THE END TIMES

Prophesies Pertaining To Our Days

Destiny

     When an infant comes forth into this world, it does not take very long before the mother learns to understand its needs.  She can distinguish the different cries of hunger, wetness, and illness.

     As parents, it is not difficult to perceive the needs of our children, and as they grow, we gain an understanding of the child’s character.  Even from the time of an infant, it is easy to recognize a baby that is calm, from another one that is easily agitated or impatient.  By the time the child grows into adolescence, the parents have usually developed a good understanding of their child.  The parents have hopes and expectations, but they also have fears.  Some parents are afraid that their child may follow too closely in their footsteps; while other parents are afraid that their child will follow too closely with their peers, if their friends are a bad influence.  Many of us have heard a parent say, “I knew my son/daughter would do well” or “I was afraid that this would happen, because as a child, he/she was always getting into trouble.”  Some parents became proud, because their child fulfilled the expectations that they had; while other parents were sorrowful and disappointed, because their worst fears had been realized.

     After a married couple has spent several years together, they often know what their spouse is thinking.  It is not unusual for them to complete each other’s sentences and anticipate each other's needs.  They have become accustomed to one another and they have developed an understanding of each other's character.

     The relationship between the Lord and us is the same as in the previous examples. Except that with the Lord; his vision is much clearer and his understanding runs much deeper than our own.  From the moment we are conceived in our mother’s womb, the Lord begins to knit us together.  The Lord watches as we come forth into this world and he breathes life into us.  During our entire life, the Lord is within and without, and he is all around us. The Lord understands every intrinsic part of our being.  In truth, the Lord has more understanding of each of us, than we do ourselves!  As we develop, the Lord witnesses our emotions and behavior.  The Lord has done this with every human being, ever created.  For thousands of years, the Lord has seen and known each one of us, as we have come and gone.  Our human nature is very predictable to the Lord.  If we are given an opportunity to choose between right and wrong, the Lord knows which of the two we will choose; not because of destiny, but because the Lord has a very clear understanding of each of us, from the time of our infancy.  The Lord knows our habits, the places we go, the people we choose to associate with, and the ideology we cling to.  The Lord knows our strengths and our weaknesses, and he has a very clear understanding of our character. For every action, there is a reaction.  If we are provided with an opportunity to make a decision; the Lord can tell which choice we will make, because we have usually made the same decision several times in the past.  Life, like history, is a circle.  We often find ourselves in a place where we have been before, repeating the same mistakes over and over again.  Just as a person has a tendency to repeat their behavior, they also have a tendency to follow in their parent’s footsteps.  This can easily happen because one generation leads the next one and so on and so forth.  If you are born into a nurturing environment and you have been taught patience, love, and kindness, and you have been disciplined and taught to accept responsibility for yourself and your community; then in all likelihood, you will develop into an adult with these characteristics.  If you are born into an environment that does not encourage these qualities; then, the likelihood is that you will follow in the footsteps of those who came before you and you may be careless, insensitive, unloving, and irresponsible.  As one generation is, the next one will follow, to the third and the fourth generation.  The examples we have been given to follow, have a huge impact on our lives.  Now, we can choose to break away.  We can question the actions and results of others and ask ourselves:  Do I want to develop into the same quality of person, experiencing the same quality of life?  Or, do I want to improve myself and leave an impact that will improve the quality of life for others?

     During our lifetime, the Lord will try to teach us, as well as discipline us.  Sometimes the Lord will allow circumstances to be repeated, perhaps with different variations, in order to see whether we have learned a lesson.  For example, have you ever noticed that when you are tired, your patience is not as strong?  How often during those moments, do you find your patience tried?  Have you ever regretted a behavior in your past and thought you would never repeat it?  The Lord will allow stones to be tossed in our path, in order to try our hearts and see if we have truly repented and learned from a previous mistake.  We can choose to follow in our previous tracks, wearing a path in the same circle or we can choose to alter this path by stepping around the stones, instead of stumbling over them.