God Works So We Will See Him

I know that everything God does will last forever; there is no adding to it or taking from it. God works so that people will be in awe of him. – Ecclesiastes 3.14 (CSB)

Throughout Ecclesiastes we see Solomon trying to figure things out. He ventures off in so many different expeditions to find “the meaning of life” because he was trapped in a perspective of hopelessness and futility. But in two words we see what he was certain of. Just two words.

“I know.”

Those two words anchor our souls during seasons of questions and doubts. When we feel like we are floundering, being slammed against the rocks by the waves of uncertainty and trial, we need something that we can hold on to that keeps us going. Asaph, the director of the Levitical choir said this same thing in Psalm 73. “God is indeed good to Israel, the pure in heart” (Psalm 73.1, CSB). He spoke of what he knew to be true about God before he vehemently vented about what he struggled with when he looked at all the unfairness and injustice in the world. His opening statement in his psalm held him secure in the storms of doubt and inner turmoil.

“I know.” That is what Solomon spoke with certainty. And notice the three things that he knew to be true.

1. He knew everything God does will last forever.
2. He knew there was no adding or taking away from what God does.
3. He knew God works so people will be in awe of him.

It’s that last one that I want us to focus in on for the next few moments. Solomon knew that God works so people will be in awe of him. In other words, God works to reveal his glory to us so that we will take notice of him and stand in awe. And while God does work in our lives to bring comfort and peace in difficult situations, sustaining us when we “go through the darkest valley,” his primary reason for working is to reveal himself to people (see Psalm 23.4). But why? Is he insecure and needs the attention? Of course not. It’s not that God needs our attention but rather that we need to have our attention on him because we need him.

Since it is true that God works so people will be in awe of him, our hearts should be led by this when we pray. Elijah gave us this example when he prayed for God to send fire to burn the altar he set up when he squared off against the false prophets of Baal (see 1 Kings 18.20-39). “At the time for offering the evening sacrifice, the prophet Elijah approached the altar and said, “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, today let it be known that you are God in Israel and I am your servant, and that at your word I have done all these things. Answer me, LORD! Answer me so that this people will know that you, the LORD, are God and that you have turned their hearts back” (1 Kings 18.36-37, CSB, emphasis added).

May our hearts yearn for God to work. May we pray and cry out to him because we are convinced that God is able to do immeasurably more than all that we could ever ask or imagine (Ephesians 3.20). But may we align our hearts correctly to why we pray for God to work—that people will stand in awe of him. We need Jesus. The world needs Jesus. Let us hold fast to what we know to be true about God regardless of our circumstances. And may God do what he deems best in and through us to bring people to this same place of awe and wonder in him.