When the United States divided over the slavery issue, Abraham Lincoln was asked if God was on his side. Lincoln candidly replied that he didn’t know if God was on his side, but he said it made a great deal of difference whether we are on God’s side. There is a great deal of comfort in thinking that God is on our side. But the question really is, "Am I on God’s side?" We need to ask, "Is what I am doing, or what I intend to do, consistent with what God wants me to do?"
The fact remains that anytime I do that which is contrary to what God wants, I am separated from the Almighty and am no longer on His side. One of the games we play is pretending we are doing God’s will when we know we are actually disobedient. People say things like, "God can’t expect me to be miserable in the marriage I’m in. After all, God wants us happy, doesn’t He?"
Making sure that you are on God’s side makes you much more comfortable as you wield the sword in the battles of life. A long time ago, when Moses received the Law, a confrontation took place between God and His people who had been disobedient at Mt. Sinai. Coming down the mount, Moses heard the voices of singing and saw the golden calf the people were worshipping. In anger he destroyed the image and confronted Aaron, who had created the idol. Aaron explained that he took the gold jewelry from the people and "threw it into the fire," and he said, "out came this calf." Who would believe an unlikely story like that?
No wonder Moses confronted the religious leaders and cried out, "All of you who are on the Lord’s side, come over here and join me" (Exodus 32:26, the living bible). The Levites responded and stood with Moses, who stood on God’s side.
Are you on God’s side? There is a great deal to be said for standing where God stands. It means that though you may lose the skirmish, you will ultimately win the battle. Meanwhile, peace fills your heart, knowing that God cares about you and will not forget you as His child.
How do you know whether or not you are on God’s side? That’s where knowledge of the Word of God comes into the picture. God clearly spells out in the Bible the life principles that we need to find happiness and fulfillment. We must never, under any set of circumstances, make ourselves think that God is on our side when we violate these principles.
Resource Reading: Exodus 32