The Course

The Course                                               11-18-16

Acts 13:25 (ESV) ²⁵  And as John was finishing his course, he said, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he. No, but behold, after me one is coming, the sandals of whose feet I am not worthy to untie.’


I read a post this week past proclaiming the favor of God. I won't go into details but let me tell you something about favor.We all have experienced the favor of God,IF we call Jesus our Savior. God's favor was extended to us in eternity past, before the creation of the world, by the grace given us through the Lamb of God that was slain before the foundation of the world. It's here where I will begin.

Course....According to Dictionary.Com., "A direction or route taken or to be taken." If you have run in road races you know that the race is along a predetermined course or route. Follow the course,finish the race and you get the T-shirt.But,it's the course that I want to talk about today.Have you ever looked at your circumstances and wondered where it all went wrong? Have you ever asked God why? Or have you ever questioned if God cared or if He was even there? Yeah,I feel ya.And herein lieth the lesson.

Here was John the Baptist.The COUSIN of Jesus. Prophesied to be the forerunner of the Messiah of Israel and indeed the entire human race.He had a powerful ministry. He had baptized Jesus Himself. Jesus Christ,the Lord of Glory had this to say about John.

Matthew 11:11 (ESV) ¹¹  Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.
Those are pretty heady words from the Savior of the world. So here he is. John the Baptist.No one greater and where is he now? Look and see.

Matthew 11:2 (ESV) ²  Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples

Where was he? .....Where?? John the Baptist,baptizer of the Son Of God,none greater among women....yeah THAT John the Baptist. He was in prison. IN PRISON!! How do you think he felt? Do you think he had some questions and doubts about Jesus? Do you think he wondered if God had really spoken to him?Was he really the forerunner of the Messiah?Or was he deceived. Had he been running in vain? Think about it. What must have been running through his head while sitting in that prison cell. I can hear him now. "What is going on God? Do you see me sitting here in this prison cell?" "God was that really you?" What a battle it must have been.Yes,his faith faltered.It's recorded in the Word. But here is the point . It was his course. It was HIS COURSE. His predetermined route for this life that had been foreordained by the Lord God Almighty.

Look at The Apostle Paul.Or how about Jeremiah,or the Apostle Peter on and on and on.Even the Lord Jesus Himself. Their courses were not always strewn with rose petals. 

Brothers and Sisters maybe you are having a rough go of it.It seems as if your entire world has gone dark. You are having a hard time believing what God has spoken to you. Doubts and fears have entered in,and you are wondering where the "favor" of God is. Heck Ronnie,it's not even about  favor, my question is where is God? Is He still up there? I feel ya. Take heart.God is mindful of you and you are on course. He's got you in the palm of His Hand and you are in very,VERY good company. Just flip the pages of the Word of God and read about them.

Psalm 3:5-6 (ESV) ⁵  I lay down and slept; I woke again, for the LORD sustained me.
⁶  I will not be afraid of many thousands of people who have set themselves against me all around.


God Bless