The Apostles' Creed (part five)

This God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end (Psalm 48:14).

For the past few weeks, we have been reflecting on what God the Father does for us. He gave us life; He feeds us and takes care of us every day. But there is one more thing our heavenly Father does for us. He guides us through life so that we will not end up bitter and unhappy; He guides us towards heaven so that we will not spend eternity suffering in hell.

Do you realize that God has a plan for your life? Even before we were conceived, the Lord knew exactly what He wanted us to be, and what He wanted us to do. And He is at work in our lives every day, trying to guide us according to His plan.

The Psalmist said, he will be our guide. Joseph is a perfect example of this. Joseph was the 11th son of a sheep rancher living in the hill country of Palestine. It was obvious to everyone that when he grew up, he would get married and tend sheep for the rest of his life. But God had other plans for the young shepherd. Joseph’s father loved him more than all the other children, which angered his older brothers; so to be rid of him, they sold him as a slave to a passing caravan. In this way, Joseph ended up in Egypt, the most powerful nation in the world. Joseph was purchased by a wealthy military officer and quickly learned how to be a valued worker in Egyptian society. When the officer’s wife invited Joseph to share her bed, he refused to commit adultery with her; enraged, she falsely accused him of attempted rape and got him tossed into prison. But while in jail, Joseph’s ability to interpret dreams gave comfort to many people, including a member of the royal staff who was being punished for angering the king. In time, the servant was released and returned to his duties in the palace, and when the king began suffering nightmares which no one could explain, the servant suggested that Joseph might be able to help. Summoned to appear before the throne, Joseph explained what no one else could, saving the kingdom from impending disaster. In gratitude, the king promoted Joseph to second in command of the nation, passing over many other advisors who had served faithfully for years.

Joseph’s brothers hated him and sold him into slavery—but God used that opportunity to get Joseph into Egypt. An adulterous wife hated Joseph for rejecting her advances and got him thrown into prison—but God used that opportunity to introduce Joseph to a member of the palace staff. God wanted Joseph to be a powerful leader in the premiere nation of the world, and in spite of every obstacle, Joseph the shepherd boy became royalty as God intended. And you know what? Joseph never doubted the Lord. When he was reunited with his brothers, they were terrified of what he would do to them, yet Joseph said: Don't be afraid of me. Do I have the right to judge you in God’s place? You intended to harm me, but God intended it all for good. He brought me to this position so I could save the lives of many people (Genesis 50:19-20).

In a similar way, we can see God at work guiding the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Moses, just to name a few. God had a blueprint for their lives, and He has one for your life as well. And although none of us know all the details, there are some aspects of His plan that we can be sure about.

We can be sure that God’s plan for your life involves getting you into heaven. Long before your birth, God was at work; He knew that each of us would be born in spiritual poverty, and that the country of our childhood would be corrupted by sin. He also knew that unless He did something, it would never occur to us that there was something better elsewhere, a wonderful country where we could go and live like royalty. So God sent His Son to us. Jesus lived a perfect life, was cursed and crucified for our sins, rose from the dead after only a few days in the grave, and ascended back into heaven. All this was according to God’s plan—a plan for Jesus’ life, which has resulted in an offer to replace our slavery to sin with a royal crown in heaven.

But God did not stop with an offer of heavenly glory; He also acts to lead us there. I’m sure you’ve had the experience of getting lost; you know how hard it can be to get your bearings, even with the help of a map. But we can easily find the way to heaven, because the Lord Himself tells us the way through the pages of His Bible. Jesus said, I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6). The Spirit moved Paul to say, believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). When some people in Ephesus wondered if simply believing in Jesus was enough, Paul said firmly: it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God--not by works, so that no one can boast (Ephesians 2:8-9).

It is no accident that you are reading this blog. God has been at work—it is by His guidance that you are reading this right now. It is all part of His plan to lead you to heaven. This very minute He is urging you in the right direction when He says, Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me (Revelation 3:20). He has brought you this far; He wants to take you all the way.

We can also be sure that God’s plan for you involves happiness during your life here on earth. A happy life is available to anyone who is ready to follow God’s plan. Many things that you buy come in pieces needing to be assembled; have you ever tried to put such things together without looking at the directions? That’s what many people try to do with their lives. They are overly of themselves or too lazy to read God’s instructions on how to build a happy life. That’s why there are so many unhappy people in the world—without the instructions, they can’t figure out how to build a life that works the way it should.

God gives us five instructions on how to build a happy life. The first step is this: let Jesus Christ be your Savior. If you don’t start with this, you’re never going to find true, lasting happiness. Jesus says, I am the vine; you are the branches…apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5). A person can memorize all Ten Commandments and read the Bible from cover to cover, but he will still be restless, dissatisfied and unhappy unless he recognizes that he is a sinner and welcomes Jesus as the only One who can save him.

The second step is: read and study God’s commandments. Not just the big Ten, but everything the Lord has said about how to live with God and your neighbor and yourself. The Lord lists many activities that are not good for you. Don’t use God’s name carelessly in conversation, because it is angers the Lord and undermines your respect for Him. Don’t ignore church or let your Bible get dusty, because they are where you can get a look at God’s plans for you. Don’t disobey your parents, or ignore them once you are grown and gone. Don’t mistreat the person you married, and don’t get a divorce unless your partner has cheated on you or chooses to walk away. Don’t abuse others by injuring them with fists or words. Don’t abuse your own body by eating too much, drinking too much, or misusing drugs. Don’t cheat or steal, whether it be from a relative, a store, or the government. Don’t become so wrapped up in yourself that you miss the opportunity to show love for others. Don’t act as if the things money can buy are more important than those things which are spiritual and eternal.

Perhaps even more important are God’s directions as to what you should do if you want to build a happy life. God tells us to pray to Him and thank Him for His goodness. He wants us to tell our family, friends and co-workers about Him; He especially directs us to train our children in the faith. He wants us to respect everyone in authority. He expects us to help those in need. He tells us to give generously to the work of the church at home and throughout the world. He tells us to love everyone—family, friends, strangers, even enemies. He commands us to forgive everyone, no matter how badly they may have hurt us. Employers are to pay fair wages; employees are to do an honest day’s work. We are to speak well of God and His Church. God wants us to smile and lift the spirits of those who are down. He expects us to trust in Him and not worry about the future. These are only a few of our Lord’s directions, which we must hear and read over and over again so that we won’t forget them.

Of course, it does no good to know all this if we don’t live our lives accordingly—that is the third step. Whenever we ignore God’s plans for a happy life, we end up miserable. Who is happier: the person who is willing to forgive, or the person who nurses a grudge for years? Who is happier: the person who is willing to speak the truth, or the person who has to continually invent one lie after another to keep the truth hidden? Who is happier: the person who tries to make others happy, or the person who only associates with others in order to get some personal benefit from the relationship? Jesus said, Blessed…are those who hear the word of God and obey it (Luke 11:28).

If all this sounds awfully tough, it is. Because we are sinners, we continually fail to follow God’s plans and we wind up unhappy. So the fourth step is this: when you have ignored God’s rules, ask Him to forgive you and then try again. God is our Father. When we accept Jesus’ invitation to come and say way we’re sorry, He tells us: "Of course you are forgiven. Let’s try again; I will help you." Building a happy life together with God—it’s the only way you can live with confidence.

Questions will come up which have no obvious answer in the Bible. Where should you live? Who should you marry, or should you get married at all? What career should you train for? Should you place an elderly parent in a nursing home or care for that person yourself? The list could go on and on. So the fifth step of God’s instructions is this: pray for the Lord’s guidance. Don’t let Satan trick you into making a hasty, ill-conceived decision. Ask the Lord to guide you and He will.

Don’t know who to ask out on a date? Consider what happened to Isaac. When he was old enough to get married, there were absolutely no women in the area who shared his faith in the true God. So Isaac’s father sent a servant back to the old country to look for a suitable candidate. As he journeyed, the servant prayed for God to guide him. Arriving at his destination, he prayed once more as he watered his camel; no sooner did he finish than a young woman approached the well to draw water. Her name was Rebekah, and a meeting with her family revealed them all to be devout believers in God. She agreed to meet Isaac and she became the love of his life. All because Isaac and his family trusted in the Lord’s guidance. Jesus said, Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you (Matthew 7:7).

Are you irritable, dissatisfied, afraid or lonely? Your life doesn’t have to be that way—remember the five steps: trust in Jesus as your Savior, study God’s rules for a happy life, follow those rules, ask for forgiveness and a new start when you mess up, and pray to the Lord to guide you.

Of course, building a life is not like building a gazebo in your back yard. There is never a time where you can wipe your hands and say, "there it is—done, and doesn’t it look great!" Building your life according to God’s plan is never finished, and for that reason your life on earth will never be perfectly happy. But God has a plan for your life, and unless you get tired and give up or are too proud to ask for His help, He will fulfill His plan for you. That’s our confidence. That’s why we can join the psalmist in saying, This God is our God forever and ever; he will be our guide even to the end.