God’s Acts Endure

KEY VERSE: “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be forever: nothing can be put to it, nor anything taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.” —Ecclesiastes 3:14

SELECTED SCRIPTURE: Ecclesiastes 3:1-15

THE MORE WE learn and understand the works of God, the more we are amazed. Wisdom, power and planning are manifested everywhere. We are filled with reverential adoration at the glory of the Lord.

But, this is not all. The universe teaches us still another lesson. All activities of the universe are in accordance with certain fundamental laws and rules, some of which man has discovered, and are applied by him daily in solving his problems, and in doing his work. For instance, we have learned that electricity travels at the rate of about 186,000 miles a second—never faster, never slower. It always follows certain well-defined rules, and without exception, these rules are never broken.

The same order may be observed in the movement of the planets and the stars. The enormous distances in space, the immense size of many of the stars, and the tremendous speeds at which they travel, stagger the imagination. The accuracy of their movements through the heavens proves that they are governed by certain laws, and that their movements are orderly and controlled.

Man has learned that a bar of steel of a certain quality and thickness will support a definite weight and each similar piece of steel will support exactly the same amount of weight. Man, then, can build accordingly, without fear that a building or a bridge will collapse; for he will know exactly how much stress he may safely place upon it, and how much weight it will stand.

Man can plan profitably because of the dependability and constancy of these laws and the material with which he works. He cannot change the natural laws according to his fancy, but can accomplish things only by complying with and taking advantage of these laws. It is quite evident that if man wishes to accomplish anything, he must learn these laws and use them as his guides. They govern the whole universe, and happy are we, if, under divine guidance, we endeavor to cooperate in the purpose of the Great Creator of all these marvelous works.

Just as the Creator’s natural laws are constant and sure, so are his moral laws. These are simply stated by the Prophet Micah: He hath showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”—Micah 6:8

Yes, the Lord, through his Law and through his Word, has revealed what he requires of man. First we are to do justly—to have justice underlie all that we say and do. This is the Golden Rule as expressed by Jesus: doing unto others as we would that they should do unto us. It is a very exacting requirement, but very rewarding when practiced from the heart.

We are to love mercy. A more correct translation of this would be to love loving-kindness. God is love, and we are to be like him. “God so loved … that he gave.” (John 3:16) Giving for the joy and blessing of others is one of the manifestations of love. In I Corinthians 13, Paul explained that no matter what else we may do or be, if we have not love, it avails nothing. If our service is to be acceptable to the Lord, it must be offered in love. We must love loving-kindness!

In addition to this we are to walk humbly with our God. To walk humbly before God is to hearken diligently to his Word, and with a ready mind and heart obey his every precept. Obedience to law is necessary among any people in order to enjoy peace and happiness. Complete freedom to do as one pleases is a workable formula only with those who are so wholeheartedly in harmony with God’s will that they desire to do only those things which please him. With such the revealed will of God becomes the law by which they are governed and in which they delight.

When all the willing and obedient of the fallen race are restored to perfection, then there will be a full liberty of the sons of God. All will then know the divine requirements, and be so enthusiastically in harmony with them that obedience will be their constant delight.

When man thus comes to fear before God, they will realize that these divine principles for life are constant throughout the ages, and that “whatsoever God doeth it shall be forever, nothing can to put to it, nor anything taken from it.”

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