Illumine and Guide

September 18

God’s plan is everlasting; God’s plan is eternal. It was formulated in the realm of the heavenlies before the world began (Revelation 13:8) and it will be the crowning glory of heaven where Jesus Christ shall reign forever (Revelation 1:6). No scheme of man or the devil can thwart it.

Evil men may contrive their schemes to undo the plan of God. Some of them perpetrate their wickedness with the conviction that they serve the purposes of the Almighty in doing so, but they are deceived by the devil himself. They are duped by the evil one into worshiping a false god of bloodshed and lies rather than the Holy One who inhabits eternity.

But we who believe in the mercy and love and salvation of Jesus Christ who is God incarnate, who came to deliver all who will believe from man’s bondage to sin, trust in the words Paul wrote in II Timothy 1:8, 9, “…God gives us strength to suffer for the gospel of Christ, for He saved us and made us His holy people; not because of our goodness but because of His mercy and grace that was given to us by Jesus Christ before time began.” We are well aware that apart from the cleansing blood of our Lord, we are all vile, wicked sinners.

When we see the brutality of men of other persuasions, we know that except for the light of Jesus that shined upon us, we, too, would be perpetrating evil, doing the bidding of the enemy of the God of the ages. May our prayer be that in these last days, when wickedness increases we will become more resolute in our faith, standing against the evil day and allowing our lives to reflect His light that illumines those in darkness and guides them to His Throne of Mercy and Grace where they may receive cleansing from sin, where they may be forgiven.