Groundwork for Grace

In the beginning God...

It's not "In the beginning man crept up onto the shores of the earth..." or "In the beginning a large, unexplained bang caused a reaction we call man today...", but "In the beginning God."

He was here before the beginning, and He'll be here after the ending. He's written the whole story, from start to finish, choosing leading characters and supporting actresses and actors for the exact roles He intended. He has a script and He is causing all things to work together for good, despite our failings and Satan's attempts to change the outcome. None of this is a bother to Him and none of this is a surprise to Him.

We do not have a reactionary God, but a sovereign One.

It is amazing to me that though we are created in His image, we are so different from Him. We do not live our lives with sovereign minds, but rather we embrace the reactionary life as if it is our only choice.

"I can't believe she said that!"

"I can't believe they passed that bill!"

"Who could possibly have predicted 9-11?"

"How am I supposed to live with that man?"

"I can't help it if my child has ADD!"

"This is not my fault! I'm a victim..."

Oh, don't get me wrong. We are not God and we'll never be gods. Don't believe Oprah when she tells you that you've got it in you to be a god, because you don't. But you can be Christ-like. Not omniscient or omnipotent or omnipresent, but kind, forgiving, compassionate, humble and gentle.

Yes, you can.

So, how do we live with a sovereign mind, if we can't be omniscient? Come on, you know the answer - we set our mind on the things above.

We put our trust in the Almighty Elohim Who spoke the very world into existence by the mere sound of His voice.

We rest in the love of Shiloh, knowing that His peace has restored our relationship with His Father.

We call on Adonai as a servant calls on a beloved master.

And we respond to the trials of life with the answer, "Not you, but God."

Because we know Him, we trust Him and we understand from His word that He is in complete control, working to accomplish His will in our lives to complete His story.

In Genesis God lays the groundwork to bring grace to man. He chooses for Himself a people through which Shiloh would come, and then He displays a personal relationship with the families involved to show His level of interest. It's not because He has anything at stake - there is no doubt that He will accomplish what He sets out to do. When Jesus agreed to be the sacrifice in eternity past, it was a done deal. Nothing could stop it. But I thank the Lord that He graciously recorded His story so that I could see His hand in a personal, life-changing way.

But ladies, the story is not over. Though grace has come, He's coming again. And we are witnesses to world events that are destined to bring about the last days. Will they happen in your lifetime? What will be required of you if you are here during those days? Is it possible we're closer than we think?

Rather than choose to live a reactionary life, rest in the sovereign hands of your Father and stay in His word. He fulfilled every prophecy concerning His first coming literally. Know what the Word teaches about His second coming because there is a good chance He'll do it exactly like He said He will.

What a privilege it is to be a part of His story and even greater privilege to personally know the Author!

Come quickly, Lord Jesus!