What does "straighten what He has made crooked" reveal about God's divine plan? Scripture Focus Ecclesiastes 7:13 — “Consider the work of God: Who can straighten what He has bent?” What “Crooked” Means in Context • “Crooked” points to anything in life that feels twisted, difficult, or beyond human control—circumstances, limitations, world events, even aspects of our own bodies or personalities. • The Preacher of Ecclesiastes uses the term to highlight situations that resist human fixing (cf. Ecclesiastes 1:15). • By declaring that only God can bend or straighten, Scripture affirms His unrestricted authority over every detail of creation. God’s Sovereign Hand Behind the Crooked • Job 42:2 — “I know that You can do all things, and no plan of Yours can be thwarted.” • Isaiah 45:7 — God forms light and creates darkness, signaling He governs both pleasant and perplexing seasons. • Ephesians 1:11 — He “works out everything according to the counsel of His will,” meaning even the crooked fits within His eternal design. Why God Leaves Some Things Crooked • To expose human limitation and foster humility (Romans 9:20-21). • To draw hearts to dependence, not self-reliance (2 Corinthians 1:8-9). • To showcase His redemptive power; He alone can bring straight paths out of twisted roads (Isaiah 40:3-4; Luke 3:5). • To advance His glory: the very tension between crookedness and straightening magnifies His wisdom (Romans 11:33-36). Practical Takeaways • Accept that certain bends remain until God chooses to act; striving against them frustrates rather than frees. • Anchor hope in His character, not in immediate explanations. God is good, even when the road winds (Psalm 119:68). • Live responsively: – Submit plans to His will (James 4:15). – Pray for grace to trust when answers delay (Psalm 37:5). – Obey what is clear, leaving the crooked corners to Him (Deuteronomy 29:29). • Anticipate final straightening: every bent thing will be set right in Christ’s coming kingdom (Revelation 21:4-5). Summing It Up “Who can straighten what He has bent?” underscores that God alone shapes the path. Recognizing His sovereign craftsmanship turns frustration into faith, worry into worship, and uncertainty into eager expectation of the day He makes all things new. |
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