Thought for Today
Psalm 138:8 The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.
Proverbs 19:21 The human mind may devise many plans, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will be established.
Luke 4:43 But he said to them, "I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose."
Acts 2:22 "You that are Israelites, listen to what I have to say: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with deeds of power, wonders, and signs that God did through him among you, as you yourselves know-- 23 this man, handed over to you according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of those outside the law.
Some days it seems like the world just stumbles and fumbles from one crisis to the next with no plan or purpose at all. Even looking from a historical perspective, it seems that history unfolds randomly in fits and starts. Is there a plan? Does history unfold driven by purpose, or does it transpire erratically and aimlessly?
Unquestionably, technology has ‘progressed’ far beyond the discovery of fire. “The earliest evidence of humans dates back to about 2.8 million years ago with early Homo species, while anatomically modern humans (Homo sapiens) appear around 315,000-360,000 years ago.” (Copilot Search) “The earliest confirmed evidence of humans deliberately making fire dates to around 400,000 years ago at Barnham, England, likely by early Neanderthals.” (Copilot Search) “The earliest known use of metals dates back to the Neolithic period, around 9000-8000 BCE, when humans first encountered and worked with native copper found in nature in pure metallic form . . .” (Copilot Search)
By any measure, taking that long to ‘discover’ fire and that long to ‘discover’ metals is not a very impressive track record. In the roughly 10,000 years since then, we have ‘progressed’ to our modern world of exotic alloyed metals, electronics and computers. Those Neanderthals and other ancient ancestors could not have even imagined the home in which I live or the computer I used for those searches and for typing this missive. But, that is all about technological progress . . . and there is no evidence of any particular plan or purpose.
Our earliest ancestors-in-the-faith did see a plan and a purpose in Creation. The psalmist understood that Creation, the work of God’s hands, was a part of God’s purpose and plan. David understood, "1 Chronicles 28:9 And you, my son Solomon, know the God of your father, and serve him with single mind and willing heart; for the LORD searches every mind, and understands every plan and thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will abandon you forever.”
God understands our own plans and thoughts. God views our plans and purposes in terms of God’s own overall plan. As a Christian, I know Jesus’ words, “1 Luke 4:43 But he said to them, ‘I must proclaim the good news of the kingdom of God to the other cities also; for I was sent for this purpose.’" The Incarnation was part of God’s plan and purpose for Creation. And the Incarnation was for the purpose of proclaiming the good news (gospel) of the kingdom of God.
Jesus spoke a lot about the kingdom of God, much of it in parables. Much of the 13th chapter of Matthew deals with such parables. "The kingdom of heaven is like: “13:31 a mustard seed;” “33 yeast;” “44 treasure hidden in a field;” “45 a merchant in search of fine pearls;’ “47 a net that was thrown into the sea;” “52 the master of a household who brings out of his treasure what is new and what is old; etc. Jesus used metaphors to help us understand the ultimate goal of God’s plan.
When I think about the kingdom of God, synonymous with the kingdom of heaven, I understand the reality represented by all of those metaphors in terms of Jesus’ words in the Lord’s Prayer, “Matthew 6:10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” As a Christian, I believe Creation and all of history are inexorably marching toward the fulfillment of God’s own plan and purpose, toward the time when God’s will that we all love God and each other will be fulfilled on earth as it is in heaven.
We’re not there yet. We’re closer than we were yesterday. If we would all just “Luke 10:27 love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself," we would be there.
Love God, love each other, act like it, trust God,
Pastor Ray