“Boast not thyself of to morrow; For thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth; A stranger, and not thine own lips. A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; But a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. Wrath is cruel, and anger is outrageous; But who is able to stand before envy? Open rebuke is better Than secret love. Faithful are the wounds of a friend; But the kisses of an enemy are deceitful. The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; But to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.”
Proverbs 27:1-7 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/pro.27.1-7.KJV
Part of the Plan
In the beginning, God created everything.
Galaxies and volcanoes, fireflies and diamonds, oak trees and great white sharks. Finally, saving the best for last, He created humans in His image—to fill the earth, reign over its creatures, and cultivate a world that magnifies Him.
But even before the beginning, God was already there. He spoke time and space into existence, while existing outside of time and space. And long before you were born, He already knew all about you—your strengths and weaknesses, your successes and failures.
He knew all about you and chose to make you… because He loves you!
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”
Ephesians 2:10 NIV
You are God’s handiwork—sometimes translated as masterpiece, workmanship, or work of art.
You are also God’s masterpiece because of the unique spirit, personality, and gifts that have been uniquely wired in you.
Because we know that God is ...
“And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days, save thyself, and come down from the cross. Likewise also the chief priests mocking said among themselves with the scribes, He saved others; himself he cannot save. Let Christ the King of Israel descend now from the cross, that we may see and believe. And they that were crucified with him reviled him. And when the sixth hour was come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani? which is, being interpreted, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? And some of them that stood by, when they heard it, said, Behold, he calleth Elias. And one ran and filled a spunge full of vinegar, and put it on a reed, and gave him to drink, saying, Let alone; let us see whether Elias will come to take him down. And Jesus cried with a loud voice, and gave up ...
One Great Purpose
While Mary and Joseph were still finalizing their guest list and picking out a wedding cake, she startled him with some unexpected news—she, a virgin, was pregnant.
Assuming she’d been unfaithful, as any logical person would, Joseph was poised to cancel the engagement. But while he was still considering his exit strategy, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream—telling him not to be afraid to take Mary as his wife, for the child inside her was from the Holy Spirit.
“And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
Matthew 1:21 NLT
This miracle was the fulfillment of hundreds of prophecies—God-inspired predictions about the Messiah, Savior, or “Chosen/Anointed One”—recorded in the Old Testament. From conception, Jesus’ purpose was made known: to save His people from their sins. Because even before God created the world, His plan was to save it.
Isn’t it interesting that you ...