are falsely prophesying to you in My name; I have not sent them, declares the LORD.”
10For this is what the LORD says: “When Babylon’s seventy years are complete, I will attend to you and confirm My promise to restore you to this place. 11For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, to give you a future and a hope. 12Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. 13You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. 14I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore you from captivity and gather you from all the nations and places to which I have banished you, declares the LORD. I will restore you to the place from which I sent you into exile.” - Jeremiah 29:4-14
How should we approach such a time?
Philippians 2:5-18 The attitude with which we are to do what we are supposed to do -
12Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
14Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain. 17But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you. 18So you too should be glad and rejoice with me.
Warped or crooked - unfair and torturous; dried out - morally twisted because of lacking the oil of the Holy Spirit - hence they and their good works or offerings are unacceptable to God
Wicked
Crooked or perverted - thoroughly distorts, misinterpreted, corrupts, twists in two - opposes - what is (true/truth/right and righteous) opposite from the shape of form it should be -
Turn aside from right path - wicked
Morally wrong, unscrupulous
Generation - Whole multitude of men living at the same time
Among whom - we stand in stark contrast - like stars in the black abyss of the universe - as your life reflects a different and definite life and light (John 1:4-5; 8:12; Matt 5:14)
Hold on to - hold out
On to - cling to, adhere to, live out gladly, joyfully, peaceably, faithfully - taking hold of that which has taken hold of you
Out - to and for the sake of others, living out our faith, we hold out our faith, we wait to share our faith - being a light to the world (Matt 5:14)
Gospel - the good news of God’s grace for them or message of life - having the right to become, believing, we have been made children of God
It is for this we have been left here, to be a testimony of God’s mercy and grace. By our living in the confidence of God’s working in us - without complaining or arguing - recognizing His placing us right where He wants and working it for our good, we are kept “blameless (deserving no censure - having no fault because we have not faulted God) and pure (of mind - by not insisting that my opinion about this thing ought to be considered as much as God’s will and purposes - but instead, simply trusting God’s leading - we show ourselves as true...simply trusting, we are simply faithful) children of light” this refusal to argue with God, but coming to gladly submit to His placement of me becomes and IS - our contrasting the ills - the perversion and corruption - of this world. We walk as ones who are coming to believe, to be persuaded, that God is good, that He is for us, that we are loved and cared for, and recognize the privilege we have to be the light of His presence here in “this place”
1Peter 2:9-10 “...as we are God’s possession, dearly loved, being treated as a Father treats the child He loves” (Hebrews 12)
Titus 2:11-15 live and act in a way
“...that you can be fully trusted, so that in every way you will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. For the grace of God has appeared offering salvation to all people. It teaches us to say “no” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope - the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. These, then, are the things you should teach.``
1Cor 7:29-31
29What I mean, brothers and sisters, is that the time is short. From now on those who have wives should live as if they do not; 30those who mourn, as if they did not; those who are happy, as if they were not; those who buy something, as if it were not theirs to keep; 31those who use the things of the world, as if not engrossed in them. For this world in its present form is passing away.
