The Outcome is Determined
Scripture: Job 14:4Devotional Series: Sovereignty and Prayer
Teaching: Sovereignty and Prayer pt. 2 (SUN_AM 2024-11-24) by Pastor Star R Scott
Psalm 139:13 says, “For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knows right well (very well, we like to say).” So, it’s just a great time of rejoicing in our great creation and God’s purpose for us.
We look over at Job, and the fourteenth chapter of Job gives us these promises, and it’s—I know when I was lying in the hospital back there a few years ago, and at one time being in pretty bad shape, and I just really felt like I was at a place that I could choose to go or stay. You talk about perfect peace. Just so peaceful and just like, you know, I could—it was just like the Lord was just so present, and I’m like, “Man, I’m out of here, man. How cool this is.” It was just me and the Lord. I know I was hallucinating through all of those different things, but just sensing that presence of God and thought, “Lord, I want to come home.” And to hear that voice, “No, there’s still a little more to be done. It’s not your day.” What a peace; amen? And just, “Okay. Here we go. We’ll go back, pick this thing up, and see what You have for us.” But here in Job 14, he makes this statement, verse 4, “Who can bring a clean thing out of the unclean?” He goes on and he says, “not one. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.” Well, we know the Scripture says threescore and ten and eighty if you’re strong. The promise that was given in Genesis of a hundred and twenty seemingly to be the outside perimeter. Oh, dear lord, how horrible that would be. But our days are appointed; amen? So, we rest in that and in God’s wisdom.
Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.” It was amazing, the confidence that the covenant people of God—where it was the Urim and Thummim—we see in the book of Acts where there was a trust in the casting of lots, that God ordered those. You notice they didn’t consider it being chance; they considered it being direction, ordained, the outcome. Though we don’t understand it thoroughly, we have enough understanding to know that it brings us to the rest of God effecting His will regardless of circumstances. That there is not fate; there is not chance. Have you ever sat down and listened to the explanation of the mathematics, the laws of mathematics, of chance? You know, we have a simple understanding that in theory if you flip a coin, you’ve got a 50/50 shot. When you get into real odds, that’s not the case. We’ve found that many times, haven’t we, in doing different things? You can flip it and it can come up heads a dozen times in a row. It’s eventually going to average out to a certain place.
God directs the casting of lots, if you please. Whenever He’s directed them, you can be sure that He will affect the outcome. So, I encourage us all that when we pray, the will of God is already determined by God’s sovereignty to effect itself in a manner or in a time that He’s predetermined. The predetermination based upon foreknowledge and sovereignty or omnipotence. I’ll say it a different way. God’s will will be done. Amen? He has the power to effect it. He’s already lived in it, eternity; there are no surprises to God. So, the one thing we can rest in is in the promises of us being conformed to the image of Jesus and that He will do all things according to His divine purpose. That’s where we find our rest.
Father, we thank You for that rest. Even those of us who are facing different tests and trials. Some of us are battling physical ailments. Some of us have decisions before us on life choices, of occupations or different areas of interpersonal relationships. Here’s the thing we know: that You work everything after the counsel of Your own will. This one thing we know: the counsel of the Lord will stand. This we know: man’s goings are of the Lord. So, we rest in the course that You would take us and that You will then ultimately, Romans 8, work all things together for good to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. And for that we give You all the praise, Father, and all of the glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
We look over at Job, and the fourteenth chapter of Job gives us these promises, and it’s—I know when I was lying in the hospital back there a few years ago, and at one time being in pretty bad shape, and I just really felt like I was at a place that I could choose to go or stay. You talk about perfect peace. Just so peaceful and just like, you know, I could—it was just like the Lord was just so present, and I’m like, “Man, I’m out of here, man. How cool this is.” It was just me and the Lord. I know I was hallucinating through all of those different things, but just sensing that presence of God and thought, “Lord, I want to come home.” And to hear that voice, “No, there’s still a little more to be done. It’s not your day.” What a peace; amen? And just, “Okay. Here we go. We’ll go back, pick this thing up, and see what You have for us.” But here in Job 14, he makes this statement, verse 4, “Who can bring a clean thing out of the unclean?” He goes on and he says, “not one. Seeing his days are determined, the number of his months are with thee, thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass.” Well, we know the Scripture says threescore and ten and eighty if you’re strong. The promise that was given in Genesis of a hundred and twenty seemingly to be the outside perimeter. Oh, dear lord, how horrible that would be. But our days are appointed; amen? So, we rest in that and in God’s wisdom.
Proverbs 16:33 says, “The lot is cast into the lap; but the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord.” It was amazing, the confidence that the covenant people of God—where it was the Urim and Thummim—we see in the book of Acts where there was a trust in the casting of lots, that God ordered those. You notice they didn’t consider it being chance; they considered it being direction, ordained, the outcome. Though we don’t understand it thoroughly, we have enough understanding to know that it brings us to the rest of God effecting His will regardless of circumstances. That there is not fate; there is not chance. Have you ever sat down and listened to the explanation of the mathematics, the laws of mathematics, of chance? You know, we have a simple understanding that in theory if you flip a coin, you’ve got a 50/50 shot. When you get into real odds, that’s not the case. We’ve found that many times, haven’t we, in doing different things? You can flip it and it can come up heads a dozen times in a row. It’s eventually going to average out to a certain place.
God directs the casting of lots, if you please. Whenever He’s directed them, you can be sure that He will affect the outcome. So, I encourage us all that when we pray, the will of God is already determined by God’s sovereignty to effect itself in a manner or in a time that He’s predetermined. The predetermination based upon foreknowledge and sovereignty or omnipotence. I’ll say it a different way. God’s will will be done. Amen? He has the power to effect it. He’s already lived in it, eternity; there are no surprises to God. So, the one thing we can rest in is in the promises of us being conformed to the image of Jesus and that He will do all things according to His divine purpose. That’s where we find our rest.
Father, we thank You for that rest. Even those of us who are facing different tests and trials. Some of us are battling physical ailments. Some of us have decisions before us on life choices, of occupations or different areas of interpersonal relationships. Here’s the thing we know: that You work everything after the counsel of Your own will. This one thing we know: the counsel of the Lord will stand. This we know: man’s goings are of the Lord. So, we rest in the course that You would take us and that You will then ultimately, Romans 8, work all things together for good to those who love You and are called according to Your purpose. And for that we give You all the praise, Father, and all of the glory, in Jesus’ name. Amen.