God Is at Work
"Jesus also said, 'Here is another illustration of what the Kingdom of God is like: A farmer planted seeds in a field, and then he went on with his other activities. As the days went by, the seeds sprouted and grew without the farmer's help, because the earth produces crops on its own. First a leaf blade pushes through, then the heads of wheat are formed, and finally the grain ripens. And as soon as the grain is ready, the farmer comes and harvests it with a sickle'" Mark 4:26-29 (NLT).
Sometimes it seems like the Devil is winning.
All around us there is crime and hurt and evil and depression and oppression and aggravation and heartbreak. People are being hurt. Relationships are ending. Homes are shattered. Drugs are used. Alcohol flows. Immorality reigns. Anti-God rhetoric spews. Sleep is lost. Pain is felt. Loss comes. Loneliness assaults. Time flees. Pressure presses. Trouble stirs.
Everywhere we look, we see evil at work.
Sometimes, even though we believe in God, our spirits languish - - maybe for only a moment, but they languish. We wonder, "Where is God? Why doesn't he hear? Why doesn't he answer?"
The truth is that God is there. He is working - - always. He is winning, not the Devil. It may appear like the Devil is winning, but he isn't, and his end is inevitable. His kingdom is powerful, but God's is vastly more powerful. In fact, the Devil's kingdom of darkness is only a small black dot on a universe-size white page compared to God's Kingdom of light!
God is a winner, the Devil is a loser. God's Kingdom is growing, and growing, and growing - - whether we see it or not. God is working, whether we know it or not. God is producing growth, in us and others who seek him, whether we perceive it or not. He is prevailing, always prevailing.
It may seem slow. It may seem that God is not working at all. We may look at our church, our life, our circumstances, our friends, our family, our jobs, our children, our grandchildren and think, "God has forgotten me. He is losing out in this situation." But the truth is that God always wins.
Remember, God has no equal. He has no opposite. If someone asked you, "What is the opposite of God?" You might be tempted to answer, "The Devil," but you'd be wrong. God has no opposite. The opposite of our good God would have to be an evil God. But there is only one God. The Devil is only a fallen angel. The opposite of the Devil might be the Archangel, Michael, or some other angel, but certainly not God.
God is alone. He has no opposite. He has no equal. He will win - - always, in every situation, in all of life, and for all eternity.
His Kingdom will prevail. His purposes will succeed. His plans will triumph. His desires will be victorious. Nothing and no one can stop him. He has set out to save souls, and he shall. He has set out to have personal relationships with those who seek him, and he will.
No matter what we may think. No matter what we may feel. No matter what may seem to be happening right now in our lives or the lives of those we love, God will prevail in the end - - with us or without us. His kingdom will prevail.
If we seek him out; if we pay attention to his words; if we are proud to be his - - then we shall rise with his Kingdom, and his victory will be ours. But if we fight him, ignore him, disobey him - - his victory will be our defeat.
Why? Because his Kingdom will grow - - as surely as the farmer's seed, whether we know it or not. First a seed, then a leaf blade, then the wheat, and then the harvest time comes when Jesus shall appear.
It is the most sure thing in this life - the growth and triumph of God's Kingdom. So trust him. He will come through in the end - - for us, and all those we love who seek him.
For God is ever, always, unceasingly at work. Bank on it.