We all have a timeline. When we're born everything is unknown to us. As we live our life more and more becomes known and less and less becomes unknown.
In 2000 I had 40 years of known behind me that used to be unknown.
I still had a number of years of unknown ahead of me. For instance, in 2004 I found out my mother had cancer, I had cancer, too. In 2005 I found out my mother was going to die. In 2007 I found out my father was going to die. And, in 2021 I found out my youngest nephew would die at the age of 19 years old.
I've learned to take comfort in Hebrews 9:27 And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment. This verse eliminates all of the "What if's". What if my mother ate better? What if she exercised? What if my maternal grandfather didn't die from prostate cancer? What if my father didn't die with prostate cancer? My father had problems with "What if's". He mourned my mother's death for two years and then he died and his last unknown became known. What if my nephew didn't buy that sexy fast car?
Answer the what if's this way. My mother would've died another way. My father would've died another way. My nephew would've died another way. Why? It is APPOINTED unto man once to DIE. We all meet our appointment. That is just unknown until we meet it.
God's timeline only has one thing KNOWN's. God knows everything. God knows our beginning. God knows our end.
This fact is driven home with 4 bible verses.
Psalm 119:176 I have gone astray like a lost sheep; seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments.
King David had gone astray like a lost sheep... not a lost dog or a lost swine or a lost goat. When he was 'lost' he was STILL a sheep. He did not lose his salvation. He did not become unsaved. God KNEW David was a sheep... even before David was born.
Twice Jesus referred to his 'lost' sheep...
Matthew 10:5 These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: 6 but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Matthew 15:24 But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
The bible says Romans 4:17 ... God calleth those things which be not as though they were.
When Jesus spoke of his 'lost' sheep he was speaking as God calling those things which be not as though they were. The 'lost' sheep were 'lost' as far as OUR timeline is concerned. However, as far as God's timeline was concerned they were sheep.
This points out something very important. We don't know who the sheep are. We don't know who the dogs, swine and goats are. God does.
We have "What if" questions. We try to see everybody as potential sheep.
There is no question with God. There is no unknown with God. God already knows who are sheep and who are dogs, swine and goats.
Sheep do not come from dogs. Sheep do not come from swine. Sheep do not come from goats.
Sheep are born sheep on God's timeline. Sheep are never born as dogs, swine or goats.
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