God Speaks Through Circumstances Series

But Job didn’t content himself with the perspective of men. He sought to understand God’s perspective.

Consequently, Job learned that God had purposes for his life that transcended Job’s perspective - that God wanted to work through Job’s life to bring glory to Himself, to provide a testimony to others, to bring Job to a deeper sense of dependence on God, and to lead Job into a deeper relationship with Him.

Having gained God’s perspective on his circumstances, Job adjusted his life to God (Read Job 42:1-6).

To understand your circumstances, God’s perspective is vital. When you face difficult or confusing circumstances, they can overwhelm you. If you put yourself in the middle of your circumstance and try to look at God, your understanding will be distorted.

You might have the perspective of Job’s wife or his friends, whose perspective on Job’s situation was definitely incorrect. Instead, like Job, you need to seek, through prayer and searching for the wisdom of God as revealed through His Word, to gain God’s perspective on your circumstance.

(Corrie Ten Boom Story)

In our World War II prison camp, Betsie and I had to go on roll call very early in the bitterly cold morning. Once, while we were on roll call, a cruel guard kept us standing for a long, long time. Suddenly, a skylark began to sing in the sky, and all the prisoners looked up to listen to that bird’s song. As I looked at the bird I saw the sky, I thought of Psalms 103:11 -"For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is his mercy toward them that fear him," - Psalms 103:11 (KJV). God sent that skylark daily for three weeks, exactly during roll call, to turn our eyes away from the cruelty of men to the ocean of His love.

God has a right to interrupt my life! He is Lord! When I accepted Him as Lord, I gave Him permission to help Himself to my life anytime He wants, and He will!

That’s why we need to be single-minded in our surrender to God. It is only then, that when we go through the various circumstances that our Lord sovereignly allows to come into our lives, that we will be able to discern His perspective and have His guidance.

2. Evaluate your circumstances in light of God’s past dealings.

(Read Joshua 4:1-7)

These stones were to be a reminder of a mighty act of God in behalf of His people.

On many other occasions men built altars or set up stones as a reminder of a significant encounter with God (Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel). They provided an opportunity to teach their children about the ability of God to work on behalf of His people. But the important point that we want to make is not just about teaching children the ways of God, that God works in sequence! What God did in the past was done with a kingdom purpose in mind. What He is doing in the present is in sequence with what He has done in the past and with the same kingdom purpose in mind. What He is doing in the present is in sequence with the future.

When God called Abraham (Gen. 12), He began to develop a people for Himself. When He came to Isaac, Isaac saw God’s perspective as God reminded Isaac of His relationship with Isaac’s father Abraham (Gen. 26:24). To Jacob God identified Himself as the God of Abraham and Isaac (Gen. 28:13). When God came to Moses, He helped Moses see what He was doing through history when He said He was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Ex. 3:6-10). At each new step in His divine plan, God involved a person. Often in the call, God rehearsed His activity so the individual could see God’s perspective on what was happening.