GOD’S WAY ALWAYS WORKS By David Maddox
Modern Christianity seems to focus more on God’s work than on how or by whom that work is to be accomplished. They are not the same things and our failure to focus on God’s way and whom God has called to do His work explains why so much of our activity in seeking to do what Scripture makes clear is God’s work fails. Oh, we succeed in a physical sense by doing things the way the world does things, but fail in a spiritual and eternal sense and thus nothing really changes and the Kingdom does not advance even in the face of lots of excitement and large numbers. Scripture makes the distinction between God’s work and God’s ways for that work to be done clear. Through the Prophet Isaiah God declared:
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts,
Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.
“For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
So are My ways higher than your ways
And My thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
Scripture also shows us what happens when we seek to do God’s work by other than God’s way and by other than those called by God to accomplish that work. Perhaps the best example is when David wished to move the Ark of God to Jerusalem. That clearly was God’s work, but David failed to consult Scripture or pray to determine how or by whom that work was to be accomplished with disastrous results. They placed the Ark on a new cart and rejoiced before the Lord with all their might, but the oxen stumbled and Uzzah reached out his hand to steady the ark and was struck dead by God because he touched the Ark (1 Chronicles 13). It was the wrong person seeking to do God’s work the wrong way – a direct affront to God’s holiness.
Later after abandoning God’s work and leaving the Ark with the household of Oded-edom the Gittite – David consulted the Scriptures and learned of his mistake. The Ark could only be moved by being carried by the Levites on their shoulders. When those called by God did God’s work – God’s way – God blessed and the work was quickly accomplished (! Corinthians 15). If we truly want God’s work accomplished there is no alternative to allowing those God calls to do it God’s way.
About David Maddox – After a legal career in both Texas and Arizona that spanned over 40 years as a civil litigator, God called David to leave his law practice and work full time as Discipleship Director for Time to Revive. That call is really the fruit of decades of prayer for revival and teaching God’s Word, writing discipleship materials and seeking to make disciples. David married Janet Whitehead in 1976 and they minister together from their Phoenix home. God has blessed them with four children and thus far seven grandchildren.