Hope!

Hope!

For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope. Romans 15:4 NIV

The Context and Focus:

Paul, writing to the church in Rome, reminds the audience about the importance of living to please God by striving to impact the lives of people. As the earthly representative of the eternal God, I have a duty to represent God the right way, by being an example of selfless service, humility, and patience. It is also equally important to note that the fruit of the Holy Spirit contains peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control. It is by my dealings with men that my relationship with God is made manifest. It is by my dealings with men that my life's pursuits and priorities are revealed. If all I care about is what I can get out, and not so much what I can put it also, then it is obvious that this relationship will not last, or it will continue with the wrong focus. The end will also not be good. God has also been very gracious by providing us with perfect examples of what his dealings with man look like, so we can read, study and apply them, so that the same grace they had, and the impact they made, could also be replicated in our own generation too.

The Message:

Today's verse is that perfect connection of the past, present and future. God was very intentional to inspire men like us to write the accounts we read today. These are stories of imperfect men used by the perfect God to do mighty things. In some instances, some men rejected God to the end, and we see how they ended up. Some didn't have a great start, but their end was glorious. Some had the rare distinction of being spoken about by God to their parents, who then made sure the children knew God from a young age. Whatever the past was, there was a decision to be made, a purpose to discover and a race to run. Whatever understanding each person had affected the way s/he went about serving God. Of course, for each person, at the end, there was a reckoning and an accounting to be made. At the time, it didn't matter how loud the earthly applause had been; now, it was all about the judgment and reward of the One who actually called and commissioned the assignment all of us have. For me today, I need to determine what is important, and what is expected of me going forward. Is my current trajectory sure to take me to the place God has prepared for me?

The Conclusion:

This is why the records of the Bible are very important to us today. The men and women of the Bible were not presented as perfect on their own, but by submission and surrender to God, they have become examples to emulate. By extension, as the verse above says, their own past, present and future give us a window into how we must deal with God, if we also want a great end. Everything in the bible, from the accounts of man's sin, to the destruction of the earth through water, to the various men and women used by God under different circumstances and different times, we see God making clear his purpose, showing us His ways and asking us to obey Him, so we can enjoy the fullness of His blessings. The past is the foundation for the present, because it tells us the things God loves and hates, and the past also helps us walk and work right in the present. As we walk right today, we are showing the present generation how to please God, as well as raising them to fear God. That is hope: that the future is secure because God is given the honour and recognition He deserves. May the Word of God be my constant companion, so my life can please God in every way. God's time of favour is here.