“Let all things be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40).

GOD’S ORDER 

God is orderly, we see it in creation, in the phases of the moon and planets, in the seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. We see it in the daily sunrise, and the rain clouds that come and wash and clean the earth with rain. 

The Lord also expects us to be orderly. Paul told the church at Colosse that he was “rejoicing to see your orderly manner” (Col 2:5). It pleased Paul and I’m sure that it pleased the Lord.

“For God is not the author of confusion” (1 Cor 14:33). The Lord desires that we do the right thing at the right time, for he has set a time for everything under heaven. 

“There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens” (Eccles 3:1). 

The enemy of our souls attempts to bring disorder and confusion into our lives, and it may seem that at times he is successful. He lies, steals and undermines people’s trust in God’s order. But perhaps the Lord allows us to see Satan at work in order that we understand the mayhem that walking in darkness can bring. 

God is light, and he is able to restore order and productivity into our lives. 

When a storm has raged throughout the night, there’s not much we can do, but once the morning light dawns, we can see the mess and begin to bring order back to that fence that has blown down, or branches that have blown across the road, bins that have blown about strewing their rubbish around. And so it is in our own lives, storms do come, Satan may devastate our homely comforts in an effort to dislodge our faith in God.

But God’s children do have faith, and know that when it is appropriate, at the right time, he will bring order to our disorganised lives. And as we look back we see the lessons that we have been learning. 

So we ask the Lord to order our steps according to his good will. “Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me” (Ps 119:133). 

Let’s keep in step with the Spirit and keep order in our lives, as much as we are able. For sometimes it’s not down to us. Fracas and commotion may have entered our lives through no fault of our own. So we remember that God is a God of order, because that is his nature, and he is able to restore order. And aren’t we glad that the maker and ruler of the universe loves order? 

There are those who are law-breakers, they cheat and bring discord. Living in a society where there is a break-down of law and order, is not a good place to live. Those who use dishonesty and violence to achieve their selfish ends fight against God, who delights in order. 

So we desire to please the Lord by making our ways orderly—"A false balance is abomination to the LORD: but a just weight is his delight” (Prov 11:1).

God brings order to the world and we praise him for doing so: “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good” (Gen 1:31).

Creation is ultimately unfolding in a loving, orderly, direction; and those who ally themselves to the evil of disorder are futilely trying to resist the flow of the river of life. Just like a man who might stand in an estuary trying to halt the surging waters flowing into the sea using only his arms and legs. Satan’s evil schemes are an aberration of the daily journey towards goodness; wickedness is a hiatus that will come to an end.