“This Thing Is From Me”

“…for the cause was from the Lord” — 1 Kings 12:15

“…this thing is from me…” —1 Kings 12:24

The Scripture for our devotion is from the account of the dividing of the Kingdom between Judah and the ten northern tribes (Israel).  God was behind the whole thing (1 Kings 12:15).  God allowed Jeroboam to lead a rebellion against Rehoboam to bring about the division.  When Rehoboam sought to stop the rebellion, God sent His prophet Shemaiah, saying, “Thus saith the Lord, Ye shall not go up, nor fight against your brethren… FOR THIS THING IS FROM ME.”

A similar situation occurred in Job. Although Satan was the agent who afflicted Job, Job recognized God’s hand was in it (Job 2:10; 12:9; 19:21).  The devil cannot do anything without God’s permission. Therefore, in any adversity we may face, the cause is ultimately from the Lord. We don’t know what His cause may be.  Job certainly didn’t know. The best thing you can do in a situation like this is just trust God believing He is working it out for our good (Rom. 8:28).

Are you suffering an illness?  Have you lost your job?  Has someone betrayed you?  It there a conflict in your family?  Obviously, God could have prevented it, but since He did not, the cause must be from the Lord. Remember what James wrote of Job, “Ye have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen THE END OF THE LORD” (James 5:11). By reading the end of Job, you have seen “the end” or “the goal” the Lord had for Job, and it was good.

The same is true for you and I.  There are times when we must accept the fact there are just somethings we just cannot “fix” and let God do “His thing.” To do otherwise is to fight against God, and you won’t win.