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May, 2002

Bible Reading Plan 

KNOWING THE END FROM THE BEGINNING

BY LOUIS & CAROL GORDON
COVENANT KEEPERS BOARD MEMBERS

"Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning? I, the Lord—with the first of them and with the last—I am He…I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: my purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please." Isaiah 41:4, 46:10 NIV

We all need to TRUST the Lord with all our hearts. While we may seem to be walking in the wilderness, we are being prepared to take back the land! In the desert it is sometimes difficult to see beyond the need for water to quench our thirst and for shelter from the burning heat. Nonetheless, He has His hand upon us, and He will guide us through to victory.

The pressure is on the enemy these days because he knows his time is short. He is trying to drive us away from the Lord who is our answer. If we stay faithful to our God, He will do a work in and through us, which will bring Him great glory. His purpose will stand!

We need to recognize that none of the circumstances of our lives comes as a surprise to God. As we read the scriptures we see that some astounding things happened in the lives of those chosen by the Father for His work.

EXAMPLES OF VICTORY

What would happen, if after reading of Joseph's brothers throwing him into the pit, we threw up our hands in despair and never read the rest of the story? We would never know that Joseph faithfully held to the visions God gave him and that he saw them fulfilled in every detail!

What if we stopped reading about Abraham when he reached the age of 98 and did not learn of the events of the next two years when all God's promises to Abraham came true? He believed in the Word of the Lord and acted upon it for years and years, growing in faith, before he saw the promised son.

Abraham had no Bible to read, only the rembrances of his ancestors to support his faith and the voice of a God who could not be seen. Sometimes his family took advantage of him; his wife Sarah even laughed at God's promise. Abraham and God worked it all out between the two of them, for God had found a man who would trust Him.

It is important to remember in the middle of our circumstances that temporal things, even those which appear to be certain, are subject to change. We are connected to a precious, loving Lord who knows exactly what He is doing. We know what the fruit will be when we walk with Him. That is why we can trust Him to lead and guide us through all the tests that come our way.

GOD'S PERSPECTIVE

What is most important is that we have a greater view of God and how He sees things. If He sets the purpose for our life before we ever arrive to carry it out, we can trust that He is not toppled from His throne by our waywardness and mistakes. He is well able to bring us right to where we should be—right on time!

A word study of the meanings for Hebrew words translated as "end" yields interesting results.

• achariyth: future
• kalah (transitive): to complete, accomplish, or fulfill
• gets, getseh: infinite and uttermost part

These meanings help us see that our God, the God who created the universe, time, and our place in His plan, can oversee our lives quite well. His principle problem with us is our fear of allowing Him to do it.

We refuse to allow the One who quite successfully runs the universe to be Lord to us. We think we can work things out our own way. He has a destiny planned for us, which only we can fulfill. He knows exactly what route we will take, and He is with us every step.

If we are presently in a pit, we may only be able to see the sides of that pit. But the One who loves us best can see the whole picture, and we can trust that He will lift us out of the pit and place our feet on solid ground!

PICTURES OF FAITH

It is because we need to see things that God gave us the scriptures. In His Word we can see pictures of people who lived by faith, who trusted God against all odds. We find living promises we can hold on to when the circumstances of our lives seem to crumble under our feet. What we learn of the nature of God blasts away our fears and doubts. His mercy, steadfast love, and grace to us are repeatedly reported. We see, reflected in the lives of those who have gone before, the trustworthiness of God.

We are so blessed! We have God's written Word to read and study; we can rejoice in promises secured before the beginning of time! In Revelations 22:13 Jesus said, "I am the Alpha and Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." (NIV) Centuries before Jesus was born on the earth, God spoke through the prophet Micah: "But you, Bethelehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from old, from ancient times." Michah 5:2

We can choose to yield ourselves to Him! His infinite wisdom and love for us are trustworthy!

HE IS CENTRAL

He knows how our hearts long for our loved ones to come to know and trust Him also. We have to realize that God loves them even more than we do, and He is also molding and shaping their lives to fit His plans.

We can trust that when the Lord is in charge, all of us will find our way to Him, and we will connect in His special way with each other. Though we are greatly concerned for others, He must be the central focus of our lives. As we hunger and thirst after Him, He will provide the fulfillment we seek. "He said to me: 'It is done. I am the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End. To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost from the spring of the water of life.'" Revelations 21:6

So let us praise the Lord for His faithfulness! Continue to lean on and trust Him, regardless of the situations you face. Events in the world reveal that only the Lord can carry us through these perilous times. Our prayer efforts must be consistent, and we should always set our hope on Him!

The Gordons are founders and directors of Heart Menders, Inc. Covenant Keepers recommends the Gordons' book The Child Heart. Click here to move to our order page

God Will Make A Way For You In 2002!