"No One Can Hold Back The LORD'S Hand Or Say To HIM: What Have YOU Done?"

King Alphonso's folly!
(Letters of John Newton)

King Alphonso of Portugal said that
if GOD had consulted him at the creation, 
about the placements and motions
of the planets and stars, etc.--
that he would have contrived
them better than they are.

I suppose the poor man took the schemes
and dreams of the astronomers of his day--
to be an accurate representation
of the solar system.

It sounds, however, like a blasphemous

speech in our ears. We take it for granted

that the Sun, the Moon, planets, and the 

stars are exactly where they should be--

and move just as they ought.

But if we are content that the LORD

should manage the heavenly bodies

without our assistance--

we are ready enough to advise

HIM how HE should manage 

of our insignificant selves!

We think we could point at twenty

things in our situation which might

be mended; and that we would serve

HIM much better than we do--

if we were but at liberty to choose

where and how we would be thus placed.

Thus we rightly censure 

King Alphonso's folly--

without being aware that 

the thoughts that we sometimes 

indulge, are no less vain and 

arrogant than his! 

We might with as much reason, offer 

to assist GOD in the government 

of the universe--

as in the direction 

of our own paltry concerns!

"All the peoples of the earth are regarded 
as nothing. HE does as HE pleases with 
the powers of heaven and the peoples 
of the earth. No one can hold back HIS 
hand or say to HIM: What have YOU done?" 
Daniel 4:35 

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GraceGems has published William Nicholson's uplifting short article,
"The Saint Crowned by the Chief Shepherd!"