Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and how inscrutable His ways!“For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been His counselor?”“Or who has given a gift to Him that he might be repaid?” For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever. Amen. Romans 11:33-36

Lord, Your Ways are Mysterious
"God never condescends to make things very plain to His creatures. He always does what is right and just; and therefore, He wants His people always to believe by faith that He only does what is right and just. But if He showed them that He did so, there would be no room for their faith.
Turn your eye along the page of history, and see how mysterious God’s dealings have been. Who would conceive that Joseph sold into Egypt would be the means of redeeming a whole people from famine? Who would suppose that when an enemy would invade the land, it would be the means of bringing glory to God? Who could imagine that a harlot’s blood should mingle with the genealogy from which came the great Messiah, the King of Israel? Who could have guessed much less could have understood the mighty plan of God? Providence has always been a hidden thing.
'Deep in unfathomable mines, of never failing skill, He treasures up His bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.' - Lyrics by William Cowper
And yet, beloved, you and I always want to know what God is doing. There is a great war taking place somewhere on the earth. We have experienced some great disasters, and we are reading the accounts in the news and saying, “What is God doing there?” What did He do in the last war? What was the benefit of it? We see that even Napoleon was the means of doing good, for he broke down the aristocracy and made all subsequent monarchs respect the power, and the rights of the people. We see what the result was even of that dreaded hurricane, that it swept away a pestilence which would have devoured many more than the storm did. But we ask, “What is God doing with this world?” We want to know what will be the consequences. Suppose we should humble Russia, where would it end? Can Turkey be maintained as a separate kingdom? And ten thousand other questions arise.
Beloved, I always think of what the prophet Isaiah tells us in 45:9, that mankind is nothing but clay pots—and as a good old friend of mine says—let them crack themselves, too, if they like. We will not interfere. If the clay pots want to smash one another, well, then they must. We pray that our country may come off the safest of them all. But we are not much concerned to know the result. We believe that war, as well as everything else, will have a beneficial tendency. We cannot see in history that this world ever went a step backwards. God is ever moving it in its orbit; and it has always progressed even when it seemed to be moving backward." - Charles H Spurgeon
Dear Heavenly Father,
I praise You for the depth of Your riches and wisdom and knowledge. I praise You for Your unsearchable judgments and inscrutable ways. I praise You for Your sovereign plan, even when it is difficult to accept or understand. All things are from You, through You, and to You. You are to be praised at all times for who You are. You are good, kind, patient, and rich in mercy, and Your plan is always a good plan. All the glory belongs to You forever.
Lord, You Are in Complete Control
There isn't a single disobedient molecule in the universe. Lord, You are in complete control over everything, including the uncontrollable wildfires in California. Lord, if it is Your will, I ask for You to have mercy on everyone. I ask that You calm the winds and send a heavy rain to extinguish all the fires. Please, Lord, send Your help quickly! Yet, not my will, but Your will be done, and may Your good purposes prevail. Lord, even amidst all this horror and destruction, You remain entirely in control and are perfectly just, good, and merciful...with Your plan always being a good plan. I praise You for Your sovereignty and for Your mysterious ways.
Lord, You are Our Savior
Lord, may these devastating fires serve as a great reminder that the only unshakeable foundation is Jesus Christ. While this world and everything in it is like sinking sand, Jesus is The Cornerstone, our Rock, our Refuge, our Ever-Present Help in trouble (Psalm 46:1), our Savior. May these fires remind us all, both rich and poor, that everything we own can be lost in an instant. That's why we all need Jesus. Jesus died on the cross for our sins, paying our debt in full, and in three days, He rose from the grave, ultimately triumphing over sin, Satan, and death. Jesus lives and reigns forever. He is eternal. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5), and He never changes (Heb 13:8). May our hope not be in this world but in the one to come. May we have the hope of Heaven, where Christ is seated.
Lord, I pray for the Gospel to Be Heard
What Satan meant for evil, You mean for good (Gen 50:20). May these horrible fires be a catalyst for the gospel and that many come to a saving faith, in California and across our nation. Father, for those in California who have not yet put their faith in Jesus, I ask that You send my brothers and sisters to share the Gospel with them. And I ask that You protect, strengthen, comfort, and provide for them in doing so. I ask that You prepare people's broken hearts to receive the Good News of the Gospel and respond in faith. May the loss of their earthly possessions transform into the true hope of eternal riches—riches in Christ that could never be consumed by flames, looted, or stolen.
Lord, I pray for You to Have Mercy
Lord, I pray for You to have mercy on the people in California. I pray for all those experiencing immense loss, grief, and devastation to their homes, neighborhoods, businesses, and towns. I pray for the safety of all the brave firefighters, first responders, and all the people of California. If it is Your will, I pray for there to be an end in sight and for final relief to come very soon.
Finally, because of these wildfires, I pray that You find Your lost sheep and lose none of them. (John 6:39) Lord Jesus, this is Your will; that all that the Father gives to You will come to You, and everyone who comes to You, You will not drive away (see John 6:37-40 below). You will gather up every one of Your sheep into Your loving arms and keep them forever, by Your saving grace. I pray for Your will to be done.
All glory belongs to Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior. In Jesus' name, I pray Amen.
"The Gospel breaks hard hearts and heals broken hearts" Charles H Spurgeon
The eyes of the Lord are toward the righteous and his ears toward their cry. The face of the Lord is against those who do evil, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. When the righteous cry for help, the Lord hears and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted and saves the crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:15-18
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” John 6:37-40
Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 1:19).
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