Thursday, October 14, 2010

All Generations Know Him

"Who has done this and carried it through, calling forth the generations from the beginning?" -- Isaiah 41:4

Woe is us. Nobody has ever experienced problems like this generation. We are overwhelmed. Our children are in danger. I could go on and on. Yes, we've got different problems than those who went before us. And those who come after us will have still another set of issues to face. Isn't it wonderful that our God was with our great-grandparents and will be with all the generations to come?

We each have a set of unique problems. We worry about crime and fitting too many activities into our schedule. In another part of the world, someone is worried about food to eat today. It's all a matter of perspective. Ours tends to be centered on the person we see in the mirror each day.

And, sure, our forefathers didn't have internet bullying or high-pressure jobs. Some of them worked from sun up to sun down trying to grow enough food to eat. Some toiled in factories for 12 to 14 hours per day or more. Some worked day after day for landowners, knowing they could never own their own land or better their position in life.

We think our children are in danger but children have always faced danger. One hundred years ago or more, children faced diseases we don't have today. So many babies never survived infancy. Other children never got an education. Some children supported their families. Of course, today that's still true is some parts of the world.

Who knows what the future will bring? Only God. And He'll be right there with those traveling through those future times. I am so grateful that the very God who guides my path, who listens to my concerns and gives me strength, is the same God who was there for my Grandmother. He is the God who is there for all of us, past, present or future. It really puts things in perspective.

We spend so much time worrying about what we can't change. We focus on the negative instead of looking at all the good around us. We try to control what may or may not happen, never really acknowledging the fact that we aren't in control. God is. He has a plan. And while we have free choice, it's still His plan in His world.

He wants what is good for us. He wants us to have a wonderful life spent serving Him and furthering His kingdom. Yeah. You read that right. Sure, He wants us to be happy and content. But mostly I think He wants us to know Him and to bring others to know Him as well. That above all else.

We don't know what the future holds for any of us -- but God does. He was there at the beginning when He created this world and the people who inhabit it. And He'll be there at the end, when Jesus rides His white horse forth in a blaze of glory and light. He'll love us and guide us through this journey right up to victory and an eternity with Him.