What He Knew

Today's passage: Isaiah 49
     I am not a quick decision maker.  Sometimes, it is my downfall.  I like to mull things over.  I do not like to fail, so I tend to examine every angle to be sure that I will succeed.  In the first few verses of this passage, the Lord Jesus tells about His future coming.  He says, "....I have laboured in vain, I have spent my strength for nought, and in vain..."  In people's eyes, He was going on a doomed mission.  This was not going to end well and would appear to be a failure.  We know differently.  How Satan must have been celebrating when Christ died on the cross.  How he must have made plans for what he thought was his triumph.  He would soon find out that Christ succeeded for all eternity. 
     From a human perspective, I would not want to go where I was not wanted, I would not want to woo those who had no love or need for me.  I would not want to expend precious time and energy on a project that seemed hopeless and futile.  From a spiritual perspective, every tract I give out that is thrown to the ground is a soul that needs Christ.  Every person I invest emotion in, who may betray my trust, is a potential servant for the Lord.  Every hour I spend teaching rowdy, sometimes ungrateful, children is time training future teachers, preachers or missionaries.  Do I always view it this way?  No.  Not always.  Sometimes I don't give out the tract, take someone under my wing, throw myself into my lesson the way I should, to my shame.  Sometimes I want to see the bottom of the pool before I decide to dive in.  I'm so thankful that my Lord Jesus Christ did see the end of His earthly life beforehand and decided to go through with it anyway.  He knew about the scorn, the rejection, the hatred He would face.  He knew about the scourging, the crown of thorns, the crucifixion.  He knew about His Father turning away from Him when He needed Him most.  He knew.  And He did it anyway.  Because He also knew about the empty tomb, the sinner who believes, the reunion with His Father.  It was not in vain.  It was not for nought.  It was not wasted.  That is what He knew.

From the Manger to the Cross--Taken from The Children's Friend (Part One)
By Mrs. Adelaide Bee Evans
Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1911, 1928

     Thank you, Lord Jesus for what you knew and for coming anyway. I am not worth it.  You know that too.  But thank you for making me feel as though I am worth something to go to all the trouble of saving my worthless soul.  I am humbled and amazed (every day and in every way.)