• Scripture: Galatians 4:4
• Broadcast Date: 03/14/2016

Galatians 4:4

There is a beautiful Scripture in Galatians that I just love. On further reflection one could say that all of the Bible is beautiful with great blessing and meaning. So, I suppose I should say, “There is a verse in Galatians that has special meaning for me, and it gives me great comfort and help. I am referring to the two verses in Galatians 4:4,5 where St. Paul tells us, “But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.” This passage assures me of the fact that not one single thing is going to happen but that it was ordained of God— that God is in charge of the affairs of men, and of nations, so far as that is concerned. In this case the Apostle is telling us that when it was time for Jesus to be born, He was born. He came, not too early and not too late, but precisely, exactly when God wanted it to happen. So it is with the length of our life. We have a birthday and a deathday, and God is in charge of both.

I remember in the 1940’s a dynamic preacher by the name of PETER MARSHALL who attracted huge crowds of people because of his spell-binding preaching. His wife, Catherine, wrote a best-selling book entitled, “A Man Called Peter.” Peter Marshall was an amazing man who died suddenly of a heart attack on the morning of January 25, 1949 at the age of 46. In one of his sermons he had said, “When the clock strikes for me, I shall go, not one minute early, and not one minute late. Until then, there is nothing to fear. I know that the promises of God are true, for they have been fulfilled in my life time and time again. Jesus still teaches and guides and protects and heals and comforts, and still wins our complete trust and our love. Peter Marshall was right, 100% right. Whether we die at 46, or outlive 969 year-old Methuselah, it is all in God’s hands. He will not take us too soon or too late, He is always on time, every time in every situation. That is one of the beautiful things about our Christian faith. Nothing is left to chance, or luck, or good fortune, or accident or anything else. We place ourselves in God’s loving hands knowing that He will do what is best for us. That is not to mean that we do not have a choice. God has made us free-moral agents to make choices. So it was that Joshua challenged the children of Israel, “Choose ye this day whom you will serve.” The choice to take heaven or hell lies in our own free will. Jesus told us as clear as a bell, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (John 3:36). Between our birthday and our deathday we have many choices to make, many different roads to travel. But as for me and my house, we will “choose” the Lord.