Pulpit Magazine

(By Nathan Busenitz)

Over the last few days, we’ve seen that God’s character is absolutely trustworthy, and that His power means He is in total control. In other words, we can hope in God not only for who He is, but also for what He can do. Today we will consider a third reason to hope in Him.

3. HIS PLAN: We Can Hope in God Because He Knows Exactly What He’s Doing.

If God was merely all-powerful, haphazardly wielding brute force at random spurts throughout the universe, we might have reason to be frightened. But God is not only all-powerful, He is also all-wise. This means He has a perfect plan that He is faithfully working out in history (Isaiah 25:1). In Isaiah 46:10 God says, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.” Psalm 33:11 echoes, “The plans of the LORD stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations.”

But what does God’s plan include? The answer comes in at least two parts:

God’s plan ensures that He will receive maximum glory.

Scripture says everyone and everything was created by God to bring Him glory and praise (Isaiah 43:7; 1 Chronicles 16:2, 29:11; Psalms 8:1, 19:1; Ezekiel 43:2; 1 Corinthians 10:31). In fact, the primary reason God saved us was for His name’s sake as a gracious God (Psalm 79:9; Ezekiel 36:22; 1 John 2:12) — in order that we would eternally praise Him for His mercy (Romans 9:15–24). God’s passion for His own glory is not only right, but should be our greatest passion as well. After all, He is the only One in the universe worthy of such honor and praise.

Regarding hope, God’s passion for His own reputation guarantees that He will keep the promises He has made to His children. After all, were He to fail in keeping His word, His name would be tarnished and His glory would suffer. We can trust that God will keep His promises, not on account of our good works, but rather because His name is at stake (see Exodus 32:9–14). For the sake of His glory, He will certainly follow through on all that He has promised to us.

God’s plan ensures that believers will receive maximum good.

In perfect conjunction with His glory, God’s plan also includes the well-being of His people. The apostle Paul declares that “in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose” (Romans 8:28). In other words, God uses every circumstance and every person in our lives for our spiritual betterment — to make us more like Christ. Granted, the good sometimes comes in the form of discipline (Hebrews 12:10) or trials (James 1:2–3). Yet, even these are for our good — that through repentance or endurance we would grow stronger in our faith. Of course, God’s definition of good does not necessarily include the temporal pleasures and wealth we so often desire. Rather, He defines it in terms of our spiritual growth and eternal benefit.

In His perfect wisdom, God’s plan merges both His passion for His glory and His concern for our good. Consequently, we find our greatest joy and satisfaction (or good) when we are pursuing Him and His glory most vigorously. And vice versa. As John Piper says, “God is most glorified in us, when we are most satisfied in Him.”

Because God’s plan includes our good, we can rest confidently in His promises to us. Not only are the promises He makes unbreakable, because His reputation is at stake, but they are also beneficial. They can be trusted because they were made with our best interest in mind.

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