God Is Like “Windows”

20 May God Is Like “Windows”

When you turn on your computer, unless it’s a Mac, you see something like “Window 2010” or whatever version of Windows is running on your PC. When you open a program like Word, or Excel, or email, the Windows logo disappears. What’s happened? Windows is the operating system that allows you to work in programs like Word or Excel. It’s always there, it’s just working in the background where you can’t see it. God is like that…like Windows. Working in the background where you can’t always see Him.

For 22 of the 38 years of my marriage, God was working in the background. During those years, I considered myself “spiritually single.” By that I mean that I was alone in following the Lord. My husband, while he believed in God, wasn’t walking with the Lord. I continued to pursue God, was involved in church, tried to impart spiritual truths into our children’s lives…on my own. It didn’t appear that anything spiritual was taking place in my husband’s life, though I prayed regularly for him. But you see, GOD WAS WORKING IN THE BACKGROUND. He was working in the background of my husband’s life, drawing him to Himself. One night, all that God was doing in the background became evident and my husband gave his heart to Jesus. I had the joy of watching His promise to me fulfilled.

There’s a great story in 2 Kings 6-7 that illustrates my point. The king of Syria, had laid siege to Samaria resulting in a great famine in the city. Food was so scarce that a donkey’s head was selling for 80 shekels of silver and dove droppings (don’t go there…they were wild vegetables!) were selling for 5 shekels of silver. Pretty pricey if you ask me.

It was so bad that Israel resorted to cannibalism (see 2 Kings 6:26-29). The king blamed the prophet, Elisha, and sent his assistant to kill him. Elisha prophesies that the famine will end within 24 hours:

Then Elisha said, “Hear the word of the LORD. Thus says the LORD: ‘Tomorrow about this time a seah of fine flour shall be sold for a shekel, and two seahs of barley for a shekel, at the gate of Samaria.” 2 Kings 7:1

One shekel was the normal going rate for flour and barley. In effect, Elisha prophesied that within 24 hours, God would restore the economy to what it was before the siege and famine! A seemingly impossible feat, the king’s assistant dismisses the word of the Lord through Elisha: That couldn’t happen even if God opened the windows of heaven! (2 Kings 7:2)

Elisha’s response: You’ll see it but won’t eat of it.

Suddenly the scene shifts to 4 lepers sitting at the city gate waiting to die.

GOD IS WORKING IN THE BACKGROUND…

They decide to go to the camp of the enemy in hopes of getting one final meal before they die. However, when they get to the Syrian camp, they find it empty… except for all the food, clothing, weapons, horses, and donkeys. No Syrians, just spoil!

Long story short, when the starving people find out there’s food to be had, they stampede out of the city to the Syrian camp. Standing by the gate is the king’s assistant, who is trampled by the people and dies, just as the prophet said.

The word of the Lord through Elisha is fulfilled and the economy is restored:

So it happened just as the man of God had spoken to the king, saying, “Two seahs of barley for a shekel, and a seah of fine flour for a shekel, shall be sold tomorrow about this time in the gate of Samaria. 2 Kings 7:18

YOU SEE, GOD WAS WORKING IN THE BACKGROUND TO FULFILL HIS WORD! AND HE USED 4 LEPERS TO DO IT.

So let me ask you…What are you believing God for? What promise from God are you standing for, believing for the fulfillment, even while it may appear nothing is happening?

Take heart, because just like Windows, God is working in the background of your life and circumstances to fulfill His word. Keep believing, keep trusting because God is a man of His word!

– By Diane Fink