Revelation 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
Yesterday we went to Garner to celebrate Kenny's birthday with his family at a restaurant there. We put the restaurant on my Google maps on my phone to find the way. There had been an accident that was clogging up Highway 64, the usual way on our journey. And so, the GPS took us around the affected area and back onto our path.
When I think about the path to the first Christmas, today's verse comes to mind. It shows God's heart for us before He even began His work of creation. He wasn't really surprised when man sinned and fell from his state of glory there in the Garden. God didn't have to come up with a new plan "on the fly." He already had a plan in place. He knew our sin would need to be atoned. He knew His children needed rescue right away. And in His great big heart, the baby Jesus was born. God the Father saw the Lamb slain. He saw the end from the beginning. Even Jesus' story began in God's heart, was foretold through the ages, and played out just at the right time according to the fullness of time on God's timetable. Once again, Galatians 4:4, 5, But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Isn't it interesting that our final book in our Bible tells us of the Lord's heart from the beginning?! There are no surprises to God. And isn't that a very comforting thought?! If we'll just put our destination into His GPS, He'll navigate our way through or around the wrecks in our path. He, after all, is the way and the truth and the life (John 14:6).