The End from the Beginning
Jewish tradition tells of an old farmer who lived on a rocky farm near Bethel. The old farmer had a small piece of land. It barely supported him and his only son. They had one horse and they would plow and till the land and barely eked out a living. One thing the old man had was his faith in God.
One day, some wild horses came running by the farm and the old man's one horse ran away with the wild herd. The old man's friends told him, "Too bad."
The old man answered them this way, "I don't know if it is good or bad. It is in God's hands. You can't know the end from the beginning, so I am just going to trust God and give Him praise." And with that, the old man began to sing and dance unto the Lord.
A few days later, the horse returned with five wild mares in tow. The old man's friends were happy and they said, "What good blessings you have received." The old man gave them the same answer, "I don't know if it is good or bad. It is in God's hands. You can't know the end from the beginning, so I am just going to trust God and give Him praise." And with that, the old man began to sing and dance unto the Lord.
A few days past and the old man's son went out to break the wild horses, but they were wilder than he thought. One of the horses threw the boy off and he broke his arm. The old man's friends said, "Oh it is too bad about your son." The old man answered the same way, "I don't know if it is good or bad. It is in God's hands. You can't know the end from the beginning, so I am just going to trust God and give Him praise." And with that, the old man began to sing and dance unto the Lord.
A few days later, the King's army came marching through looking for young men to go and fight the enemies of Israel. The young men volunteered to serve on this great adventure. They came to the old man's son and said, "Too bad that you can't join us." The young man had learned well from his father and answered, "I don't know if it is good or bad. It is in God's hands. You can't know the end from the beginning, so I am just going to trust God and give Him praise." And with that, the young man began to sing and dance unto the Lord.
The village heard a few days later that the army unit from their area had been captured and the young men from the village were now in the hands of the enemy. The people said, "It is too bad that this thing has happened to us."
The old man and his son said, "I don't know if it is good or bad. It is in God's hands. You can't know the end from the beginning, so I am just going to trust God and give Him praise." And with that, the old man and his son began to sing and dance unto the Lord.
You see, you can't tell the end from the beginning. You just have to trust God. Too many people get all upset because something happens in their life that is not what they expect. They assume it is bad. Many times we just don't know what God is going to do. We have a God who can change the bad to good in the twinkling of an eye. The disciples were sure that the cross was the worst thing that could have happened to them but three days later they began to understand that it was indeed the best thing that could have happened to them.
We need to remember what Paul said about God and His plans for us.. In Romans 8:28.. "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose."
So no matter how bleak things may look.. Trust God.. You don't know the end from the beginning.. Wait a few days and see what God is going to do for you.