The Big Picture

             While working with American Telephone and Telegraph Company, I had the responsibility of driving a “company” car. You just couldn't step behind the wheel and drive off but had to have passed a company driving course. Not only that, you had to review that course every six months in order to keep you certification. One of the themes of the course was, “Get the big picture.” It meant that while driving down the road you had to be aware of everything that is going on around you as far as you could see both front and rear views of your vehicle. You looked for kids playing ball or other pedestrians, for wheels turned outward from a parking spot, how close the car is behind you and you had to check your review mirror at least every ten seconds or more. Along with the theme, the idea was always to have an escape route should something take place in front of you. The opposite is true with trying to manipulate a horse and carriage where the horse deliberately has blinders on to keep from being excited by the local squirrel. Genesis 3:15 says, “And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.” 

           We often focus on specific scriptures and how they will apply to our lives in a very specific way. That is good, but there is also the “Big Picture” that God has for the world and its occupants or in other words, “us.” I once thought about the most basic reason for the Bible and came up with the fact that it can be summed up in four words: Man's problem, God's solution.” It is true that this involves much in life in a very practical and real way but man had a problem due to the fall in Genesis and God had the solution to that fall. The plan was going to be worked out. We can observe the plan through the Old Testament as we see the blood line going from Genesis 3 up and until the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything was pointing to Him from the sacrifice of animals for the clothing for Adam and Eve, the sacrificial offerings and feasts and the prophecies. The Big Picture can be observed in all sixty six books of the Bible and we see the continuity of the Scriptures as they bring us the information of God's working out this plan. We then, can come to the conclusion that we have a problem and God has the solution. He has the solution for our eternal salvation and he has the solution for the grief and depression that may plague us in our lives here on earth. That fact that God has control over the Big Picture reminds us that God has control over us also. I have mentioned before that I don't believe in coincidence. Everything in our lives is under God's control and nothing is going to happen that is a surprise to Him. He is just that great! Praise God today that He knows your heart and every burden that is in it. He knows and He is working.