celebration

Christian people have a choice. It is a choice to celebrate things that are good, or things that are false. It is a choice that seeks a balance between mercy and justice -- doctrine and practice. It is a choice whether one pursues love or hate. It is a choice to appropriate the very words of Scripture to one's life:

"(Love) does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth (1 Cor. 13:6 NASB);"

It becomes so easy to take an easy path under the guise of forgiveness, neglecting the true words of God. It becomes just as easy to take the martyrs path of justice and supposed righteousness, neglecting mercy and grace. Let believers avoid the extremes, and settle into the dividing fine line of moderation, which is conveniently called "truth."

pain

Crying out to God in time of destruction is the key to getting through painful circumstances. Just like Judah in the time of a great plague of locusts were encouraged by the prophet Joel to call on God for help, so should we during our own times of distress.

" To You, O LORD, I cry;
For fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness
And the flame has burned up all the trees of the field.
Even the beasts of the field pant for You;
For the water brooks are dried up
And fire has devoured the pastures of the wilderness (Joel 1:19-20 NASB)."

Never forget, never take for granted, never overlook the power of prayer. Never underestimate that fact that God is in control and we are not, and He is the one to go to for help in time of need.

foreknowledge

It is a wonderful privilege that God has always known His children, and He has always planned that these children would become more and more like Christ. Indeed, for an eternal creator, there has never been a time in which our LORD did not know who we are, where we would go, and what we would become.

"For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren (Romans 8:29 NASB)."

If He has always known us, than we have a tremendous opportunity to live out the faith in confidence and trust that God will complete all that He has begun in us.

"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus (Philippians 1:6 NASB)."

Let us all take comfort in the truth that nothing in this world, including our very lives, can take God by surprise.