This Guiding Light is
from our archives 2011-2018
He
Knows The Future (and The Way)
Today's Guidling Light is day one of a six day study. We hope you will enjoy this devotional and consider reading the remainder of the week's going deeper.
He
was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet
He opened not His mouth; He
was led as a lamb to the slaughter, And
as a sheep before its shearers is silent, So He opened not His mouth. He
was taken from prison and from judgment, and who will declare His
generation? For
He was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgressions of
My people He was
stricken. (Isa. 53:7-8 NKJV)
[Day 1 Core Study] He Prepares You
THOUGHT TO PONDER:
In today’s Scripture we read an incredible detail describing the death still to come of Jesus who had not yet been born! If God’s Word can so mightily (and in vivid detail) describe to His people of what was to come in the future (a hundred years later) back then … isn’t it possible that He can and does still even now?
INSIGHT INTO HIS WORD:
Sometimes when God speaks (or) shows you “your what is to come”… it is so easy to lean toward the thought of “surely not” or that was just a coincidence or my imagination. My friend, take His Words to heart; hear Him speak to you, listen to Him and take some time to reflect on what He is trying to show you. Could it be a blessing to come and He is trying to give you hope that there is still something to look forward to? Maybe it is a warning and He is trying to make you aware of something that is wrong for you, or He could possibly be trying to prepare you for something that is coming up and He wants you to know “This is the step I want you to take.”
~ My friend, today I would like to share a story with you ~
Note: this incident happened in 2009 and then I wrote about it in 2011.
Towards the end of May two years ago (as I write this), the number forty started “echoing” inside of me. I couldn’t get it off my mind, and in my spirit it just kept being moved in me. Now I know that forty is a biblical number, and that many times this has been a significant time frame for God’s people (example: forty days, forty years), but I couldn’t figure out why it seemed so important to me at this particular time in my life. (Now I understand that God was trying to get my attention.)
Friends kept telling me that it was because I was turning forty in a few months and that this was why it was so noticeable to me. I could have accepted this, except for the fact that turning forty really didn’t bother me. So on June 1st I cleared my calendar, purchased a new prayer journal and started watching and listening for God’s direction and “power verses” that seemed to speak very strongly to me while reading my Bible.
Exactly forty days later I lost my job!
Not thirty-nine days, and not forty-one days. But FORTY DAYS on the dot!
But the awesome thing is that the very next day, I walked into the new future and the plans God had waiting for me. I stepped into an unknown path and began a journey that I wasn't sure where it would lead to. I only knew that overnight God had moved very much in my life. I was nervous, YES. But, I wasn't scared. You see, He had been preparing me the entire 40 days. The same verses that leaped out at me in my daily Bible reading were showing up EVERYWHERE. Every time I turned around, it was the same set of Scriptures and message.
At the time it would have been very easy for me to brush it off as just a coincidence, but God had my attention. Songs on the radio, conversations in passing with friends, daily devotionals I followed at time; the same message and sets of Scriptures (that were very personally to me), were being repeated in so many different ways. So when life erupted, I knew God had spoken and it WAS TIME to move. So I simply trusted.
My friend, way before Jesus was ever born, Scripture talked of Him, and God's Word came to pass. But He wasn't the only one. In Isa. 44:28 Cyrus was named as God's servant who would rebuild the temple in Jerusalem—a hundred years BEFORE Cyrus was ever born! In fact, when this was announced, the temple hadn’t even been destroyed yet! But God was warning His people of impending destruction, but He also gave a message of hope that eventually things would be restored. When Cyrus became the king of Persia; it was brought to his attention what the prophets had said about him specifically long ago. It was shown to Cyrus what God had already declared about him. So Cyrus obeyed, and he let people go who had a heart to rebuild God's temple. (Now read Ezra 1:1-11) My friend, God's Word came true.
Have you ever just "known" something, even though you couldn't see it yet? But deep inside, you just "knew." For instance when a decision had to be made, you already knew what direction to take. Or, maybe you just had "inner insight" about what God was going to do in your life so little by little, you just prepared. My friend that would be discernment from God, preparing you before His hand is revealed in your life.
God really does "open the eyes of our hearts" so that we can see direction from Him, so that we can follow His lead-- if we would just seek Him. His Word will come to life in you in a whole new way, when you are truly looking for Him. Passages you have read before will take on a whole new meaning for you in different seasons as He reveals His Heart and plans for you, if you will just "listen" as you spend time in His Word.
My friend, God isn't going to give us a crystal ball or show us every little thing that is up ahead, if He did, we wouldn't learn how to depend on Him. But, He will lead us and guide us. And when needed-- He will give us insight that can ONLY come from Him. And then at the right time-- in His time, His Word will prove true. My Friend, He knows what your future holds and He knows how to see you through. His part is to be GOD, our part is to listen and move as He directs.
~ Now For Your Turn ~
{} Read Luke 1:13
Question: Why do you think it was so hard for Zechariah to believe?
{} Read Judges 4:6-7
Summarize what Deborah told Barak.
My friend, again here is someone encouraging someone else from what God had revealed about them, and giving insight as to what was to come. This time we see that it isn't that God's servant (Barak) doesn't believe-- but he, like Moses, wanted someone to go with him. So he tells Deborah he would go, but only if she went too. But, because of Barak's persistence in putting conditions on his willingness to go, Deborah told him that he (Barak) would still have victory, however, someone else would receive recognition for it.
{} Read Judges 4:8-10
Question: Given the situation, what would you have done?
{} My friend in Genesis 37:5-11, we read that God gave Joseph two dreams. It wasn't until years later that they came to pass and Joseph fully understood what they meant. But when God's Word came true, Joseph was able to look back and realize why things had happened in his life and he was able to see the bigger picture. (Genesis 50:15-21)
Sometimes (like in Joseph's case) God will give us just a glimmer of something still to come. He does this to give us hope and to encourage us not to give up when trials and heartache come along before His promises come to pass. God in all His wisdom knows how long it will be, and if it is going to be a while, then in His mercy and grace-- He will shed light on what we have to look forward to, just so we can hold on.
When looking back at your life, when was there a time that you knew God had forewarned you of something to come? (It doesn't have to be of a bad time-- just a time that God was working in your heart to prepare you for something.) At the time, did you notice it, or only in retrospect after it had happened?
And finally:
{} Read John 16:13
Have you ever taken into consideration that all your “little knowings” all the little warnings and insight-- was actually that of His Holy Spirit, telling YOU of “things to come” and fulfilling His promise to you?
PRAYING IN FAITH:
Father God, what a wonderful thing you do for us, as You open up Your Word to lead us and guide us. Lord, thank You for the many times You speak of things to come so that we may have hope and not give up when things get tough. Lord, thank You that you sustain us and pick us up when it seems like we can't go any further. Lord, thank You for Your amazing grace that shelters us when we stumble trying to make it through.
Lord, I hold hands with this reader You have brought along side me today. Lord, may You strengthen them and give them courage. Lord, I pray that You will open the eyes of their heart to see you leading them, and open their ears to hear you directing them. Lord, may You steady their feet and guide them in each step.
Lord, I pray that as You reveal things to them they will have an open mind to accept Your revelations. Lord, as You prepare them, I pray they will not harden their hearts towards you today.
In Christ Jesus Name, Amen.
My friend, I pray you have a wonderful day and a blessed week!
~ Kassie
This Guiding Light devotional is day one of a six day study. We encourage you to print out (for free) the whole 6 day study devotional. And we would love for you to leave us a comment and let us know how you are doing.
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