And Then What?

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"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved..." Acts 16:31. And then hope for the best? God forbid! God's chosen people were delivered from bondage from the land of Egypt. They were delivered by the outstretched hand of God. The greatest miracle these people could ever hope to witness was freedom from their bondage and God so graciously granted this miracle. And He did it in a way that there could be no mistake that it was truly His great power that saved them.

When He delivered them from their bondage, He sent them on a journey to a promised land. A land flowing with milk and honey. How soon they forgot this great miracle that they had witnessed. Now the Lord didn't just send them on this journey alone and tell them to hope for the best. No, God led them every step of the way, in a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. All He asked was that they trust Him. How soon they forgot, and He showed them miracle after miracle, yet around every corner and in every circumstance, they were found worrying and mistrusting the very one who had set them free.

Through it all, God loved them and led them. He clothed them, He fed them, He gave them water to drink. All their needs were filled and yet they could not trust Him. Then, when the journey had ended, they even feared possessing the land that the Lord had so graciously promised them. How pitiful, the shallow faith of these people in their God who gave them everything and asked nothing of them, only that they trust Him. How disgusting to read of such an ungrateful bunch of whiners.

This story and many others can be found in a Book called the Bible. But this and all the others are not just stories and this Bible is not just a book. This Bible is a History Book and an Instruction Book and a Compass and a Guide. This Bible is the inspired, infallible, Holy Word of God. Men write history books so that others might study them and see how things were done in the past and the results of how those things were done. From these history books, we can see our past mistakes and failures and correct them.

There is a people who have been delivered from bondage and who are on a journey to a promised land. It's a beautiful land. A land where there is no suffering. A land where there are no tears. These are a chosen people. These are God's very own, who He loves dearly.

These people have the greatest History Book ever written whereby to learn from past mistakes. These people are led through their journey, not by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, but by the Holy Spirit of God Himself. These people have absolutely nothing invested and yet they have everything promised.

"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is a gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:8-9. And all that He asks is that they trust Him. These people are called "Christians", and we have not come very far from our brothers the Jews.

Somewhere back there in our lives, we could only read about the miracles God did for His children. And then every true born again Christian witnessed for himself or herself, the greatest miracle of all time. That miracle was when God called him or her to a saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ and delivered him or her from bondage and set them on their journey to the promised land.

How soon we forget. How in the world can we say to Him, "Now God, I trust you fully with my soul, but the things of this world, I cannot trust you with."? Will we go through this journey to the promised land and worry about every little detail of our lives? When we come to the promised land, will we be afraid to go over and possess it?

Friends, there are many, many things that could possibly happen to us during this journey we have been called to make. And many of them could prove to be very unpleasant to say the least. But God is in charge of every one of them, right down to the finest little detail. All He asks is that we trust Him.

Can we not trust Him? Just think about it, Abraham had some bad things to happen in his life and God's grace was sufficient. Guess where Abraham is right now. I imagine he is looking upon us and shaking his head and saying, "When will they ever learn?".

Think about Moses. God told him he was about to die. Did he start sweating it and fretting about this thing that was about to take place? Where do you think Moses is right now? I imagine him looking down on us and saying, "Lord, I reminded them over and over of Your goodness and why won't they heed it?".

Think about Job. Man, he endured some pretty hard times and he was still able to say to his wife, "Yea though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." Friends, I'm not sitting here trying to tell you that if you will just trust Him nothing bad will ever happen to you.

What I am trying to tell you is that He does love you, just like He said and His Word is true, every word of it. Things like, "My grace is sufficient for thee." and "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." and "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

Friend, it's all true and it all pertains to all God's children and there is much, much more. Now I don't like suffering and I don't want to suffer any more than anyone. But this God that loves me and you is not a mean God and should I have to suffer, it will be because His great plan merits it and His mercy and His grace will be sufficient. I believe that just as much as I believe that when this journey is over, I have a home waiting for me that will make it all worth it.

God hath not promised skies always blue,
Flower strewn pathways all our life through.
God hath not promised sun without rain,
Joy without sorrow, peace without pain.
God hath not promised we shall not know,
Toil and temptation, trouble and woe.
He hath not told us we shall not bear,
Many a burden, many a care.
God hath not promised smooth roads and wide,
Swift easy travel, needing no guide.
Never a mountain, rocky and steep.
Never a river, turbid and deep.
But
God hath promised, strength for today,
Rest for the labor, light for the way,
Grace for the trials, help from above,
Unfailing kindness, undying love.

God bless you!