A Promise Made Before Time Began

"He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man's heart; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11 When I was a little girl wanted to have more faith my mother pointed me to the Bible. What I have learned about faith through reading the Bible is to look at life through the lens of eternity. Reading from Genesis to Revelation year after year I have begun to see the heart of God and I have begun to glimpse eternity.

When you live your life based on eternity it changes the way you live. I think about Daniel in the Bible. He had seen his home destroyed, he was probably from a royal linage but in captivity they changed his name. Daniel resolved that he would not defile himself, they could change his name but they could not change his heart. Daniel from the time of his youth, even in captivity, was someone who based his life not on temporal circumstances but a view of eternity.

"The knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness-a faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time..." Titus 1:1,2 Hope is the confident expectation of good. When our hope is anchored in the promises of God it changes how we live. Why did Daniel resolve not to defile himself? He realized that he was an alien and stranger on this earth he based how he chose to live on the promises of a God who does not lie.

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him." Ephesians 1:3,4 How shall I live my life today? In what will I choose to invest my time and energy? Will I allow the enemy of my soul to mar the image of God in me or will I let the knowledge of truth lead me to godliness so that I can stand blameless before the God of love at the end of this day?

Lord Jesus, in your word I see the promises made before time began. Enlighten my eyes and heart to know what the hope to which you have called me is. Show me the riches of you glorious inheritance and let that be what I use to chart my course in life. Let my life so shine with the light of eternity that it causes others to look to you.