Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

Today’s devotion comes from Exodus 23:27-33.

“27 I will send My terror ahead of you, and throw into confusion all the people among whom you come, and I will make all your enemies turn their backs to you. 28 I will send hornets ahead of you so that they will drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before you. 29 I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you. 30 I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land. 31 I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you. 32 You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. 33 They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”  Exodus 23:27-33.

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Sometimes we wonder why God does not wipe out all of our enemies at once. He could wipe out all our enemies at once.

Sometimes we wonder why God gives us just enough money to get by. He could give us a fortune so we never had to worry about money again.

Sometimes we wonder why we don’t fully recover from health problems or at least recover as quickly as we could. He could perform a miracle on us as recorded in the Gospels.

Sometimes we wonder why we seem to face so many obstacles in advancing in our jobs. He could remove those obstacles and promote us.

Sometimes we wonder why …

God does not always tell us why He does not do so. But, in today’s Scripture, God explained why He planned to take years to drive out the Hivites, the Canaanites, and the Hittites before Israel: “I will not drive them out before you in a single year, that the land may not become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.” Verse 29.

Scripture teaches us that “… God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:28.

“For the Lord God is a sun and shield; The Lord gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly.” Psalm 84:11.

“He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?” Romans 8:32.

There are always good reasons why God doesn’t do something for us that seems clearly good for us, or on the other hand, why God allow things to happen to us that seem clearly bad for us. We need to trust God.

Sometimes God gives us reasons. In addition to today’s Scripture, we see other Scriptures where God gives reasons. Here is another example.

“Jesus presented another parable to them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went away. But when the wheat sprouted and bore grain, then the tares became evident also. The slaves of the landowner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ And he said to them, ‘An enemy has done this!’ The slaves *said to him, ‘Do you want us, then, to go and gather them up?’ But he *said, ‘No; for while you are gathering up the tares, you may uproot the wheat with them. Allow both to grow together until the harvest; and in the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather up the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them up; but gather the wheat into my barn.”’” Matthew 13:24-30.

But, sometimes God does not give us a reason (or, at least as clearly and quickly as we may want).

For example, as I was struggling with the financial trouble, I thought:

“Lord, I have been good. I have been doing the right things. I have had faith. Why don’t you deliver me now?!”

Over time, I began to understand that the Lord’s delivery is not dependent on how good we are or how right we are in doing the right things or how much faith we have. We can’t treat God like a cosmic bubble gum machine and insert a coin of “good work” or “faith” and immediately receive the bubble gum of “deliverance”.

The Lord may delay delivery sometimes to allow the testing of our faith: “that the proof of your faith, being more precious than gold which is perishable, even though tested by fire, may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ;” 1 Peter 1:7.

In conclusion, we need to trust God.

“¹ Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
² For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb.
³ Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.”  Psalm 37:1-3.