You’re On Your Way!

Ecclesiastes 3:9-13 (ESV Strong’s)  What gain has the worker from his toil? 10 I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. 11 He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. 12 I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; 13 also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.  Yet we get stuck in the mud of daily difficulty.  When you are running, sometimes the running is hard.

It’s time to get a divine perspective of life!   The age old question of man has always been, “Why am I here and what purpose do I have in life?”  Those who have found the answer live fulfilled, happy lives, those who don’t die empty and miserable.  There is a book that can answer that question and put you on the way to meaningful life.

The Bible is one book with one theme:  Restoration through Jesus Christ.  Restoration means to return to “like new”condition, or as ORIGINALLY INTENDED.  This picture of restoration is found repeatedly in the Bible:  Acts 3:19-21 (ESV Strong’s) Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, 20 that TIMES OF REFRESHING may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, 21 WHOM HEAVEN MUST RECEIVE UNTIL THE TIME FOR RESTORING ALL THE THINGS about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago.  Jesus IS NOT coming back UNTIL God’s RESTORATION of the Earth comes to pass.

The Bible is One Story – The last Part of the Last Book in the Bible reads like the Close of the Story begun in the First Part of the First Book in the Bible.  Halley’s Bible Handbook, p.740

1. The First word in Genesis:  “In the beginning God created the Heavens and Earth” (Genesis 1:1)
2. Almost the Last word in Revelation: “I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth” (Revelation 21:1).
3. “The gathering together of waters He called the Sea” (Genesis 1:10)  “And the Sea is No More’ (Revelation 21:1).
4. “The Darkness He called Night” (Genesis 1:5).  “There shall be No Night there” (Revelation 21:25).
5. “God made the Two Great Lights (Sun and Moon)” (Genesis 1:16)”  “The city has No Need of the Sun nor the Moon” (Revelation 21:23).
6. “In the day you eat thereof you shall surely Die” (Genesis 2:17).  “Death shall be No More” (Revelation 21:4).
7. “I will greatly multiply your Pain” (Genesis 3:16).  “Neither shall there be Pain any more” (Revelation 21:4).
8. “Cursed is the ground for your sake” (Genesis 3:17).  “There shall be No More Curse” (Revelation 22:3).
9. Satan appears as deceiver of mankind (Genesis 3:1, 4).  Satan Disappears Forever (Revelation 20:10).
10. They were driven from the Tree of Life (Genesis 3:22-24).  The Tree of Life re-appears (Revelation 22:2).
11. They were driven from God’s Presence (Genesis 3:24).  “They shall See His Face” (Revelation 22:4).
12. Man’s primeval Home was by a River (Genesis 2:10)  Man’s Eternal Home will be beside a River (Revelation 22:1)
13. God is working to restore and perfect all things from the damages inflicted by sin.  Don’t you think what He is doing on a grand scale will be repeated in His people individually?

If sin inhibited the will of god, don’t you think obedience accelerates the “restoration plan” of God in your life!  1 Samuel 15:22-23 (ESV Strong’s)  And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord?  Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.  He is much more interested in your obeying Him than “doing penance” for your failings.  Obedience has always been the distinguishing mark of God’s men and women.   Those who obey receive continual promotions in life.

1. Job started out blessed and ended up doubly so.
2. Abraham started on empty and ended up full.
3. Joseph began with a dream and ended with it fulfilled.
4. Moses began a lawbreaker with a death sentence and ended up as the Lawgiver.
5. Joshua gave the minority report in the wilderness and ended up with the new majority in the Promised Land.
6. Rahab began as a harlot and ended up in the family line of Jesus Christ.
7. David began as a shepherd and ended up a king.
8. Paul counted all things loss and ended with gain.
9. Each of these people stayed with God and over time and trials were molded into His image.

Romans 12:1-2 (ESV) I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. 2 Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  Every intentional and/or habitual step of obedience to God brings you one step closer to God’s intention for you:  RESTORATION!  WE WILL FIND THE BLESSING OF RESTORATION AS WE MOUNT THE LATHE OF OBEDIENCE.  The scripture is full of promises to that effect.

1. 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.  Philippians 1:6 (ESV Strong’s) “And I AM SURE OF THIS, that he who began a good work in you WILL BRING IT TO COMPLETION at the day of Jesus Christ.”  Do you think the Lord will do any less for you?   

2. God has always had a purpose and a plan for your life.  You cooperate every time you take a step of obedience.  Psalms 139:1-24 (NLT)  O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  2 You know when I sit down or stand up.   You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.  3 You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.   You know everything I do.  4 You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.  5 You go before me and follow me.  You place your hand of blessing on my head.  6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!  7 I can never escape from your Spirit!   I can never get away from your presence!  8 If I go up to heaven, you are there;  if I go down to the grave, you are there.  9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, 10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.  11 I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— 12 but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.   To you the night shines as bright as day.   Darkness and light are the same to you.  13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb.  14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!  Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.  15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.  16 You saw me before I was born.   Every day of my life was recorded in your book.   EVERY MOMENT WAS LAID OUT BEFORE A SINGLE DAY HAD PASSED.  17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.   They cannot be numbered! ..18 I can’t even count them;  they outnumber the grains of sand!  And when I wake up, you are still with me!  19 O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!  Get out of my life, you murderers!  20 They blaspheme you; your enemies misuse your name.  21 O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?  Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?  22 Yes, I hate them with total hatred, for your enemies are my enemies.  23 Search me, O God, and know my heart;  test me and know my anxious thoughts.  24 Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

The Preacher solved the mystery of life:  Ecclesiastes 12:9-13 (ESV Strong’s)  Besides being wise, the Preacher also taught the people knowledge, weighing and studying and arranging many proverbs with great care. 10 The Preacher sought to find words of delight, and uprightly he wrote words of truth.  11 The words of the wise are like goads, and like nails firmly fixed are the collected sayings; they are given by one Shepherd. 12 My son, beware of anything beyond these. Of making many books there is no end, and much study is a weariness of the flesh.  13 The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man.  If you do you’re on the way!