"There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven: a time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant and a time to uproot, a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." ~~Ecclesiastes 3:1-4
"He has made everything beautiful it its time. He has also set eternity in the the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end." ~~Ecclesiastes 3:11
"In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." ~~Proverbs 16:9
Be encouraged to know that you are right on schedule for God's plan for your life this day. His datebook has already been penciled in regarding your destiny. He has committed to directing your steps. If the Lord Himself determines your steps, how then could you misstep?
If it seems that you might have taken a few uncharted detours, relax. Those were noted in advance as well. He was never surprised or unprepared. In His Sovereignty, even the side trips were included in His ultimate plan. Being well aware in advance of such detours, He prepared the alternate route. His Divine GPS is set to get you to your destination right on time.
There is no such thing as a dead end, in His plan. All of your side trips were used for good, according to His will and purpose for you.
On every side road, He helped you to gather up a little more wisdom and some additional understanding, perhaps even more compassion and grace. You learned a little more about His mercy and faithfulness.
Those are valuable tools, so that you would be well equipped for what He has in mind for you.
We cannot fathom what God has done from the beginning to the end. So, perhaps, destiny is reached one day at a time, each day becoming a landmark of its own on His calendar.
Our God is not a God of regrets but a God, in whom, each day is a new beginning. Nor is our God a God of striving, but a God of rest. His love is Sovereign and extraordinarily kind. You are wonderfully secure in Him.
Remember that you are not your own, but purchased with a very high price. God secures all of His investments. You are secure in Him.
He called you to be His friend first and above all. Rejoice in His Sovereign love today; enter into His rest!
March 2, 2008
John 3:18 ~ "He who believes in Him never comes up for judgment; for him there is no rejection, no condemnation. He incurs no damnation; but he who does not believe in Him is judged already and has already received his sentence because he has not believed in and trusted in the name of the only begotten Son of God."
Good news, gang! The price of your sins has been paid in full when Jesus took all of them to the Cross. The judgment was executed when He was executed after having been condemned to a brutal death in your behalf. He didn't, nor has He ever done, a partial job. He is after all perfect. Therefore, your judgment and sentence is complete. His death on that rugged cross is your complete debt satisfactionClinging to that truth, trusting that His sacrifice was enough and relying on His blood to wash us each time we mess up again, is freedom from condemnation and rejection. Our perfect works are not going to happen in this life. Let's face it. Paul certainly acknowledged this in Romans chapter 8, as he lamented this weak body of flesh in which our spirits reside.
Be quick to confess and quick to receive for He is quick to forgive. Whatever you may be holding against yourself. Let it go right into the sea of forgetfulness.
Perfect in Wisdom and Perfect in Love
The Father and the Son love you so much that they have prepared and executed a perfect plan to draw you into a relationship with them, free of guilt, shame, fear and condemnation. In short, they just want to hang out with you and bless you and spend eternity in fellowship with you.
It's done! Jesus actually pronounced that in His last breaths on the Cross when He said, "It is finished!"
Finished Indeed
Wow! He was acknowledging before the Father and all of mankind that He had just completed the task of paying the debt in full for every human being who was willing to believe. Our job is simply to confess our sin and He is faithful and quick to forgive. Relying on His finished work will release you to love Him more and more and you will eventually become like the One whom we love. This is the Heart of the Holy Spirit!
The heart of the Holy Spirit is a deep fountain of encouragement for thirsty souls like you and me. It is a virtual oasis of love and mercy.He longs to reveal more and more of this loving and merciful nature of the Living God who has facilitated the perfect plan to reconcile the relationship between God and man that we would become His companions and friends.
There is no longer enmity between us when we come through the Cross, the Divine bridge between holy God and sinful man.
Believe this. Your righteousness is complete in Jesus for eternity.
"It is finished!"
