God Planned It For You

1 Peter 1:10-12 (The Message)

The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. The Messiah’s Spirit let them in on some of it—that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamoured to know who and when. All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves—through the Holy Spirit—the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this!

Like a lot of people during lockdown I’ve been paying more attention to the garden. Because I’m old (yes, I admit it!) when I’m considering planting a new tree, I catch myself thinking: but will I be around to enjoy it when it matures? To which selfish thought comes the riposte: but you don’t plant just for yourself, you plant for future generations to enjoy.

So give a thought to the prophets of the Old Testament. They were intrigued, tantalised, even a bit frustrated that the messages they were getting about God’s intentions for the salvation of the world through a Special Someone were somewhat cryptic, lacking in detail and quite shrouded in mystery – and also some way off in a future that they wouldn’t be part of. Our scripture today says: “All they were told was that they were serving you!”

They were serving you! The likes of Abraham, Moses, Samuel, David, Isaiah, Daniel, Hosea, Micah – these giants of faith were given experiences, pictures, prophecies all pointing to the coming of Jesus so that one day many years after their lives, you and I could look back through the Bible and see God’s wonderful plan unfolding.

Pause for a moment to realise how much more blessed you are than they were – and even the Angels are envious of us!! (but not in a sinful way of course!)

In my family, I’m privileged to be one in a long line of Christians – I’m not sure how many generations that stretches back, but I believe someone many years ago prayed forward into their family that children still to come would find and follow Jesus. We in the church today need to be praying that the Good News will be passed down to the next generation, and the one after that- until Jesus comes back!

Pray for our Kids church that they will faithfully follow Jesus and pass the Good News on to their children and to their children.

Jill Rattle