“The net of heaven catches all; it’s mesh is course, but nothing slips through.” – 73^rd verse of the Tao Te Ching

“The LORD has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all” – Psalm 103:19

And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” – Romans 8:28

“The Lord is a God of justice; blessed is the man who trusts in him.” – Isaiah 5:13

Have you ever felt like Habakkuk?

“How long, O LORD, must I call for help, but You do not listen, or cry out to You, ‘Violence!’ but You do not save? Why do You make me see iniquity, and why do You tolerate wrongdoing?” – Habakkuk 1: 2-3

Have you prayed and prayed about something, and God seemed silent and almost indifferent toward your needs?  Have you looked around your world and saw the presence of more evil than good? 

Have you tried your very best, yet the worst happened?  Have you seen the good people in your life suffer and those who are underserving thrive?  Has goodness in your life been elusive yet the hardships unending?

Today during some quiet time, I came across the 73^rd verse of the Tao Te Ching.  Lao Tzu’s description of “Heaven’s net” gave me comfort and a type of peace I haven’t felt in a while.  Let me explain:

The Vast Net of Heaven

So many pictures enter my mind when I think about a net.  At the ballpark, they protect the crowd from foul balls.  The nets used in fishing ensure the catch doesn’t get away.  In the translation above, it describes a net from heaven that “catches all”.   Some translations refer to it as “vast” – holding, protecting, cradling, and ensnaring more than we can ever humanly fathom.

It holds the sun, moon, and stars in their place and cradles all that makes up the natural world.  It keeps within its grasp all nations and all people in every corner of the world – every heartbeat, every breath – both here and throughout eternity. In all its grandeur, it even holds the deer who gives birth in the middle of the forest (Psalm 29:9), cradles the fallen bird (Matthew 10: 29-31), and captures every tear you cry (Psalm 56:8).

The vastness of the net covers and protects every aspect of your being.  It holds your destiny and the purpose you are here to fulfill from falling to the wayside.  It holds your hopes and dreams – and everything you desire in this life.  It safely and with great care, catches the injustices you encounter – all to make them right again in the end.

Do you feel like things within your life are slipping through or falling outside of the net?  Do you feel like the turmoil in this world or the devastation in your life right now has slipped through the mesh?

To believe this my friend is to underestimate the power of your God, his sovereign rule, his tender mercies, and his providential grace that are continually at work within your life and within His created world 😊 

But, what about how Lao Tzu describes the net as “sparsely meshed” or the coarseness of its weave?  Doesn’t it seem like things can fail to be held or caught by it – simply falling through the cracks?   Doesn’t that explain the hardships or disappointments of life – those things that occur outside of God’s principles or goodness?  Are there aspects of our life that fall outside of the reach of the Almighty?

The Course Mesh Which Catches All

“Heaven’s Way does not contend, yet it certainly triumphs. It does not speak, yet it certainly answers. It does not summon, yet things come by themselves. It seems to be at rest, yet it certainly has a plan.” – Found in the 73^rd verse of the Tao Te Ching

In his book, Change Your Thoughts – Change your Life, Ken Dyer describes it like this:

“While it appears to have many openings – ways to escape the inevitability of the intentions of the Tao – no one and no thing can exist beyond what the Tao orchestrates.”

Heaven’s net triumphs, answers, and has a plan!  Be confident and take comfort in this my friend!

But why so many openings?  Why the sparse and loose mesh of the net? 

It builds our faith as we see the many openings, yet nothing falls through.  We see a God who is in control when things look out of control – working out everything for our good in the end.

We see a God who isn’t rigid but omnisciently flowing – lovingly allowing our choices but never letting us out of his sight or missing our created purpose.  A God who seems at rest yet certainly has a plan!  I love that no one or no thing can exist beyond what he has orchestrated or lovingly designed for us 😊

We see the vast and varying dynamics of the Great I AM:

“I AM merciful and I AM justice!”

“I AM your comforter, but I AM your vindicator as well.”

“I AM your constant companion in loneliness, and I AM the One who delivers you from it.”

“I AM your rest, yet I AM the strength you need to accomplish your created purpose in this world.”

“I AM the net of heaven, and all things are embraced by me.  Nothing escapes the inevitability of my intentions.”

Meditate today on heaven’s net – knowing that God has all things in your life under His control and authority!

God bless!