Looking Down the Road

Few adults that I know can say that their lives have turned out exactly how they expected or planned. I think that is because life, much to our chagrin, is really outside of our control. Little decisions can take you down paths that can forever change your expected destination. Circumstances beyond our control push us down paths we never intended to go. And yet neither of these situations is unexpected to God. He knows what He's working with from the start... from before the start to be truthful... and He knows where He is going with us. But the truth us we really may never know what our ultimate purpose in this life is in the grand scheme of things.

Today, I began reading the book of Matthew again. And like many times, I was wading through the genealogies in Chapter 1 trying quickly to get to the "good stuff." Then, the Holy Spirit teaches me something unexpected. It really does help to have read through the Old Testament a few times because you can know a little of the stories of those mentioned in passing. I found my myself zeroing in on who some of these names in Christ's lineage are. Some of these dudes are not so cool. Some downright evil. And yet, here they are in the line of the King of kings. God used them in the path to His purpose.

You never know how God will use you in His purposes. This can be hard to see because our view is limited by the now, and few of us really think with an eternal perspective. So, as you look down the road, be encouraged. God can use you for great things. God's not done with you!