22 The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.
23 I was set up from everlasting, from the beginning, or ever the earth was.
The subject of these verses is wisdom personified, and in this we can see that all things are set in motion according to God’s will and wisdom—and this is not just any creation—God is deeply invested in the lives of those He loves. So much so that He died for us.
All of the creation speaks of the wisdom of God and His love towards us through His Son.
We will spend the next several days considering the above idea as we continue looking at Proverbs 8.
If we ever feel in doubt of God’s love for us, it might help if we consider that God had a plan for us before the creation was established, and the purpose of all creation is to raise the children of God.
If we ever feel afraid, we can find peace in knowing that God is in absolute control and His purposes are good. All things are working together for the good of the children of God, even the hard things.
Many Christians go through times of struggle, doubting that God could love them, that His mercy is for them, and that He cares enough to forgive them of sin and act powerfully in their lives.
Many Christians go through times of fear, worrying that the bad things happening to them means that God has forsaken them. Many Christians read about the stark judgments of God and warnings against unfaithful Christians then begin to fear that they will somehow fail as a Christian.
If we believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died for our sins and rose again, then we are Christians. We might be young Christians that need to grow in faith our we might be older Christians going through a trying time, but we should not lose hope.
Sometimes all we have is a very basic faith in the facts of Jesus, and sometimes God allows us to be stripped of all but these basics so that He can build us up again stronger.
Take whatever amount of faith you have, and don’t let go of it. Do not doubt that salvation is for you. Regardless of what we have done or where we are in life, it is always better to throw ourselves at His mercy and trust in His love for us rather than focus on His judgment and wrath.
The judgment and wrath of God is for unbelievers. As Christians, we do not expect wrath. However, we can expect chastisement, and this can feel like wrath depending on the level of the chastisement.
Though God chastises us as sons, and this can mean going through painful experiences that can try our faith to the core, we should not lose hope in God’s love for us and perfect will in all things.
There are unbelievers who claim the name of Jesus, and there are teachings that can lead to an unprofitable and unfaithful Christianity. I know because I fell for such things. Most importantly, I also know that God will not leave any of His “lost sheep” behind.
If we belong to Him, He will draw us closer to Him. He will not allow us to continue in unbelief and unprofitability in the things of His Kingdom.
So, let’s focus on the love of God, the patience of God, and the wise purposes of God in all things that work together for our good.
Suggested scripture for study: Hebrews 2, Ephesians 4, Romans 9, 1 John 4, Hebrews 12
Jesus Alone 