Well Done

“He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end”. Ecc 3:11b

“We must wait with patience for the full discovery of that which to us seems intricate and perplexed, acknowledging that we cannot find out the work that God makes from the beginning to the end, and therefore must judge nothing before the time. While the picture is in drawing, and the house in building, we see not the beauty of either; but when the artist has given them their finishing strokes, then all appears very good. We see but the middle of God’s works, not from the beginning of them (then we should see how admirably the plan was laid in the divine counsels), nor to the end of them, which crowns the action (then we should see the product to be glorious); but we must wait till the veil be rent.“ Matthew Henry

Consider the story of Joseph. “He wept so loudly that the Egyptians heard it…” Genesis 45:2. Uncontrollable emotion at the illumination of the providence of God and His good, perfect, and pleasing will (Rom 12:2). His brothers’ plotted to kill him, he was thrown in a pit, sold into slavery, and falsely accused and imprisoned. All ‘bad’… but God “…meant it for good, in order to bring about this present result, to keep many people alive.” Genesis 50:20

We must remember, however, that God is a generational God, and much of what He is working in our lives is not for this season in which we live; rather, it may be for the generations to come and far greater than we can imagine. Because of that, many will not see the revelation of His workings in this brief life we live, and maybe it’s an even greater blessing because of this. To stand before almighty God in eternity having trusted yet not seeing the culmination of His providence over these difficult seasons, and to hear ‘Well done, good and faithful servant’, is beyond comprehension. When ‘the veil be rent’ and be shown the reality of His providence at that time is incomprehensible to imagine. Uncontrollable weeping of thankfulness that we were counted worthy. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. …All these died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth. …men of whom the world was not worthy…” Hebrews 11.

“Treasures in Heaven…” Matt 6:20

“Well done, good and faithful servant” Matt 25:21