Our readings for today are Esther 1-2, Psalm 139, and Revelation 1.
What are you thankful for today on Thanksgiving?
As I reflect on our assigned readings for today, one quote or statement I’ve heard before comes to mind.
“I don’t know what the future holds, but I know who holds it.”
Today, on Thanksgiving, this is one of the many things we can focus on and be grateful for.
Psalm 139 is a chapter commonly referenced in support of the sanctity of human life at conception, not just after birth. Psalm 139:13-15 speaks of God knowing us while we are in the womb. Then, in verse 139:16, this is taken a step further…
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
Not only do these verses tell us God made us thoughtfully and purposefully, but He already knows our future. How? It hasn’t yet occurred.
Our small group is currently reading, Learn The Bible in 24 Hours, by Dr. Chuck Missler. In his book, Dr. Missler describes that for us life is a sequence of linear events. But, God is outside of the dimension of time so He can see the past, present and future. This is very hard for our human mind to comprehend. The way he describes it is that if you were sitting on curb watching a parade, you would experience and see each part of the parade as it goes by. But someone who is in a helicopter can see the beginning, the middle, and the end of the parade…all at the same time.
Our assigned reading in Revelation 1 speaks to this in verse 8…
8 “I am the Alpha and the Omega,” says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”
This verse tells us He not only is the beginning and end…but He “was and is to come.” He has seen it all before it happens.
A few other verses speak to this. First, Isaiah 57:15 reads…
15 For thus says the One who is high and lifted up,
who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy:
“I dwell in the high and holy place,
and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit,
to revive the spirit of the lowly,
and to revive the heart of the contrite.
This tells us He lives in eternity and can see it all.
Another verse is Isaiah 46:10…
10 declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, ‘My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,’
He tells us here that He knows the beginning and the end and things “not yet done.”
I don’t know what things are going to happen in this world as we see social conflict and physical conflict all the time, with some very serious conflict going on right now in Israel and Ukraine. What I do know is these verses tell us He will accomplish His purpose (Isaiah 46:10), and I know the rest of the book of Revelation tells us He wins, and all pain and sadness will cease to exist (Revelation 21:4).
We also know He cares for us, and He’s with us as we go. The end of Isaiah 57:15 tells us He will “revive the spirit of the lowly,” and He will “revive the heart of the contrite.” Reading the entire chapter of Psalm 139 tells us how much He cares for us and the life He created in and for us. He tells us in Psalm 46:10 to “Be still and know that I am God.”
Please consider reading the entire book of Esther as we go through it in the upcoming days as yet another example of God’s perfect plan.
Today, let us give thanks for God’s plan and His ultimate and certain victory over Satan, sin, and death.
