Is life really like a box of Chocolates? Do you really not know what you are going to get?
When you think of this statement written by the great theologian Forest Gump it almost sounds believable and many people actually believe it. But if you begin to think harder about it you start to realize that it is not true. Ever had a disapointing Christmas where you just wanted to be suprised but instead you got everything you new your going to get. What about the law of Gravity, "What goes up must come down". Before this was a scientific truth written in history people still new of its truth. It just took a really smart man to take credit for it. We sometime know what we are going to get in life by what we put into life. I lived a pretty rough life for a while when growing up. I was in and out of jail many times for reasons I knew I would go to jail for. Many times when doing things we know there is a consequence for we do them anyway. Iif you decide to go to the gym you are doing this knowing that you will loose weight. So really in some cases we do know what we are going to get.
Life is like a box of Chocolates, you never know what your going to get. What about in the long haul? The special one to marry? Where to work? Where to live? What kind of Ministry? How about long term? We may know what life will bring when we are sowing good or bad things in our life, but what about things we haven't even sowed yet? What about way in the future. Could Forest be right? Not neccessarily, not when you have God as your Comforter and Guide who walks along side of you.
It is possible to know the future! It is possible to know all the future but most likely that won't happen. The truth is the Lord is willing to tell if we ask. He probably won't tell you all the future, in fact I don't think that are minds are capable of gathering that type of knowledge. I do know that God is willing to shed light in our confused blindfolded paths of life.
What is wisdom? Some people think wisdom is a wise saying that some very old Chinese guy writes on a fortune cookie. Others think that it consist only in words from people who are well in age considered wise. Here's the deal. Wisdom is the abilty to use knowledge. In other words wisdom is what we have to invent or prevent certain things to happen or not happen. Knowing that walking in front of a moving car could get you killed, wisdom would tell you to use that knowlege for your own good. Don't walk in front of a moving vehicle. Many more illustrations I could give you here but I want to talk about a different wisdom.
Wisdom is also a foreknowledge. It is a gaze into the future. God created the worlds with wisdom. He was able to see beforehand his creation and decided it was good and worth creating. This same kind of knowledge is given to us at certain times to encourage us for the future.
James 1:5 (New American Standard Bible)
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
When Jesus had allready died and resurrected he met up with Peter and all the other Apostle's on the beach for a quick brunch. Yummy fish for breakfast, LOL. After telling Peter what it means to Love Him, he began to give him some wisdom about the future.
John 21:18-19 (New King James Version)
18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
Wow Jesus really told him. He told him of the future that would be in his life. He let him know how he would die. We may try to predict how we will die but this wasn't a self-made prediction. This really happened. Historical writtings have been found that state that Peter was arrested and crucified stretch out on a cross upside down. This wasn't a guestimation this was exact. This was foreknowledge. This kind of wisdom is a wisdom you can't normally gather from facts of knowledge like the previous wisdom we discussed. This wisdom is from above. From the Father of Lights. The one who created the World and everything in it with all it's magnificent details.
Let me give you one more similar example:
Acts 21:10-14 (New King James Version)
10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"
12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."
This is that wisdom from above. Again God speaks to another one of His faithful servants and tells them about the trials that await them. The scriptures above were written at the end of Pauls last missionary journey on the way to Jerusalem. Again this truly happened and you can read about it a few chapters later. This again was foreknowledge given by God. But why wasn't Paul scared. Well Agabus was just confirming the wisdom that was allready in Pauls heart. Chapter 20 Paul tells the ephesian elders that he doen't know what will happen in Jerusalem, but that the Holy Spirit had been testifying to him in every city that he was traveling too, that bonds and afflictions await him. The Holy Spirit was allready speaking to him a head of time. God was giving him foreknowledge. He was giving him wisdom. He was preparing his heart. Lets look even further in the past and we would see that right after Pauls conversion to Chirst at the famous Road to Damascus God was already preparing his heart with foreknowlege. While he was struck with blindness because of the scales on his eyes God promises another disciple of Chirst that He would show Paul the things he must suffer for the name of Chirst.
Acts 9:10-19 (New King James Version)
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias."
And he said, "Here I am, Lord."
11 So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight."
13 Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name."
15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus,[a] who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
I hope you see the point that I am trying to get across. A quick look again at the above passages. Not only did God promise foreknowlege or wisdom to Paul about his future, but he was doing the same for Ananias. Ananias recieved a vision from God. Again It wasn't a guestimation it was exact. Ananias followed the instructions and wisdom given by God and it worked out perfectly. Every thing that was said in the vision came to pass. At the same time Ananias was having a vision, Paul was to. Everything that saw in the vision came to pass. God is sooooo good.
This wisdom is what is available to you and me. The other day I had a dream about a friend of mine and things that were going on in his/her life. The Lord showed me in the dream that I knew how to minister to him/her but that I shouldn't becuase it would cause more problems in the long run. Sure enough that same day that friend confided in me with the exact problem that I had seen in my dream. I was able to respond in obedience to the Lord. God is good, I didn't even ask for this wisdom. Other times I have prayed and asked God to know certain things pertaining the future and He would respond, sometime almost immediatly. Sometimes almost unbelievable. Sometimes I second guess that the Lord speaks to me. We must not doubt. We must believe and be willing to be obedient. Ask and you shall recieve freely.
Go ahead ask him anything. Don't give up. Expect to hear from him.
James 1:5 (New American Standard Bible)
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
God Bles all of you,
Richard Cohrs
FYI: just in case your were wondering, guestimation is a word. I thought I made it up but I happened to find it on http://www.urbandictionary.com/. LOL
When you think of this statement written by the great theologian Forest Gump it almost sounds believable and many people actually believe it. But if you begin to think harder about it you start to realize that it is not true. Ever had a disapointing Christmas where you just wanted to be suprised but instead you got everything you new your going to get. What about the law of Gravity, "What goes up must come down". Before this was a scientific truth written in history people still new of its truth. It just took a really smart man to take credit for it. We sometime know what we are going to get in life by what we put into life. I lived a pretty rough life for a while when growing up. I was in and out of jail many times for reasons I knew I would go to jail for. Many times when doing things we know there is a consequence for we do them anyway. Iif you decide to go to the gym you are doing this knowing that you will loose weight. So really in some cases we do know what we are going to get.
Life is like a box of Chocolates, you never know what your going to get. What about in the long haul? The special one to marry? Where to work? Where to live? What kind of Ministry? How about long term? We may know what life will bring when we are sowing good or bad things in our life, but what about things we haven't even sowed yet? What about way in the future. Could Forest be right? Not neccessarily, not when you have God as your Comforter and Guide who walks along side of you.
It is possible to know the future! It is possible to know all the future but most likely that won't happen. The truth is the Lord is willing to tell if we ask. He probably won't tell you all the future, in fact I don't think that are minds are capable of gathering that type of knowledge. I do know that God is willing to shed light in our confused blindfolded paths of life.
What is wisdom? Some people think wisdom is a wise saying that some very old Chinese guy writes on a fortune cookie. Others think that it consist only in words from people who are well in age considered wise. Here's the deal. Wisdom is the abilty to use knowledge. In other words wisdom is what we have to invent or prevent certain things to happen or not happen. Knowing that walking in front of a moving car could get you killed, wisdom would tell you to use that knowlege for your own good. Don't walk in front of a moving vehicle. Many more illustrations I could give you here but I want to talk about a different wisdom.
Wisdom is also a foreknowledge. It is a gaze into the future. God created the worlds with wisdom. He was able to see beforehand his creation and decided it was good and worth creating. This same kind of knowledge is given to us at certain times to encourage us for the future.
James 1:5 (New American Standard Bible)
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
When Jesus had allready died and resurrected he met up with Peter and all the other Apostle's on the beach for a quick brunch. Yummy fish for breakfast, LOL. After telling Peter what it means to Love Him, he began to give him some wisdom about the future.
John 21:18-19 (New King James Version)
18 Most assuredly, I say to you, when you were younger, you girded yourself and walked where you wished; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will gird you and carry you where you do not wish." 19 This He spoke, signifying by what death he would glorify God. And when He had spoken this, He said to him, "Follow Me."
Let me give you one more similar example:
Acts 21:10-14 (New King James Version)
10 And as we stayed many days, a certain prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. 11 When he had come to us, he took Paul's belt, bound his own hands and feet, and said, "Thus says the Holy Spirit, 'So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man who owns this belt, and deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.'"
12 Now when we heard these things, both we and those from that place pleaded with him not to go up to Jerusalem. 13 Then Paul answered, "What do you mean by weeping and breaking my heart? For I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus."
14 So when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, "The will of the Lord be done."
This is that wisdom from above. Again God speaks to another one of His faithful servants and tells them about the trials that await them. The scriptures above were written at the end of Pauls last missionary journey on the way to Jerusalem. Again this truly happened and you can read about it a few chapters later. This again was foreknowledge given by God. But why wasn't Paul scared. Well Agabus was just confirming the wisdom that was allready in Pauls heart. Chapter 20 Paul tells the ephesian elders that he doen't know what will happen in Jerusalem, but that the Holy Spirit had been testifying to him in every city that he was traveling too, that bonds and afflictions await him. The Holy Spirit was allready speaking to him a head of time. God was giving him foreknowledge. He was giving him wisdom. He was preparing his heart. Lets look even further in the past and we would see that right after Pauls conversion to Chirst at the famous Road to Damascus God was already preparing his heart with foreknowlege. While he was struck with blindness because of the scales on his eyes God promises another disciple of Chirst that He would show Paul the things he must suffer for the name of Chirst.
Acts 9:10-19 (New King James Version)
10 Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias; and to him the Lord said in a vision, "Ananias."
And he said, "Here I am, Lord."
11 So the Lord said to him, "Arise and go to the street called Straight, and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus, for behold, he is praying. 12 And in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hand on him, so that he might receive his sight."
13 Then Ananias answered, "Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to Your saints in Jerusalem. 14 And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on Your name."
15 But the Lord said to him, "Go, for he is a chosen vessel of Mine to bear My name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. 16 For I will show him how many things he must suffer for My name's sake."
17 And Ananias went his way and entered the house; and laying his hands on him he said, "Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus,[a] who appeared to you on the road as you came, has sent me that you may receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit." 18 Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he received his sight at once; and he arose and was baptized.
19 So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus.
I hope you see the point that I am trying to get across. A quick look again at the above passages. Not only did God promise foreknowlege or wisdom to Paul about his future, but he was doing the same for Ananias. Ananias recieved a vision from God. Again It wasn't a guestimation it was exact. Ananias followed the instructions and wisdom given by God and it worked out perfectly. Every thing that was said in the vision came to pass. At the same time Ananias was having a vision, Paul was to. Everything that saw in the vision came to pass. God is sooooo good.
Go ahead ask him anything. Don't give up. Expect to hear from him.
James 1:5 (New American Standard Bible)
5 But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
God Bles all of you,
Richard Cohrs
FYI: just in case your were wondering, guestimation is a word. I thought I made it up but I happened to find it on http://www.urbandictionary.com/. LOL
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