Does God Need
Opportunity? |
|
Elder
Herman Clark (dec) |
Reading
religious articles written in local papers often stirs up my
curiosity. Someone said that curiosity is what killed the
cat. That just may be the truth, I do not know.
One
particular part of an article written by a pastor in another
area of the state made this statement. ("First, in order to
become `fishers of men," the fishermen had to follow Jesus.
This implies that Jesus was going to show them how to reach
men with the gospel. When we look at His life, it is clear
that He did in deed make every effort to teach those around
Him. Whether it was by using His miraculous powers to
capture the attention of His audience (see Mark 2:8-12), or
taking advantage of the opportunities that each day afforded
Him (see John 4:27), Jesus made every effort to reach the
lost. In fact, He said: "for the Son of Man has come to
seek and to save that which was lost" (Luke 19:10). Not
only did Jesus fish for men, He left an example for others
to follow!
Does God
need opportunity to accomplish anything he desires? This is
a simple question and requires only one word to answer. The
answer is: NO! Simple answer, is it not? Who gave God the
opportunity to create the heaven and the earth? Men were not
there.
The word
"opportunity" is found five times in the scriptures. No
where does the word imply a hint that God needs opportunity
to save His people. What kind of a god does one believe in
to even think such?
Job said
in 23:13, "But he is in one mind, and who can turn him?
and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth." In this
particular verse, God sets forth His counsel and in no way
does he need the counsels of men to reach the desired end of
His mind and purpose. Isaiah said in 46:9-11, "Remember
the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none
else; I am God, and there is none like me, Declaring the end
from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that
are not yet done, saying My counsel shall stand, and I will
do all my pleasure: Calling a ravenous bird from the east,
the man that executeth my counsel from a far country: yea, I
have spoken it, I will also bring it to pass; I have
purposed it, I will also do it."
The five
verses where the word "opportunity" is found in the
scriptures are: Matthew 26:16, Luke 22:6, and Galatians
6:10, Philippians 4:10, and Hebrews 11:15. In Matthew and
Luke this word deals with Judas Iscariot and his seeking
opportunity to betray Jesus. The word opportunity as I have
mentioned found in Matthew 26:16 and Luke 22:6, has a
different meaning than the other three verses. Here it
simply means a "seasonable time." This is not God seeking an
opportunity to do His will but a man seeking opportunity.
In
Galatians 6:10, Notice Paul's statement in verses 9-10,
"And LET US not be weary in well doing: for in due season we
shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore
opportunity, LET US do good unto all men, especially unto
them who are of the household of faith." Once again this
deals with men. We are not to faint or grow weary in well
doing. Why? Because, in due season we shall reap, if we
faint not.
Brethren, there may be times that while marching to Zion we
want to sit down, as it is often said, give up, or throw the
towel into the ring. But Paul is reassuring us of a promise
which is the work of God and that is: "...in due season
we shall reap, if we faint not." When does a "due" time
come? It is at a time suitable to the matter in hand. We do
not reap before sowing. When OUR harvest time comes which
may be different in every detail from another, rest assured
it is a time suitable to the matter in hand.
In
Philippians 4:9-10, "Those things, which ye have both
learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and
the God of peace shall be with you. But I rejoiced in the
Lord greatly, that now at the last your care of me bath
flourished again; wherein ye were also careful, but ye
lacked opportunity." Here Paul is saying that these
brethren lacked opportunity in the care of him. They were
careful about the situation but did not have the opportunity
to do their hearts desire. Once again, this is not God
seeking opportunity but men. The word opportunity as used in
this verse is different than the other four. Here it is
teaching us that they in the Church of the Philippians
lacked something and that was simply an opportunity to care
for Paul.
We read
in the book of Hebrews 11:15, "And truly, if they had
been mindful of that country from whence they came out, they
might have had opportunity to have returned." In
this verse the word "opportunity" is used the same as in
Galatians 6:10.
God does
not seek an opportunity to do His work, "... and what his
soul desireth, even that he doeth." One more verse to
think on is found in Daniel 4:35: “And all the
inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing: and he
doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among
the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay his hand, or
say unto him, What doest thou?”
Comment: “To those who did not have the sweet privilege
of walking with Elder Clark; they have missed an opportunity
to follow a wonderful example of being a servant of Christ:
Even in times when he bore many burdens of his own, he still
endeavored to humbly serve the Lord's saints and His
Church.”
God
grant him rest, joy and peace in Heaven above! --Editor
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