Sovereign Choice

UV 2296/10000 Sovereign Choice
For the scripture saith unto Pharaoh, Even for this same purpose have I raised thee up, that I might shew my power in thee, and that my name might be declared throughout all the earth.
Romans 9 v 17

The Lord in His sovereignty chooses whom He should show grace and mercy and whose heart He should allow to harden against the Lord. The latter might be an oppressive wind to the former or the believers but the Lord will send His wind of grace and mercy at the time they face oppression. The Lord raised Pharaoh to be a great worldly power but He also used Pharaoh to bestow a position of great responsibility, power and privilege upon a Jewish slave- Joseph. Egypt under Pharaoh was the world’s super power but the Lord raised the son of Jewish slaves- Moses in the house of Pharaoh. Even today, He might harden the hearts of powerful people against us but at the time of such oppressive wind blowing upon us, He will blow a favourable wind over us.

The purpose and plan of the Lord is to reveal or manifest His glory in our midst. He takes us from the pit and puts us in the cockpit. The Lord allowed Nebuchadnezzar, the emperor of Babylon to become a great power but He used the exile Daniel to extract praise and a testimony from the mouth of the proud king. The power of faith and of the Lord are best demonstrated against a background of heavy odds or adverse circumstances. Our reliance should not be on “Pharaoh” or worldly powers but upon the mercy and grace of the Lord. The might of Pharaoh perished with ancient Egypt but the testimony of the power, mercy and grace of the Lord remains with us.

IF we align our life’s purpose with the plan and purpose of the Lord, we too will leave behind a legacy of our faith. If we struggle against such a plan and purpose, we suffer the consequences and the pain. In many of the events of our lives, we see that the Lord allows powerful persons to persecute us but out of the persecution, we will see His hand of deliverance. His objective is that the story of our deliverance from such powerful forces will add to the glory of the Lord. He can and does turn around any situation back on its head but while we are waiting, we need to be faithful, patient, expectant and grateful. Why did God choose Abel over Cain, Jacob over Esau, Joseph over his brothers, Moses out of the rest of enslaved Israel or out of his family, you and me over the rest of the world: the answer is – the Lord has mercy on whom He chooses. It is not for us to question, doubt or dispute. When our destination is God, our destiny is God-shaped and directed. Between start and finish of history or story of any individual, there are many detours. We might even wonder how life is shaping up. But, the stories in which God plays a role has the best endings.

Prateep V Philip