One of the benefits of reading and studying the Old Testament is gaining an understanding of how God has worked in history. Put another way–we get to see what God is up to. We grasp the big picture. And that’s always helpful for me when I seem to get lost in either the details of life or the details of a particular passage of Scripture.

So what is God up to?

Well, He’s up to you and me.

He created us to live in friendship with Him. For reasons beyond my understanding, God loves us. The Person who spoke and the universe came into existence desires us. He wants us.

The eternal Creator of everything is crazy about you. He’s crazy about me. You and I actually matter to Him. Don’t miss that. It may be the single most amazing truth there is. You matter to God.

God isn’t far away and unconcerned. He hasn’t forgotten you. He isn’t too busy.

He’s close. He’s concerned. And He’s crazy in love with you.

Maybe the big picture story of the Old Testament is simply this:

There is a God who’s head over heels in love with us and gets jealous when we give our love to the world instead of Him. And so He lovingly and graciously opposes us when we turn away from Him.

That’s the message we find in James 4:6…

But He gives us more grace. That is why Scripture says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

We’re proud when we live life on our own terms, when we choose to go our own way. God clearly sets out a way for us to live and relate to Him. When we choose to do things our own way, He lovingly opposes us.

Are you experiencing God’s opposition today? Is He standing in your way to oppose you?

Is it possible to even know if God is opposing us?

When our goals are blocked we get frustrated, don’t we? We want something, but don’t get it. We desire something, but can’t have it. And so we feel frustrated. Left unchecked, frustration easily becomes anger or depression or both.

If you’re feeling angry or depressed, maybe it’s because your goal or desire is being blocked. By God. Because it’s not something He wants for you. It’s something you want for you, but He knows it’s not good or best. And so He very lovingly and graciously and patiently opposes you. He gets in your way.

Until you turn around and go His way.

The next verse in James says, “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.”

Maybe those frustrating circumstances or conflict-filled relationships are the result of going your own way. The answer? Submit to God. Turn back to Him. Surrender it all to Him.

And remember, “He gives us more grace.”

He will always give us the grace and the power to do whatever He calls us to do. He never gives a command without also giving the ability to carry it out.

Now I’m not suggesting that every difficulty we face is the result of God opposing us. Just as Satan is not behind every bad thing that happens. We live in a badly broken world. Bad stuff happens. Other people can do things to really wound us through no fault of our own.

Sometimes though, those long-lasting, frustrating circumstances are the result of our wrong choices. Remember the big picture–God created you for Himself. He’ll never be content with sharing you. He wants your complete devotion. He wants to be the object of your deepest desires. And He gets jealous when He’s not.

So rather than let us wander off in the wrong direction and get ourselves into even more trouble–He opposes us. For our own good. So we’ll turn back to Him.

Where are you at today? Frustrated? Angry? Discouraged? Even depressed?

Maybe the most powerful prayer you could pray is simply, “Lord, thank you for opposing me. I submit.”