God is faithful and good. God is sovereign. God is our redeemer.
When do we meet the Author?
Act ONE Week 1
As we conclude the study of the prologue, I hope we are beginning to realize that knowing God's story and our place in His story makes a big difference. Knowing, believing, and remembering has kingdom impact not just for our own encouragement, but also for the growth of the Kingdom and the everyday battles we face.
At the foundation of every great story is a great author. So, let's tackle this week's focus question: When do we meet the Author? When? When? Are we there yet? Who doesn't want to meet the author of a great story? Excitement grows even more when an invitation has been extended to attend a private book signing and get to know to the one who created the content.
Looking at the passages this week, the answer seems simple: in the beginning. I mean, look at Genesis 1:1 and John 1:1. All week, I was going to write this, "The answer is simple. In the beginning. That's all. The end." But it is not just in the beginning, it is more than that. That's not all there is. It is not the end. It is eternal. When the beginning was, we cannot tell, but we do know that it was God's will and power that sprang it into existence. And as we read this week in our passages, He who has no beginning knew your beginning. Before the foundations of the earth, He chose you. It is incredible to behold, that ALL things (including you, who in Christ were chosen before the foundations of the world) were created through Him and for Him and without Him nothing was made.
We are jailed in time, unable to see past the bars. From within it, we can only catch a glimpse of the vastness of our Creator, our Author, God. Isaiah the prophet wants to make sure we get the point that God was and is, and will be forever. In Isaiah 41:28 he writes, "have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the Everlasting God". In the beginning, God created. God was starting something brand new that would culminate in human beings interacting with, engaging with, and having fellowship with Him. Believers in Christ have been chosen by God. We're not random, but wanted for salvation AND for holiness, as we strive to be more Christ-like. In love, He predestined us for adoption to Himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of His will, before the foundations of the world (Ephesians 1:5).
The threads we are looking for are crimson red. He is a sovereign, good, and faithful God who didn't just come to earth to be with us but He knew us before we knew Him. And He knew we would need a redeemer. In return, we want to know, love, worship, and serve Him. There is no other response that is appropriate. We were created for this purpose, to be holy and blameless before Him. He created and He is executing His will and His power among His people. It is all about the Author and this is His story.
God hasn't just invited you into this private book signing; He has woven your story within His, and He is asking, beckoning, you to crawl into His lap and also to bow down with awe as He speaks it into existence. If you haven't met the Author, Elohim—God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit—know this: He greatly desires a relationship with you. If you have met Him, come closer. He wants to reveal Himself even more to you. Listen to His voice renew in your heart and mind His story. We need to go back to it again and again. His story permeates every fabric of life. He is eternal life. When you know Him, the Author, the story is never-ending.
"Remember this and stand firm,
recall it to mind, you transgressors,
remember the former things of old;
for I am God, and there is no other;
I am God, and there is none like me,
declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient times things not yet done,
saying, 'My counsel shall stand,
and I will accomplish all my purpose,'"
– Isaiah 46:8–10
