Good morning:
Do you ever get the feeling that people are “just making things up as they go along”? Have you ever done it? You don’t really know what lies ahead or have a plan in mind. A new graduate might not have any idea of what they want to do next, and so they “make it up as they go along.” Sometimes it doesn’t matter whether you have a plan in mind or not. You can wait and see how things unfold. At other times there is much more at stake.
After the Israelites left Egyptian slavery they found themselves on the banks of the Red Sea with the Egyptian army in hot pursuit. The people panicked. It looked as though the Lord hadn’t planned for this and was just making things up along the way. But that wasn’t the case. The Lord knew what He was going to do to accomplish the salvation of His people. He told Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on” (Ex. 14:15). While the people saw insurmountable obstacles and daunting enemies, God saw how He would use those forces to carry out His will. We know what happened next. The Lord parted the waters, led the people through the sea on dry ground, and destroyed the Egyptian army by returning the waters to their normal place.
When you look at the state of the world today or when your life doesn’t follow the path you have in mind, do you ever wonder whether God is just making things up on the way by trial and error. If so, go back to Scripture where He lays out His plans in detail, plans which originated in eternity before creation. “For he chose us in Christ before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will—to the praise of his glorious grace” (Eph. 1:4-6). What He predestined us for, He accomplished through Jesus’ suffering, death, and resurrection. Salvation is ours. We are God’s children by faith and heirs of heaven.
When we feel like panicking because things seem so out of control, God says, “Why are you crying out. Move on. Don’t be afraid. I am with you always.” “The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore” (Ps. 121:7).
Today then, let’s move on in the peace and joy of forgiveness. The Lord already knows how He will deliver us from troubles and lead us over obstacles. He has blessings in store today that were arranged long ago. And the opportunities for serving Him, our families, and others are not made up along the way. They were prepared in advance just for us and are there waiting. May we carry them out to His glory and our own great joy.
Yours in Him,
Pastor
The Sunday service will be streamed live on YouTube at 8 a.m. and will also be available later on both YouTube and Ustream. Check Messiah’s website (messiahhalescorners.com) for a link.
