In the Beginning… Our What Was, What Is, and What is to Come, Story!
In the Beginning… What was…
Titus 3:3 For we also once were foolish ourselves, disobedient, deceived, enslaved to various lusts and pleasures, spending our life in malice and envy, hateful, hating one another.
What is…
Titus 3:4-7 But when the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind appeared, He saved us, not on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness, but according to His mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewing by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out upon us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior,
What will be…
so that being justified by His grace we would be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life.
In the beginning, we once were not a people; you had not received mercy
But now… you are the people of God; you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:9 you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;
It isn’t a fairy tale with wicked stepmothers, or godmothers, or genies in bottles, or princes sent to save… though is about the God of gods – Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Who wishes for NONE to perish.
It isn’t a novel with fictional heroes, villains and damsels in distress… though it is the story of a creature fearfully and wonderfully made – it is my story and your story!
It is a love story… the greatest love story – for God so loved story.
It is the story of good news of great joy… our Messiah has come.
It is the never-ending story… our debt has been paid.
It is the story of our future – eternal life.
It is the story of our beginning.
From the birth of our world, when God spoke into being all things and everything we could ever imagine with the added blessings of CHANGE and SUSTAINING power to provide an earthly habitat until we, each individual, meet – greet – and give ourselves to His Way, His Truth, and His Life.
God’s Story, written from His heart to our heart.
The Bible… What was – What Is – What Is to Come.
Not to be read just once, but over and over to discover His Way… the BEST way. Not to be memorized and pulled out for a game of trivia, but to fill ourselves with – press down – shaking – and overflowing our minds and souls and hearts with every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.
It is history… it is a documentary… it is prophecy… it is a complete concordance of best practices… it is a love letter… it is an autobiography… it is God’s last will and testament – NOT because He is dead but because He does NOT CHANGE and therefore His promises and the inheritance He has given, is – was – and always will be the ONLY ONE for eternity.
I/We can only imagine His Kingdom coming… but it is not changed by my/our imagination. It is in our best interest to understand that, though we inherit the kingdom as His children and His heirs, we do not have the power nor authority to make it our own creation. His kingdom will not be changed… WE WILL BE CHANGED!
Philippians 2:12-13 So then, my beloved, work out your salvation with fear and trembling; for it is God who is at work in you, both to will and to work for His good pleasure.
It is time to begin “What Will Be”our story… time to start BEING CHANGED!
1 Peter 1:8-9 and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, obtaining as the outcome of your faith the salvation of your souls.
I/We can’t do it for ourselves… in the beginning I THOUGHT I coulda – woulda – shoulda… only to end up in the never-ending spin cycle of want to – plan to – meant to.
But God!
Telling us in His Word, the who’s, why’s, where, when, what, and the hows, of the changes necessary and the position (on the altar like Isaac – Genesis 22:1-14) I must put myself in. Showing us His mercy (by paying our debt, Himself – John 3:16). Making sure we can NEVER be separated from Him again (Romans 8:38-39)
In the beginning I WAS lost… NOW am found… and WILL BE with Him forever more!
Therefor… in the here and now… I will seek Him and He will be found… Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:12-13)
In the here and now… For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. (Jeremiah 29:11)
I cannot get to the future and hope He has for me, by myself. But this one thing I/we can do… this one thing I/we will do… this one thing I/we MUST do!
Let’s DO IT… Let’s make it the BEST STORY ever told… Search us, O God, and know our heart; try us and know our anxious thoughts; and see if there be any hurtful way in us, and lead us in the everlasting way. (Psalm 139:23-24)
**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible