Divine Design

As a writer, I’ve discovered one thing. You can tell a lot from the opening lines of a book. The opening line of any book is a promise of what’s to come.

A promise of mystery, or romance, or intrigue.

Here are some first lines:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” –Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

“All children, except one, grow up.” Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie

“Christmas won’t be Christmas without any presents,” grumbled Jo, lying on the rug.” –Little Women, Louisa May Alcott

“Pet and Patty began to trot briskly, as if they were glad, too. Laura held tight to the wagon bow and stood up in the jolting wagon. Beyond Pa’s shoulder and far across the waves of green grass she could see the trees, and they were not like any trees she had seen before. They were no taller than bushes.” –Little House on the Prairie, Laura Ingalls Wilder

The reason that first lines are so important is because a writer is a creator. Books are designed. They don’t simply happen at change. They have a purpose, whether it is simply to relay information, give instructions, or to take you on a journey of discovery.

Writers are creators, but even more important than that is the fact our Creator was a writer. He used the pens of many men to be sure, but we have no doubt that He had a purpose in putting His thoughts down on paper.

God wanted to relay information. God wanted to give instructions.

2 Timothy 3:16: All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness

He also wanted to take us on a journey of discovery. Unlike fiction, it’s not a journey to a make believe place with created characters. No, the purpose of our Creator-Author was to take us on a journey to Him.

That was His design all along. You can call it a Divine Design.

And what is the opening line of God’s Good Book?

Say it together: In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

That tells us everything about God all at once:

His power. His greatness.

It tells us He had a plan. He had a purpose.

He had good things in mind to give us.

What many people don’t realize is that when the Bible talks about what God designed to give, the other half of that is what we are designed to receive.

For every Giver, there must be a Receiver.

1 Corinthians 2:9 says:

However, as it is written:
“No eye has seen,
no ear has heard,
no mind has conceived
what God has prepared for those who love him”

Psalms 31:19: Oh, how abundant is your goodness, which you have stored up for those who fear youand worked for those who take refuge in you, in the sight of the children of mankind!

If we consider God’s communication in the Bible, we see that when He had a plan, He approached his people, and they heard what he said. They responded. And out of their response they were blessed.

As Abraham heard and believed God. He followed him to an unknown country. Abraham responded, then he received.

David heard and believed God. He looked forward to His promise of being king and ran for his life for fourteen years before the promise was fulfilled. David responded, then he received.

In the New Testament it is the same. Men and women responded to God and their lives were dramatically changed.

First we had God’s word. Then we had The Word.

John 1:1-5 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.”

You see God not only have us a great only line in His word. He gave us the Word, Jesus Christ. This word is LIFE and LIGHT. And we received LIFE and LIGHT through Him.

Ephesians 1:11-12: In him we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to the purpose of him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, 12so that we who were the first to hope in Christ might be to the praise of his glory.

How do we get this praising and glorious life?

Ephesians 2:10: For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

We get a glorious, joyful, overflowing life by doing the good work God has designed for us to do.

“We are wanting God to bless us, not to work through us . . . but the working of God in you will bring a blessing.”

He has designed a plan.

We are designed to receive.

But in order to receive, we must live by God’s plan which includes joining Jesus in the work He has for us.

Ephesians 3:20: Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us,

God has designed more that we could ever IMAGINE, GUESS, or REQUEST in our wildest dreams.

God created the heavens and the earth.

We all realize that heaven is designed to be more than we can imagine, guess, or request.

We also need to realize the second part of this, the earth—our time here—is designed that way too. To be more than we can imagine, guess, or request. When we:

1) Believe in God’s design.

2) Respond to His plan.

3) And join Jesus in the work he has for us to do.

This story is the greatest one of all. We know that God has designed the end of it as something amazing.

Yet, God also desires to create a beautiful story with each of our lives. Are you willing to follow that design today?

If you don’t know Him, today can be the opening line to a beautiful romance.

And if you do, it can be start of a grand new adventure.

Lord, thank you for your designing.

Help each of us to know and respond to your plan.

I cannot do this alone, yet I trust when I join Jesus in the work You have for us, it will be greater than anything I can imagine or guess or request.