Is God In Everything?

Recognizing God's presence in all aspects of life, including human actions and trials, is essential. Everything, even suffering caused by others, is part of God's plan and must be accepted as His will. By trusting in His sovereignty, believers can face difficulties with peace, knowing that God oversees all and uses even challenges for spiritual growth and triumph.

Amajor obstacle to living a life of total surrender is the difficulty of seeing God in everything.

People say, "I can submit to things from God. But, I cannot submit to man. "Most of my trials come through humans." Or, "It's fine to talk of trusting. But, when I commit a matter to God, man is sure to come in and mess it up. I can trust God, but I see serious problems with trusting men."”

This is no imaginary trouble. It is of vital importance. If it cannot be met, it makes faith an impossible, visionary theory. Nearly everything in life comes to us through human means. Most of our trials result from someone's failure, ignorance, carelessness, or sin. We know God cannot be the author of these things. Yet, unless He is the agent, how can we say to Him, "Your will be done"? Besides, what good is it to trust our affairs to God, if man can come in and disrupt them? And, how can we live by faith if we can't trust humans? They will have too much influence on our lives.

Moreover, things in which we can see God’s hand always have a sweetness in them which consoles while it wounds. But, man's trials are full of bitterness. So, we must see God in everything. We must accept all things as His direct gifts, with no second causes. We must be brought to this. Only then can we know a lasting experience of total abandonment and perfect trust. Our abandonment must be to God, not to man, and our trust must be in Him, not in any arm of flesh, or we shall fail at the first trial.

The question is, "Is God in everything? “Do we have scripture to accept everything from Him? It was caused by other factors."" I answer, unhesitatingly, yes. To the children of God, all comes from their Fath er's hand. It matters not who the apparent agents were. There are no “second causes” for them. The whole teaching of the Bible asserts and implies this. “Not a sparrow falls to the ground without our Father.” The very hairs of our head are all numbered. We are not to be careful about anything, because our Father cares for us. We are not to avenge ourselves, because our Father has charged Himself with our defence.

We are not to fear, for the Lord is on our side. No one can be against us, because He is for us. We shall not want, for He is our Shepherd. When we pass through the rivers, they shall not overflow us. When we walk through the fire, we shall not be burned. He will be with us. He shuts the mouths of lions, that they cannot hurt us. He delivers and rescues. He changes the times and the seasons; He removes kings and sets up kings. A man’s heart is in His hand, and, as the river of water, He turns it whithersoever He will.” "He rules over all the heathen kingdoms. In His hand is power and might. None can withstand Him."

He rules the raging of the sea; when the waves thereof arise, He stills them. He brings the advice of the unruly to mischief; He makes the devices of the people of no effect. Whatsoever the Lord pleases that does Him in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places. If you see the poor oppressed and justice perverted, don't marvel. For there is one higher than the highest. He sees all. These are a part of His ways, but how little a portion is heard of Him? But the thunder of His power, who can understand?”

"Have you not known, have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, does not grow faint or weary. There is no searching of His understanding.

And this God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear. The earth may be removed. The mountains may be carried into the sea. The waters may roar and be troubled.

The mountains may shake with their swelling. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Him will I trust. Surely He shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noise of some pestilence. He shall cover me with His feathers, and under His wings shall I trust. His truth shall be thy shield and buckler. Do not be afraid of the terror by night, or the arrow that flies by day. Do not fear the pestilence that walks in darkness, or the destruction that wastes at noon.

“A thousand may fall at your side, ten thousand at your right hand, but it will not c ome near you. You will only look with your eyes and see the recompense of the wicked. Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place, the Most High, who is my refuge, no evil shall be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent. For he will co mmand his angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways.”

Psalms 91:7-11 These Scriptures, and others like them, settle, once and for all, the question of second causes in the lives of God's children. They are all under the control of our Father. Nothing can touch us except with His knowledge and by His permission. Man's sin may cause the action. So, it can't be called God's will. But by the time it reaches us, it is God's will. We must accept it as directly from His hands.

No man or group, no power on earth or in heaven, can touch the soul that abides in Christ. They must first pass through Him and get His permission. If God be for us, it matters not who may be against us; nothing can disturb or harm us, except He shall see that it is best for us, and shall stand aside to let it pass. An earthly parent’s care for his helpless child is a feeble illustration of this. If the child is in its father’s arms, nothing can touch it without that father’s consent, unless he is too weak to prevent it.

And even if this should be the case, he suffers the harm first in his own person, before he allows it to reach his child. If an earthly parent would thus care for his helpless child, how much more will our Heavenly Father! His love is infinite. His strength and wisdom are unfailing.

Some, even of God's children, doubt His love and care. They secretly blame Him for neglect they would not tolerate. But His care is far beyond human care. He counts the hairs on our heads and knows when a sparrow falls. He watches every small thing that affects His children's lives. He controls them all according to His will, no matter their origin.

The instances of this are numberless. Take Joseph. What could seem more a result of sin than his being sold into slavery? It was u tterly against God's will. And yet Joseph, in speaking of it, said, “ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. ” Genesis 50:20.Now, do not be grieved or angry with yourselves for selling me. “ God sent me here to preserve life." To the eye of sense, it was surely Joseph's wicked brethren who had sent him into Egypt.

Yet, with faith, Joseph could say, "God sent me." His brothers had sinned. But by the time it reached Joseph, it was God's will. It was, though it didn't seem so at first, the greatest blessing of his life. So we see how the Lord can turn even man's anger to praise Him. And, how all things, even others' sins, shall work for good to those who love Him.

I learned this lesson, practically and experimentally, long before I knew the scripture. I was at a prayer meeting for scriptural holiness. A strange lady rose to speak. I wondered who she was, not knowing she would teach me a grand lesson. She said she had great difficulty in living a life of faith. The second cause that seemed to control everything about her caused it. Her confusion grew. She began to ask God to teach her the truth. Was he really in everything, or not?

After praying this for a few days, she had what she described as a vision. She thought she was in a dark place. Then, a body of light advanced towards her from a distance. It gradually surrounded and enveloped her and everything around her. As it approached, a voice seemed to say, “This is the presence of God; this is the presence of God.” This presence showed her all the great and awful things in life.

She saw fighting armies, wicked men, raging beasts, storms, and plagues. She saw every kind of sin and suffering. At first, she shrank back in terror. But, she soon saw that God's presence surrounded and enveloped each one of these. Not a lion could reach out its paw, nor a bullet fly through the air, except as His presence moved to permit it.

She knew that, if there were the thinnest of sheets of this glorious presence between her and the terrible violence, nothing could touch her. Not a hair on her head could be ruffled.

But, the presence must divide to let the evil through. Then, all the small annoyances of life flashed before her. She saw they were so wrapped in God's presence that nothing could touch her. Not a cross look, harsh word, or petty trial could reach her unless He let them through.

Her difficulty vanished. Her question was answered forever. God was in everything, and to her henceforth there were no second causes. She saw that her life came to her, day by day, and hour by hour, from His hand. It did not matter what seemed to control it. And, she never again found it hard to trust in His care. But if we focus on the seen things, we won't understand this secret. The children of God must "not look at the things which are seen: for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal." If we could see His unseen forces around us, we'd feel safe. We would walk through this world in an unbreakable fortress. For "the angel of the Lord encamped round about them that fear Him, and delivered them."

We have a striking illustration of this in the history of Elisha. The king of Syria was at war with Israel.

His evil plans were foiled by a prophet. So, he sent his army to the prophet's city to capture him. We read, “He sent their horses and chariots and a great host; and they came by night and compassed the city about.” This was the seen thing. A nd the servant of the prophet, whose eyes had not yet been opened to see the unseen things, was alarmed. We read, "And when the man, God's servant, rose early and went forth, a host encompassed the city, with horses and chariots." His servant said, "Alas, my master, how shall we do?” But his master could see the unseen things, and he replied, “Fear not; for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.” And then he prayed, saying, “Lord, I pray thee, open his eyes that he may see.

The Lord opened the young man's eyes, and he saw. The mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire around Elisha. The presence of God is the fortress of His people. Nothing can withstand it. At His presence, the wicked perish. The earth trembles. The hills melt like wax. The cities crumble. "The heavens also dropped, and Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God." In this secret, He has promised to hide His people from man's pride and from the strife of tongues. "My presence shall go with thee," He says, "and I will give you rest." I wish every Christian could see this truth as plainly as I do. It is the only clue to a completely restful life. Nothing else will let a soul live only in the present, as we are commanded to do. We must not think of tomorrow.

Nothing else will remove all the risks from a Christian's heart. It won't let him say, "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." Abiding in God’s presence, we run no risks. A soul like that can say: "I know not what it is to doubt. My heart is always gay. "I run no risks, for, come what will, God always has His way." I once heard of a colored woman. She earned a precarious living by daily labor. But, she was a joyous, triumphant Christian.

“Ah!”Nancy," said a gloomy Christian lady one day. She almost disapproved of her constant cheerfulness, yet envied it.

"Ah!" Nancy, it is all well enough to be happy now, but I should think the thoughts of your future would sober you. Only suppose, for instance, that you fell sick and couldn't work. Or, suppose your employers moved away, and no one else hired you. Or suppose -- "Stop!” cried Nancy, “I never supposes.

The Lord is my shepherd, and I know I shall not want. And, honey,” she added to her gloomy friend, “I know it’s all those things they’re suggesting that are making you so miserable . You should give them all up and just trust in the Lord. ” One text can end a believer's "suppose." If only it is received and acted on with childlike faith. It is in Heb. 3:5- 6 “ Now Moses was f aithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that were to be spoken later, but Christ is faithful over God’s house as a son. And we are his house, if indeed we hold fast our confidence and our boasting in our hope . ” Be content with what you have. For He said, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, ' I will never leave you nor forsake you.” So we can confidently say, the Lord is my Helper, I will not fear. What can man do to me?” Hebrews 13:5-6 What if dangers threaten you from every side? What if men's malice, foolishness, or ignorance combine to harm you?

You may face every contingency with these words: "The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

If the Lord is your helper, how can you fear what man may do unto you? No man, nor any company of men, can touch you. Unless, of course, your God, in whom you trust, allows it. “He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. Behold, he who keeps Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord is your keeper; the Lord is your shade on your right hand. The sun shall not strike you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep you going out and your coming in from this time forth and forevermore.” (Psalm 121:3 - 8) Only seeing God in everything will make us loving and patient with those who annoy us.

They will be only instruments for His wise, tender purposes. We'll end up thanking them for the blessings they bring. Nothing else will completely put an end to all murmuring or rebellious thoughts.

Christians often feel a liberty to murmur against man when they would not dare to murmur against God. But this way of receiving things would make it impossible ever to murmur. If our Father allows a trial, it must be the best thing for us. We must accept it with thanks from His dear hand.

The trial itself may be hard to flesh out and blood, and I do not mean that we can like or enjoy the suffering of it. But we can and must love the will of God in the trial, for His will is always sweet, whether it be in joy or in sorrow. Our trials may be our chariots. We long for some victory over sin and self, and we ask God to grant it to us.

His answer comes in the form of a trial, which He means shall be the chariot to bear us to the longed for triumph. We may either let it roll over us and crush us like an unstoppable force. Or we may mount into it and ride triumphantly onward. Joseph's chariots, which raised him to glory, were his trials. They were being sold into slavery and unjustly imprisoned.

Our chariots may be less than these. They may be just annoying people or tough situations. But whatever they are, God means them to be our forces of triumph.

They shall bear us to the victories we have prayed for. If we are impatient and long to be patient, our chariot will probably be a trying person. Their ways or words will test our very souls. If we accept the trial as from God and submit, it will be the best discipline. It will give us the patience we seek.

God does not order the wrong thing. But, He uses it for our blessing. He did this with the cruelty of Joseph's wicked brethren. And, with Pharaoh's wife's false accusations. It makes life a long thanksgiving. It gives us a deep peace and a joy beyond words. Someone says, “God’s will on earth is always joy, always tranquility.” He must have His own way with His children. The soul that learns this secret finds green pastures and still waters. They offer rest and refreshment.

If the will of God is our will, and if He always has His way, then we always have our way also, and we reign in a perpetual kingdom. He who sides with God will win every time. Whatever the outcome, we can join the ap ostle's victory shout: “ But their minds were hardened. For to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains uplifted , because only through Christ is it taken away.”

(2Corinthians 2:14)