Isaiah 46:10 - "I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please" (NIV).

1 Tim. 1:17 - "Now to the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God, be honor and glory for ever and ever. Amen" (NIV).

​Rev 1:17-18 - "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades" (NIV).

As humans, we understand time very well. Birth, death, day, night, deadlines and break times. Some cultures are ruled by schedules and time clocks. Not so with God. He is outside our timeline. He has always existed and always will exist. No one created Him. He is "before all things" (Col. 1:17). And He will have no end (Psa. 90:2). God calls Himself the "I Am" - that is, the eternally existing One (Exo. 3:14; John 8:58). It's hard to picture a God who is above and beyond our time. And yet, Jesus humbly entered into our timeline, experiencing the limitations that comes with it. He patiently showed us what the Father is like, as He walked with us day after day. There is no God like our God - the One who holds our timeline in His hands and also enters into the moments of our lives. The One who is called "the First and the Last" places His right hand on me and says, "Do not be afraid" (Rev. 1:18). We can trust God with our past, present and future.

For More Study

• Psalm 90
• Isaiah 46
• Colossians 1:15-20
• Revelation 21-22

Thoughts and Questions for Application

1. Do you ever think you know better than God? How will knowing that God is timeless change the way you relate to Him?
2. If God is holding your future in His hands, how important and wise would it be to listen to His voice today so you can be guided into the future that He is holding?
3. Is God calling you to lay down anxiety that is based on a deep desire to predict and control the future?
4. Meditate on the truth that we will reign with Jesus forever and ever (Rev. 22:5).

Memorization

Rev 1:17-18 - "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand on me and said: “Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades" (NIV).