What is it about the New Year that we celebrate? Perhaps we enjoy leaving behind the frustration of failed attempts and opportunities ignored. Perhaps December 31 is a day of closure, a time to bury memories, to end our mourning over annual losses. Or do you celebrate the future, rejoicing in renewed resolve and the hope of a better tomorrow?
There seems to be some consolation, some comfort, for us earth dwellers in dividing our lives into small segments of time and viewing each of them as a piece of the puzzle that we call life. We finish with this piece and happily move on to the next, but I wonder––have you considered the big picture lately?
God is eternal, not bound by time and space, and from His perspective our lives are not divided by the curvy lines of a puzzle, punched out by the passage of time. From His vantage point each life is a work of art in the making. The challenging times, the hardships and failures are but brush strokes utilizing the darker colors on the canvas of our lives. He knows that these dark strokes only serve to give definition to the lighter, and that every stroke works together with all others to produce an eternal treasure for His enjoyment. Praise God, I am important to Him!
No, this is not the philosophical surmise of a pastor, it is the promise of our Almighty, Eternal God, “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).”
Did you notice the last part of the verse? The promise is not for everyone, but to those who love God and are the called according to His purpose. The fact of God’s love for you has already been established. “But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8).” As to your love for Him–to know Him is to love Him. Would you allow me to introduce you?