Part Deux

As mentioned previously, there was another part to the post before the last one - a couple of tie ins to it. And as promised, I am sharing that now. The other part actually comes in the form of two separate pieces that came shortly after the original. So without further delay...

The first one came after a discussion with someone else:

A glimpse of the faithfulness and character of God: Judas.

He knew when He called Judas what he was going to do...He knew he would give in to temptation and betray Him to a horrible death..but still, He did call him. Not only that, but He did not treat Judas ANY differently than the other disciples...even though HE KNEW. He still taught him, cared for him, trusted him, protected him and loved him ... even though He knew. God cannot be any other way than He is.

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Sort of a tie in with the "He Knew" message...

Have you ever had something revealed to you, by God, that you felt you were to either act or not act upon, but you choose the opposite for whatever reason. I know I have. One springs to mind fairly quickly and was the one which sprang to mind when this came to me.

When God showed you, or me, whatever it was, He already knew what we would do with it or not do with it. So does that mean, by our action or inaction that we have somehow changed God's plan? Is His plan laid out and has Plan A, subsection 128-7 to handle what we did or did not do? No. He has plan A...period. How superior do we think we are that our decision can change the plan that God has laid out for this world and everyone and everything on it? Do we think we are greater than He?

I will not go into the details of the example that comes to my mind. What I will say, is that it is something from the past. A time in which God revealed something to me about something other than me. I did not share this at the time. And things, well, they did not go in a way that I saw as being good (stressing the "as I saw"). And, I have kicked myself for some time about this. Thinking that IF I had of acted then things might have been different. But. But God knew when He allowed me to see that I would not have shared this with everyone concerned (did with one person, not all). So does my inaction mean that I changed God's plan? Of course not! While lots of passages from Job do come to mind, there is one other set of scripture that does so even more.

Esther 4:13-14 "he sent back this answer: "Do not think that because you are in the king's house you alone of all the Jews will escape. For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place"

God's plan does not have a Plan B or a subsection whatever. He sees beginning to end, end to beginning, and all in between and has all the details taken care of. So did my inaction change God's plan for the situation? No. If things were to go differently, they would have. Trust me here, He knows me and He would have known enough to "not put all His eggs in MY basket".

So I just want to encourage you a bit, if I may. If there has ever been something in your past that you have kicked yourself for because you keep that nagging thought around that "If I had of...then...", take heart...you are NOT CAPABLE of changing God's plan. He knew at the time what you would do or not do. His ways are above our ways, His thoughts above our thoughts.

I actually have another tidbit that is more recent (very, since it's not written yet) that ties into the last part here that may be coming shortly as well.

Yours in Christ

Troy

Older Post - He Knew

This post is something that God gave me some time ago - February of 2009 to be exact, but it still holds just as true today. And I find myself having to be reminded of it even now by times. That is true of much of what He shows and tells me to be honest. Rarely do I get it completely when He shows it to me the first time through. I have said before that I am merely the keyboard and that much of what I write is His - that is, I tend not to know it completely (sometimes, at all) myself, I merely write what He gives me.

That all said, here is the first part of it:

He Knew

Some things to consider:

Luke 5:10 "Then Jesus said to Simon, "Don't be afraid; from now on you will catch men"

Matthew 14:28-29

"Lord, if it's you," Peter replied, "tell me to come to you on the water."

"Come," he said.

Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.

Matthew 14:30

But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, "Lord, save me!"

Luke 22:34

Jesus answered, "I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me."

John 21:15-19

When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Feed my lambs."

Again Jesus said, "Simon son of John, do you truly love me?"
He answered, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
Jesus said, "Take care of my sheep."

The third time he said to him, "Simon son of John, do you love me?"
Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, "Do you love me?" He said, "Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you."

Jesus said, "Feed my sheep. I tell you the truth, when you were younger you dressed yourself and went where you wanted; but when you are old you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will dress you and lead you where you do not want to go." Jesus said this to indicate the kind of death by which Peter would glorify God. Then he said to him, "Follow me!"


Now then...

He knew.

He knew when He called to Peter that day on the water. He knew when He called Him to "come" that he would look away and sink. He knew Peter would be overcome by the fear of having to go through the pain he saw Christ going through and would deny Him, not once but three times.

He knew.

He knew when He first called him all the mistakes he would make along the way. He knew.

And still...

And still, He called him.

Even though He knew.

I have little doubt that Peter kicked himself over and over again after sinking in the water. Even less doubt that he kicked himself HARD after denying Jesus that day. I would imagine that he would have thought about what a disappointment he was ...how he had failed so terribly ... how God would turn away from him because of what he did.

But in order for him to have been a disappointment, or a failure, or for God to turn His face away from him would have meant that he would have had to do something that God did not know he was going to do when He first called to him that day on the lake.

but...

He knew.

He knew what Peter was going to do...He knew when it was going to happen...He knew why he would do it even if Peter himself did not fully understand.

He knew.

And if He knew...how could He consider Peter a disappointment or a failure? How could He decide to turn away from him?

He couldn't.

And He didn't.

Because He knew.

And He knew when He called each of us...self included...about all the mistakes we would make even AFTER we came to Him...after He called us...He knew and STILL HE CALLED US.

He knew.