The Real Reason My Program Was Cancelled
Wednesday, June 19, 2024
Why Do the Heathen Rage - Part 6
To go back to Part 1.
The Remnant of Israel Finds Repentance
At the end of the 3 ½ years of tribulation, the Lord returns in the clouds to gather his elect from the four ends of the earth.
Matthew 24:29-31 “Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.”
1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 “But I would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that ye sorrow not, even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. For this we say unto you by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto the coming of the Lord shall not prevent them which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52 “Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.”
Revelation 10:7 “But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel (the last trump), when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as he has declared to his servants the prophets.”
At that point, as the Rapture takes place, a remnant of Israel shall mourn and repent and call upon the Lord in truth. As a result, the Lord repents of destroying them and instead fights for them against their Antichrist enemies. The repenting of Israel takes place after the Rapture, at the beginning of the Wrath of God.
Zechariah 12:4-6 “In that day, saith the Lord, I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness: and I will open mine eyes upon the house of Judah, and will smite every horse of the people with blindness. And the governors of Judah shall say in their heart, The inhabitants of Jerusalem shall be my strength in the Lord of hosts their God. In that day will I make the governors of Judah like an hearth of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they shall devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem.”
Zechariah 12:7-9 “The Lord also shall save the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitants of Jerusalem do not magnify themselves against Judah. In that day shall the Lord defend the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and he that is feeble among them at that day shall be as David; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of the Lord before them. And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will seek to destroy all the nations that come against Jerusalem.”
Zechariah 12:10 “And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications (prayer): and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn. In that day shall there be a great mourning in Jerusalem, as the mourning of Hadadrimmon in the valley of Megiddon. And the land shall mourn, every family apart; the family of the house of David apart, and their wives apart; the family of the house of Nathan apart, and their wives apart; The family of the house of Levi apart, and their wives apart; the family of Shimei apart, and their wives apart; All the families that remain, every family apart, and their wives apart.”
Israel's repents at seeing the Lord in the clouds. They have witnessed the two prophets in Jerusalem rising on their feet at the Rapture event after having been dead for three days and a half. They have seen the Lord coming in the clouds of heaven. Now they see their enemies ready to destroy them. They come to a true repentance and mourn and repent of their sins. They believe on the Lord Jesus as their God, because they have looked on Him who they have pierced. They have seen with their eyes; and they have come to faith, and a deep mourning prevails throughout the land. A true repentance takes place. God is, therefore, able to righteously intervene and save them from their enemies, who themselves are antichrist.
Thus will be fulfilled the prophecy of Apostle Paul from his letter to the Romans.
Romans 11:25-26 "For I would not, brethren, that ye should be ignorant of this mystery, lest ye should be wise in your own conceits; that blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob: for this my covenant unto them, when I shall take away their sins."
It seems the above prophecy will be fulfilled after the Rapture when a remnant of the Jewish people in Israel shall repent and turn to Jesus as their Lord.
Romans 9:27 "Isaiah also cries concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved."
If we go to Isaiah we can see the context of the prophecy, we find the following:
Isaiah 10:20-21 "And it shall come to pass in that day, that the remnant of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay (or depend) upon him that smote them (the secular imperial power); but shall stay (or depend) upon the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. The remnant (the 1/3 remnant from Zechariah's prophecy that God will bring through the fire of the Antichrist's hands) shall return, even the remnant of Jacob, unto the mighty God."
The phrase "Holy One of Israel" and "the mighty God" are both referring to Jesus.
In the Gospel of Mark, we read where the first demon Jesus casts out called Him, "the Holy One of God."
Mark 1:23-25 "And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him."
Apostle Peter in the Book of Acts refers to Jesus as the Holy One of God in his witnessing to the Jews in Jerusalem.
Acts 3:13-15 "The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his Son Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied him in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied the Holy One and the Just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto you; And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the dead; whereof we are witnesses."
In Isaiah we find the passage indicating the "mighty God" is referring to Jesus.
Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
To go to Part 7.
Why Do the Heathen Rage - Part 5
To go back to Part 1.
The Sign of Great Tribulation
God will use the Antichrist to judge Israel for her sins against God and against humanity. In Jesus’ prophecy about the end of time, He mentions various signs that must take place before the Great Tribulation will begin. The last sign is the placing of the Abomination in the temple.
Matthew 24:15&21-22 “When ye shall see the abomination that makes desolate, spoken of by Daniel the prophet, stand in the holy place, (whosoever reads let him understand:) For then shall be tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be. And except those days be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the elect’s sake those days shall be shortened.”
Jesus tells us that the sign of the beginning of the Great Tribulation is the setting of the Abomination of Desolation in the temple which is done by the Antichrist and his forces.
Daniel 9:27 “And he (the Antichrist) shall confirm the covenant with many for one week (that last seven-year period): and in the midst of the week (at the half way point, or the three-and-a-half-year mark) he shall cause the sacrifice to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate…”
The Antichrist confirms a covenant or agreement at the beginning of the last seven years with many nations. Eschatology scholars reason that the covenant may include conditions relating to the Palestinian people’s situation and the allowing of the Jewish people to begin sacrificial worship on the temple mount. We know this by inference, as we see the breaking of the covenant stops the sacrificial worship. Perhaps the covenant is made through the United Nations or some other political group, like the group of 20, or BRICS.
Daniel 11:31 “And arms shall stand on his (the Antichrist’s) part, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and shall take away the daily sacrifice, and shall place the abomination that makes desolate.”
Half way through the seven-year period, because Israel has been broken the conditions of the agreement in some way, the Antichrist will invade Jerusalem, stop the daily sacrifice and place the abomination that makes desolate. The Great Tribulation period consists of the trumpets that are found in Revelation 8-10. Revelation 11-13 shows different aspects of the tribulation period.
In Revelation 7 we see the sealing of the 144,000 servants of God.
Revelation 7:3 “Hurt not the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God in their foreheads.”
Many Bible scholars have debated over who these special 144,000 could be who are sealed before the tribulation begins. They seem to be of Jewish descent. 12,000 from various Jewish tribes. We get more information later in the chapter.
Revelation 7:9 “After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands.”
Revelation 7:13-14&17c “What are these which are arrayed in white robes and whence came they?...And he said unto me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb…and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.”
From earlier in the Scripture, we may be able to decipher who these dressed in white robes could be.
Revelation 6:9-11 "And when he had opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the word of God, and for the testimony which they held: And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How long, O Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto every one of them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet for a little season, until their fellow-servants also and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."
In the above verse, we see white robes were given to the martyrs who appeared under the altar during the opening of the seven seals before the beginning of the Great Tribulation period. These martyrs are obviously pre-Great Tribulation martyrs.
The 144,000 and the great multitude in white robes in chapter 7 seem to be a flash forward account of those who will be martyred during the tribulation period, or may be the saints or believers who go through the Great Tribulation period. God’s word says they shall hunger and thirst no more, as if they had experienced hunger and thirst during the tribulation period. Finally, the chapter ends by saying “and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes,” no doubt in reference to the suffering and or martyrdom they endured.
Daniel 11&12 depicts the martyrdom and persecution of the saints during the tribulation in the following verses:
Daniel 11:33&35 “And they that understand among the people shall instruct many: yet they shall fall by the sword, and by flame, by captivity, and by spoil, many days…. And some of them of understanding shall fall, to try them, and to purge, and to make them white, even to the time of the end: because it is yet for a time appointed.”
Daniel 12:7&10 "And I heard the man clothed in linen, which was upon the waters of the river, when he held up his right hand and his left hand unto heaven, and swore by him that lives for ever that it shall be for a time, times, and an half; and when he shall have accomplished to scatter the power of the holy people, all these things shall be finished...Many shall be purified, and made white, and tried; but the wicked shall do wickedly: and none of the wicked shall understand; but the wise shall understand.
We again see the three an a half year tribulation period where the Antichrist is scattering the power of the holy people, the Christian believers who have not submitted to the mark of the beast or worshipped his image. We, also, see the metaphor of being made white, or symbolic of being cleansed through suffering. The wicked unbelievers won't understand what is happening, but we will.
In his end-time discourse, Jesus predicted serious persecution.
Matthew 24:9-10 "Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name sale. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one another."
Other verses in Daniel and Revelation show that the Antichrist will have power over God’s people during the Great Tribulation period.
Other verses in Daniel and Revelation show that the Antichrist will have power over God’s people during the Great Tribulation period.
Daniel 7:25 "And he (the Antichrist) shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they (God's people) shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time (or three and a half years)."
Daniel 8:24 "And his (the Antichrist's) power shall be mighty, but not by his own power: and he shall destroy wonderfully, and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy the mighty (USA?) and holy people."
Revelation 11:7 "And when they (the two end-time witnesses) shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them."
Revelation 12:17 "And the dragon (the devil who possesses the Antichrist) was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed (the end-time disciples or followers of Jesus), which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ."
Revelation 13:7 "And it was given unto him (the Antichrist) to make war with the saints, and to overcome them: and power was given him over all kindreds, and tongues, and nations."
To go to Part 6.
To go to Part 6.
Why Do the Heathen Rage - Part 4
Dennis Edwards
Ezekiel 38 is a Parallel Chapter to Zechariah 12
Zechariah 12:1-3 “The burden of the word of the Lord for Israel, says the Lord, which stretches forth the heavens, and lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. Behold, I will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem. And in that day will I make Jerusalem a burdensome stone for all people: all that burden themselves with it shall be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it.”
Israel will be a burdensome stone, like she is today, as a result of her treatment of the Palestinian people. God will in the end defend Jerusalem and Israel, but only after He first has chastised her for her sins. In Ezekiel 38 God says He will raise up Gog (the Antichrist) to come against Israel dwelling safely in the latter days to judge her for her sins. Here are some of the verses.
Ezekiel 38:8-13 “After many days thou shalt be visited: in the latter years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, and is gathered out of many people, against the mountains of Israel, which have been always waste: but it is brought forth out of the nations, and they shall dwell safely all of them. Thou shalt ascend and come like a storm, thou shalt be like a cloud to cover the land, thou, and all thy bands, and many people with thee. Thus saith the Lord God; It shall also come to pass, that at the same time shall things come into thy mind, and thou shalt think an evil thought: And thou shalt say, I will go up to the land of unwalled villages; I will go to them that are at rest, that dwell safely, all of them dwelling without walls, and having neither bars nor gates, To take a spoil, and to take a prey; to turn thine hand upon the desolate places that are now inhabited, and upon the people that are gathered out of the nations, which have gotten cattle and goods, that dwell in the midst of the land. Sheba, and Dedan (Saudi Arabia) and the merchants of Tarshish (UK), with all the young lions (USA, Canada, Australia) thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?”
Ezekiel 38:14-17 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say unto Gog ( the Antichrist), Thus says the Lord God; In that day when my people of Israel dwells safely, shalt thou not know it? And thou shalt come from thy place out of the north parts, thou, and many people with thee, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: And thou (the Antichrist and his coalition) shall come up against my people Israel, as a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring thee against my land, that the heathen may know Me, when I shall be sanctified in thee, O Gog, before their eyes. Thus says the Lord GOD; Are you he of whom I have spoken in old times by my servants the prophets of Israel, which prophesied in those days many years that I would bring you against them?”
Many Old Testament prophecies talk about the day of the Lord or Jacob’s trouble taking place in the last days. God will be sanctified in that he will righteously judge Israel for her sins, and two-thirds of the Jewish population or around 4.7 million people will die. Only one-third, or approximately 2.3 million, will make it through that horrendous period as a direct result of their having repented and called upon the Lord in truth.
To go to Part 5.
Why Do the Heathen Rage - Part 3
To go back to Part 1.
Hold Onto Your Garment!
Revelation 16:15 “Behold, I come as a thief, Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
Where did Jesus talk about someone who didn’t have on the right wedding garments? Yes, it’s in the Parable of the Wedding Feast.
Matthew 22:1-14 “And Jesus answered and spoke unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
Hold Onto Your Garment!
Revelation 16:15 “Behold, I come as a thief, Blessed is he that watches, and keeps his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.”
Where did Jesus talk about someone who didn’t have on the right wedding garments? Yes, it’s in the Parable of the Wedding Feast.
Matthew 22:1-14 “And Jesus answered and spoke unto them again by parables, and said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king, which made a marriage for his son, And sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding: and they would not come. Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage. But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise: And the remnant took his servants, and entreated them spitefully, and slew them. But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.
"Then saith he to his servants, The wedding is ready, but they which were bidden were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage. So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests. And when the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment: And he saith unto him, Friend, how did you come in hither not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”
What a strange parable. A man gets thrown into outer darkness just because he’s not dressed properly? Why is that? The wedding garment is symbolic of our relationship with Christ, and Him imputing His righteousness to us. We, the believers, are adorned in white robes because we have accepted Christ as the Saviour, the Holy One of Israel. We have humbled ourselves, and come into relationship with Him by calling on His name. Let us not be as those caught naked and everyone see the shame of our unbelief and wickedness. Rather, let us come under the wings of the Messiah, Jesus the Christ, who will cover us with His righteousness and give us the garment of praise and thanksgiving, and forgive us from our sins and iniquities.
For all that call upon the name of the Lord in sincerity shall be saved. For there is none righteous, no not one. For this cause the Son of God was made manifest that He may destroy the works of the Devil and give unto us eternal life. He that believes on the Son has eternal life, and he that believes not the Son is condemned already, because he has not believed on the name of the Son of God. This is the condemnation that light is come into the world, but men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. Let us, who are of God, cast off the cloak of darkness and put on the armour of light. Let us be clothed with humility and put on the Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us and for the remission of our sins and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
Why Do the Heathen Rage - Part 2
Dennis Edwards
To go back to Part 1.
Israel’s Repentance Before the Battle of Armageddon
Revelation 16:16 “And He gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.”
While the Antichrist and the False Prophet are gathering the nations against Israel, something amazing has happened in Jerusalem and throughout Israel. The 1,260-day witness of the two prophets of God has taken effect. The Jewish people on seeing the resurrection of the two prophets, followed by Jesus coming in the clouds to gather together His elect from one end of heaven to the other, have repented. They have looked on Him who they have pierced, Jesus the Christ, and have mourned for Him, as one mourns for his only son, in great agony.
The leadership of Jerusalem and Israel both religious and secular will lead the nation to mourn and repent of their unbelief and come to faith in Jesus as the Messiah. Too late for the Rapture, but not too late for God to intervene and save them from their Antichrist enemies; who have entered into Israel, surrounded Jerusalem, and prepared for its final destruction.
Two thirds of Israel shall die during that horrendous period of Israel’s judgement, or around 4.7 million Jewish people out of the present Jewish population of 7 million. These deaths could include both those who die during the Antichrist’s first invasion of Israel at the beginning of the 3 ½ year period of Great Tribulation, and those that die later during his second invasion that leads up to the final battle at Armageddon.
Zechariah 13:8-9 “And it shall come to pass, that in all the land, says the LORD, two parts therein shall be cut off and die; but the third part shall be left therein. And I will bring the third part through the fire, and will refine them as silver is refined, and will try them as gold is tried: and they shall call upon My name, and I will hear them; I will say, It is My people: and they shall say, The Lord is my God.”
But because of their repentance, God will bring one-third, or around 2.3 million of the Jewish population in Israel, through the refining fires and refine them as gold is tried. That third shall call upon the name of the Lord, and He will hear them. God will once again call them His people and they shall say, “The Lord is our God.” “It is even the time of Jacob’s trouble; but he shall be saved out of it.” Jeremiah 30:6b.
To go to Part 3.
His Desire and Plan for Our Life Journey
By Mara Hodler June 19, 2024
Throughout the Bible, there are verses that use the analogy of traveling along a path in life. For example: “The law of his God is in his heart; none of his steps shall slide” (Psalm 37:31), “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105), and “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths” (Proverbs 3:6).
My personal takeaway from these verses is that we are each on a journey, and we don’t really know where our journey will take us or what path to take. But God knows, and we can avail ourselves of the principles in God’s Word as a guide, commit our ways to God, and ask Him to lead us. The other option is that we can try to figure it out on our own.
We all need to make decisions and navigate this thing called “life.” Just the fact that we are alive requires us to participate in all the choices that involve us. Depending on our nature, though, we might love figuring it all out or it might terrify us. Or perhaps a bit of both.
Personally, I don’t like making decisions. I have twice in my adult life been overwhelmed in a food court because there were just too many choices of what to eat for lunch. How sad is that?! If my husband would let me, I would eat the same thing every day simply to avoid having to decide what to eat. And this says nothing for the bigger choices in life, like where should we live? What career do I pursue? How should I spend my money? How is God calling me to use the talents and gifts He has given me? And many other things.
At the end of the day, my life will be a collection of my choices and the resultant consequences, good and bad. For me, this realization highlights two things: (1) I really need God’s help to make wise decisions, and (2) I also need a plan.
The beauty in all of this is that God has promised to be an active participant in my life if I will allow Him to. He says that if I acknowledge Him, He will direct my path. If His Word is in my heart, none of my steps will slide. If I hold up His Word, it will be a light to my path and show me the way to go. God’s got His part squared away, so what about mine? Or yours? We know there isn’t an actual “path” we are walking along or a real “lamp” that we can hold up, so how do we get this whole “God’s help” thing to work?
A good place to start is to know and understand God’s Word and the standard He has given us to live by. God’s Word is a lot like reflectors on a dark road. As you’re driving along, the reflectors show you the divide in the road so that you don’t veer into oncoming traffic, and they show you the edge of the road so that you don’t drop off into a ravine. Knowing God’s Word gives you a set of boundaries and provides guidance to help keep you on course.
Sometimes it’s really simple. I know God’s Word tells me to be loving and kind, and so asking myself a question along the lines of “What is the loving thing to do?” can reveal the obvious choice. But sometimes it’s more complicated, in particular when all options fall within the broad spectrum of God’s will, or when I have a strong personal feeling about a situation which affects my decision-making process. In such times it can be difficult to come to a decision that we can be at peace with or not second-guess ourselves. But God said He would direct our paths if we acknowledge Him, and He will work all things together for our good (Romans 8:28). So we can expect His help and guidance when we ask for it.
Then there’s the part of having a plan. Have you heard the saying “the man whose destination is ‘nowhere’ is sure to get where he’s going”? Psalm 37:3–4 says, “Trust in the LORD, and do good. … Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” This verse has a lot to do with making your life plan. It tells you that as you trust in the Lord and pattern your life according to His Word, and delight yourself in Him first and foremost, He will place in your heart His desires for you.
In other words, determine that you want your life to please God and place Him at the center of everything, and then once He puts a desire or calling in your heart, take it as His plan for you and go for it! Pursue the plan. For example, if you would like to join a volunteer mission trip to somewhere, but don’t have the money (or are short of funds), and you are sure that God also has an interest in you doing so, take it to the next step and plan for how you will get that money. For example, the next step might be asking your family, friends, or church if they would be interested in giving toward such a venture.
God really wants us to find His plan and purpose for our lives and to pursue it. He knows that in order for us to grow in our lives and to build our character, we have to learn and experience many things along the way. Just because something is God’s plan for our lives doesn’t mean that it will materialize instantaneously, or without struggle or challenge or growing pains or sacrifice. If your path is anything like mine, it’s not a straight shot. Having a general plan, goal, or destination helps me to move along the path; it helps me as I make daily choices.
When I come to a fork in the road, understanding God’s plan for me helps me know which path to take. I also have to be prepared for when God may open up a new path for me that will take me down new roads in my life journey. When other paths seem easier, or for some other reason entice me, I have to remind myself that His destination and plan for me is the desire of my heart.
God has a unique plan for each of our lives. Since God created us in His image with free will to make decisions, we get to be active participants in determining and pursuing that plan. If you already know where you’re going, stay close to God’s Word and let it guide you along the path. If you aren’t sure where you’re going, focus on living as God’s Word teaches us to, and God will guide you step by step to His plan for your life.
Adapted from a Just1Thing podcast, a Christian character-building resource for young people.
Copyright © 2024 The Family International
