A Vigorous, Firm Grip

God has always had a firm grip on things. I can't imagine that He's ever NOT been vigorous, but I've never sensed it like this. I don't know why He's making this truth come extra-alive in my heart at this time, but He is. Maybe this is for you to grab hold of. Maybe it's just so that I can pray with more confidence and force in these perilous times. Whatever God's reason, I feel strongly that I'm supposed to share this with you.

Looking back through history and looking around at the perilous times in which we live, it doesn't feel as though His grip is all that firm. But Scripture is clear in many places: He will have His way with His creation. As the Psalmist said to the Lord, "All things serve You." (Psalm 119:91).


Psalm 2 also frequently crosses my thoughts:

Why are the nations in an uproar, and their people involved in a vain plot?
As the kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers conspire together against the LORD and his anointed one, they say,
"Let us tear off their shackles from us, and cast off their chains."
He who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord scoffs at them.
In his anger he rebukes them, and in his wrath he terrifies them:
"I have set my king on Zion, my holy mountain."
Let me announce the decree of the LORD that he told me: "You are my son, today I have become your father.
Ask of me, and I will give you the nations as your inheritance, the ends of the earth as your possession.
You will break them with an iron rod, you will shatter them like pottery."
Therefore, kings, act wisely! Earthly rulers, be warned!
Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the son before he becomes angry, and you die where you stand. Indeed, his wrath can flare up quickly. How blessed are those who take refuge in him.

So, what is He waiting for? He has His reasons which I'm sure we don't fully understand. But Jesus gives us a glimpse through this parable in Matthew 13, verses 24-30 and 36-43:

He presented another parable to them, saying, "The kingdom from heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field.
While people were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. When the crop came up and bore grain, the weeds appeared, too.
The owner's servants came and asked him, 'Master, you sowed good seed in your field, didn't you? Then where did these weeds come from?'
He told them, 'An enemy did this!' The servants asked him, 'Then do you want us to go and pull them out?'
He said, 'No! If you pull out the weeds, you might pull out the wheat with them.
Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, "Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning, but bring the wheat into my barn."

Then Jesus left the crowds and went into the house. His disciples came to him and asked, "Explain to us the parable about the weeds in the field."
He answered, "The person who sowed good seed is the Son of Man,
while the field is the world. The good seed are those who belong to the kingdom, while the weeds are those who belong to the evil one.
The enemy who sowed them is the devil, the harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are the angels.
Just as weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so it will be at end of the age.
The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes others to sin and those who practice lawlessness
and they will throw them into a blazing furnace. In that place there will be wailing and gnashing of teeth.
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in their Father's kingdom. Let the person who has ears listen!"

Many other passages in Scripture also assure us that God is in charge and will have His way with His creation. Lately, though, I've been sensing this truth in my spirit more than ever before. I sense strongly that He is vigorously working with a firm grip to have His way and that NOTHING escapes His grip.

There have always been people and plots trying to take over the world, to throw God out, and to live as though there is no God or as though Evil (including satan and his minions) is in a fair fight with God. Hogwash! Though satanists claim otherwise, Evil, no matter how insidious or persistent, never has and never will stand a chance. God is not interested in a fair fight with Evil; He is vigorously pursuing His dreams and plans, then abolishing Evil. He absolutely intends to have His way. You can rest assured in that.

Through Jesus, He is reconciling all things to Himself (Colossians 1:20). He didn't get into this creation to make Himself miserable. No, there's something very special that He intends and He will get what He wants. 

Note: All Scripture passages in this post are taken from the ISV (International Standard Version; typically I use the NKJV, aka the New King James Version).