Knowing the end from the beginning makes a difference on how you look at things that happen every day. Don’t we all wish we could see into the future, even though that might be more scary than comforting? Yet God knew the end from before the foundation of the earth, or man failed. Nothing surprises God.
Life’s Journey
Life is a journey with a purpose and a destination. The journey is not always enjoyable, but knowing the end from the beginning helps us deal better with all the intervening challenges of life.
The prophet Isaiah wrote, ‘I Am God, and there is no one like Me, declaring the end from the beginning…….I will accomplish all My good pleasure,’ Isaiah 46:9,10. He reveals how it will eventually turn out. This is great encouragement in these days of global deception and absolute chaos.
Fiery Trials
When we go through the fiery trials of life we have the choice of free will. We can either blame God, or allow our faith in a loving Heavenly Father to develop.
Fiery trials are like going to the gym and pumping iron so as to increase your fitness and strength. It the same is in the spiritual. We can become weak and open to all kinds of attacks from the enemy. Or, we can have faith in God and throw ourselves on His mercy.
The Apostle Paul knew more than most about fiery trials. Imprisoned many times, beaten without number, often in danger of death. Five times he received 39 lashes from the Jews he was trying to reach with the Gospel. He was stoned and shipwrecked three times. He knew many sleepless nights, hunger and thirst, cold and heat, 2 Corinthians 11:23ff. Those were just the external trials he went through.
Knowing the End from the Beginning
From Paul came the greatest understanding of the depth of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, as he established the early Church. God knew he could entrust this task to the man who was once the greatest and most pious of Pharisees, set on killing Christians, Philippians 3:5,6. It is the fiery trials that produce the pearl of great value.
God knows the end from the beginning, Isaiah 46:9,10, and all the subsequent happenings in between. That is why the follower of Jesus Christ can have full confidence in the Creator of the universe. He has a plan that was established in eternity.
God is in Control
The bible, the written Word of God, is the only book that accurately predicts and is predictive. Prophecies that were written hundreds of years before the event have been 100% fulfilled. Prophecies not yet fulfilled, will also be fulfilled 100%. This is of great comfort, for God alone knows all and cares intensely for us, ‘I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands’, Isaiah 49:16.
We are surrounded by deception with no way of proving what is true and what is false, who is real, or what is AI. The media feeds us what it wants us to believe, but even the media is deceived. There is a master puppeteer behind the scenes, pulling all the strings. It appears that Satan is top-dog on our planet, but his teeth were pulled at Calvary, Genesis 3:15.
Jesus said we are to come to the Father like little children, Matthew 18:3. As our world descends into even more chaos, we can have full confidence in the all-powerful, all-knowing and everywhere-present God. He knew what you would become when you were in your mother’s womb, and gently leads you in His way, when you submit to Him, Jeremiah 1:5, Galatians 1:15.
Only Faith Pleases God
We need the same faith and attitude Shadrach, Meshack and Abednego had. They refused to deny their God and bow down to the statue of King Nebuchadnezzar. This meant they would be thrown into a furnace that had been heated seven times hotter.
Their answer was ‘Our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace or blazing fire and he will deliver us out of your hand. But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up,’ Daniel 3:17,18.
The guards who threw them into the furnace died from the intensity of the heat. The three Hebrews were visited by a fourth person and not only survived the night, but there was no smell of smoke on their clothing.
Secure Because God Knows End From Beginning
Those who believe in God’s redemption and gift of salvation are hid in Christ Jesus, Colossians 3:3. As believers we are eternally secure, John 10:8, protected from all spiritual enemies, Romans 8:31. They can only fling fiery darts to test our resolve.
We have access to all God’s blessings, Philippines 4:19, as He meets all our needs before we even ask, Matthew 6:8. In this chaotic world we are safe and secure, now and into eternity, because we know Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Saviour, John 3:16, and God knows the end from the beginning.
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