A Nugget from New Life Network
(by Dr. Larry Ollison)
Scripture for the Day (January 19, 2016)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not any thing made that was made. (John 1:1-3)
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters. In the beginning, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit were at creation and everything that was created, was created through the Word of God. Before the earth, before heaven or hell, before mankind, and even before the angels and heavenly host, God existed.
Time is a concept created for the physical world, but before there was time, there was God. (Genesis 1:1,2; John 1:1,2). Many years ago, I worked at a steel engineering firm. Although everyone I worked with was helpful, it seemed that nobody had a clear understanding of the vision of the company. It seemed like everyone knew the boundaries of their own job, but nobody understood the how and why of the company except one man. His name was John. Although he was not the boss, it seemed like he always had the answers and in our planning meetings, he was always the one to guide us back to the plans and purposes of our company.
As one of the junior employees, I remember asking someone why John had so much wisdom concerning our company and industry. I was told that he was in the steel business for many years before our company was ever founded and that he was there in the beginning and had been employed longer than anyone else in the entire company, from custodian to management.
As Christians, I think many times we fail to remember that God was before creation, implemented creation, and knows everything. Every false god, every false prophet, every plan of man, and every demonic deception took place in relatively recent history. God has seen it all. There are no surprises to Him. Not only has He seen all the past, but because He lives outside of the creation of time, He has seen our future. No other deity can say that. No power can equal and no enemy can withstand our God.
To me it only seems logical that we should put our trust in Him and in His Word. All of eternity past and all of eternity future is in His hands and what He foreknows, He has spoken to man. There are those who place their trust in their own abilities. Some people worship dead men who have no power, while others seek after New Age philosophies. The reality is, God has been around longer than everything, and He is the only God who will be left standing at the end of time. Doesn’t it just seem wise to place your trust in Him and His ways?
He promises His followers, those who place their trust in His Son, that He will guide them by His Spirit and provide for them through His abundance and empower them by His grace. Why would anyone choose any other God?
Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live! (Deuteronomy 30:19, NLT)
