Skip to main content

"The decisions of men only served to accomplish the sovereign plan of God."


A thought by Charles R. Swindoll, from his book, Jesus: 09 (Great Lives Series) (p. 35). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition.  (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.)

So true, so true.

Charles says, "I have often wondered why Mary made the trip with Joseph knowing that she would likely deliver her child before returning home again. Perhaps he thought they could make the trip, conclude their business, and return in time. Maybe she delivered early or they miscounted the weeks. I happen to think they intended to stay with relatives, found Bethlehem overrun with travelers, and were surprised to find that the registration process took much longer than anyone anticipated. It really doesn’t matter, though. The decisions of men only served to accomplish the sovereign plan of God."


He then says, "Caesar Augustus [he was the one who called for a census to be taken] thought this exercise of power would give him greater control over the world, but in the end, all he did was run an errand for God. Joseph and Mary lived in Nazareth, but the prophecy said the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem. Furthermore, we dare not forget that God is omniscient as well as sovereign. He was not taken by surprise when people from all over the realm packed into Bethlehem just before Joseph and Mary arrived. This would precipitate just one of many ironies, all of which would serve a divine purpose."

And He is not taken back by the surprises in our lives. He knows what is happening, doesn't He? Yes, yes! #continuethought



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

“There’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.”

A thought by Bob Goff from his book, Everybody, Always: Becoming Love in a World Full of Setbacks and Difficult People ( p. 41). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.)   Have you ever built a sand castle or maybe a Lego castle?   Have you? Bob says, “We actually build castles all the time, out of our jobs and our families and the things we’ve purchased. Sometimes we even make them out of each other. Some of these castles are impressive too. Lots of people come to admire what we’ve built over the course of our lives and tell us what great castles we have. But Jesus told His friends we weren’t supposed to spend our lives building castles. He said He wanted us to build a kingdom, and there’s a big difference between building a castle and building a kingdom.” Bob goes on, “You see, castles have moats to keep creepy people out, but kingdoms have bridges to let everyone in. Castles have dungeons for people who ha...

“God does big things with small deeds.”

A thought by Max Lucado (2011-05-02) from his book, Cure for the Common Life (p. 115). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the title to go to Amazon.com to buy the book.) I don’t know how you feel about what you are doing and how it can make a difference.   You may feel that it is so small and not even worth the effort. Max says, “Begin. Just begin! What seems small to you might be huge to someone else. Just ask Bohn Fawkes. During World War II, he piloted a B-17. On one mission he sustained flak from Nazi antiaircraft guns. Even though his gas tanks were hit, the plane did not explode, and Fawkes was able to land the plane. “On the morning following the raid, Fawkes asked his crew chief for the German shell. He wanted to keep a souvenir of his incredible good fortune. The crew chief explained that not just one but eleven shells had been found in the gas tanks, none of which had exploded. “Technicians opened the missiles and found them void of explosive cha...

"Lie 2: The more you worry about it, the better your odds of avoiding it."

A thought by Louie Giglio in his book,   Winning the War on Worry    (p. 5). Thomas Nelson. Kindle Edition. (Click on the book title to go to Amazon to buy the book.) Here is another lie that the Enemy uses with us. And Louie says, "This is a tricky lie. Yes, we often have cause for concern and preparation. But the Enemy wants you to believe that if you worry or fret over a certain outcome long enough, you can keep something bad from happening." But this is so important to realize. He says, "The reality is worrying has never once prevented something negative from happening. Planning might. Prayer has. But worry never will." He continues, "The Enemy tells you that by worrying about a situation (or every situation) you can make your tomorrow better. Really, worry just robs you of today. Jesus implored us: 'I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body mor...