No Regrets

“Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane…”

Matthew 26:36a ESV

The very first verse in the Bible states that, “in the beginning God…” This simple, and yet, profound beginning to the greatest book ever written, tells us two very important things about our Creator.

First, the writer makes no attempt to prove the existence of God. He assumes he already believes that God exists. Recognizing the reality of God is essential to understanding Him. In the New Testament the writer of Hebrews states, “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw nigh to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him.” Those who question God’s existence are being morally dishonest with themselves. They are committing intellectual suicide.

If you came across a turtle sitting on a post in the middle of a field you would naturally ask the question, “how did the turtle get there?” Someone had to place him there as it would be impossible for the turtle to achieve that feat alone. To believe that the miracle of life crawled out of a primordial swamp is dishonesty at its deepest level. To refuse to believe in God’s existence is to tip the hand of willful ignorance on the part of those who refuse His place of preeminence. It is moral corruption that drives man’s denial of God. The aim of the Bible is not to prove the existence of God, it is to discover the utter futility and dark emptiness of any attempt to live life without Him.

Secondly, God is the origin, the starting place for everything. Being the Alpha and the Omega, He is square one for all things under the sun. Nothing happens without Him starting the process. The salvation of any individual begins with the knock of God. He is the “first cause” as the ancient Greek philosophers taught. He initiates, we participate. Each day begins with the sun being called out of its slumber and every sunset is His decision that the day is done.

The Lord is beyond question firmly in control of His story. “His gifts and calling are without repentance,” Paul states in Romans 11:29. This means that He is never sorry He chose you to be a part of His story. He will never regret the day he dialed you up for the golden stage. No matter how many mistakes that you make He will never stomp off the stage tossing the script into the nearest trash can. The pages of the manuscript will never fly into the air having been tossed into empty seats through the Director’s frustration.

On the night that Jesus was betrayed in the garden of Gethsemane all his disciples tucked tail and ran, and yet, he told them beforehand that he would meet them in Galilee after His resurrection. Peter’s denial was predicted, and yet, he was the first disciple Jesus came to with a private conversation of encouragement.

He is not finished using your life for His glory no matter how many times you have failed Him.