Ecclesiastes Chapter Seven cont... He knoweth the way that I take and when He has tried me I shall come forth as gold.

13 “Consider the work of God: for who can make that straight, which he hath made crooked?”

Purest Gold Nugget

"Consider the work of God..."  God is not sitting on the throne, dormant tapping His finger and just watching His creation play out all that has been written since the foundation of the world. No, He is the consummate Administrator. He is directing the entire universe as it stretches out before Him. We see a rare glimpse of Him in this role in 2 Chronicles 18:18-21 directing the rise and fall of king Ahab; this is an amazing scene and gives revelation into the workings of God behind the scenes. It is interesting that Solomon says it this way, "…who can straighten what God has bent"; you would think the illustration would be who can make crooked what God has straightened. But God does make paths crooked; He is directing that unforeseen event or the trial that becomes very inconvenient. One experiences a dealing that takes them on a course other than the one they are comfortable with. The Lord said to Peter when you are older someone will lead you in a direction you would not choose yourself (See John 21:18). These crooked paths are the methods God uses to try one's faith, these are the dealings that make or break us. Should you find yourself in such a circumstance then look to Him to bring you out; use the confession of Job 23:10 “But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.”

I also want you to consider there is another truth here; those the Lord abhors, those who do not please Him, He at times turns them out of the way and when He makes their paths crooked no man can straighten it. This frightful process belongs to those who do not please the Lord, who do not keep their spiritual garments white through the blood of Jesus and who do not guard their hearts with all diligence, those who do not keep His statutes and judgments (Just like Ahab in II Chronicles 18). He turns them out of the way and there is no turning them back. I have seen God draws a line in the sand and when one steps across that line then there is no return; God makes their path crooked as He turns them out of the way and no one can straighten that path again. They become the abhorred of the Lord (See Deuteronomy 32:15-20; Proverbs 22:14). Therefore, we must obey the mandate of Ecclesiastes 9:8 “Let thy garments be always white…”