From the Hayward church of Christ Bulletin

Your Ram Caught in the Bushes Experience Repeated Throughout Life.

 How interconnected are we? More than you know. According to the Genesis account, every human has been given the breath of life. Genesis 2:7 says, "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being." We are only alive because of the gift of life. Therefore, each person you see carries something God has given to them without them even asking. The soul desires to live, and God gives us what we need to sustain life.

 In the first two chapters of Genesis, our Creator sets the stage for how He prepared for man before He created him by giving him the gift of life. We must remember that God, according to Genesis 22:13, will have "a ram caught in the thicket (bushes) by its horns." The point is God gave him what he needed without him even asking. God giving man what he needs is even seen in acts of disobedience. These gifts that God prepares are designed to get us back on the path of righteousness. This truth is seen in Jonah 1:17 "Now the LORD had prepared a great fish to swallow up Jonah. And Jonah was in the belly of the fish three days and three nights." The word "prepared" in Hebrew means to tell or appoint. You can see this same tread in 1 Kings 17 when God commanded a raven and widow to prepare provisions for his servant Elijah to sustain his life. What amazes me is how God commanded a widow to prepare provisions for Elijah when she had never heard of the prophet. A man/woman can find themselves in the will of God without evening knowing it.

 Remember, the soul desires to live. God has made provisions to satisfy that need through Christ Jesus. You and I will place a role in somebody's salvation. Although it is a small role, it is significant in God's Scheme of Redemption. Trust and believe that God is preparing somebody just for you, just as he is preparing you for them. The Creator is working on us all simultaneously. He is connected to us all to the praise of His glory and for the salvation of us all.

Courtney Henderson

Published Feb. 19, 2022