“No doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” Those words from Desiderata were once quoted by the late Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau – after an election defeat. They follow the phrase, “Whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.” The Desiderata goes on: “Be careful. Strive to be happy.” It sounds good, but offers no way to be happy. However, the Psalmist wrote, “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore.” Though mankind is on a downward path, God sent his Son Jesus to lift us up. Christ died on Calvary as our substitute, so that when we invite Him into our lives by faith, we don’t have to “strive to be happy” on our own. With Christ in our lives, God is in control, and His universe is unfolding exactly as He planned.

John Milton, the great English poet, endured much suffering in his life. At the height of his writing career, his eyesight began to fail. Because he was a devout follower of Christ, he did not become bitter, but accepted his condition. Amazingly, after he became blind, he produced that great epic Paradise Lost. Perhaps today I speak to someone who is similarly afflicted. Or it may be that you have recently lost a loved one, or have had a serious financial setback. Whatever your situation may be today, God’s word tells us that, when we have Jesus in our lives, no affliction or heartache is too much. He has promised that “Underneath you are the everlasting arms.” Maybe, God is allowing you to be in a difficult situation to bring you face to face with your need of Him. I encourage you to respond as John Milton did, and leave your future in His hands.

Prince William has come to the rescue again. This time a Canadian woman, Darlene Burton, was air lifted to a hospital in North Wales by none other than the Prince. He has been working as a helicopter reserve pilot with the Royal Air Force since his wedding. I’m sure Ms. Burton will not forget this one – rescued by a future king. But did you know that the prince of peace, Jesus Christ himself, came to the rescue of not just one person, but all of mankind? In eternity past He looked over the battlements of Heaven and saw all of us who would be born and saw our spiritual needs. He was willing to leave Heaven in order to come to our aid. God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. He died in our place on the old rugged cross. He is the ultimate hero of all time.

A recent book about backpacking in Canada warns that some maps are hastily printed without accurate date. Such mistakes can be tragic. Over the past three decades, scores of people have perished because they followed faulty maps. In our life’s journey it is vitally important that we have an accurate map. Man’s philosophies change. What is considered accurate or scientific information today is often far different than that of one hundred years ago. But God’s Word, the Bible, is unchanging truth. It presents an unchanging God and an unchanging way to Heaven – through Christ – who is the same yesterday, today and forever. He once said, “I am the way, the truth and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me.” The Bible is a reliable map for life’s journey. If we read it and follow its directions, we will never go wrong.

A British medical journal reported the case of a 76 year old woman who visited her doctor complaining of stomach pains. Seems that 25 years ago she had put a pen in her mouth, fallen, and swallowed the pen. The x-ray equipment of that day did not detect it, but the modern cat-scan picked it up. It reminds one that there is also something buried deep in all our hearts – a sinful nature. Inadequate testing, like human reasoning and belief in the mythical divine, reassures us that all is well. But the pain is still there. And when we subject ourselves to the x-rays of God’s Word, the problem is properly diagnosed, and Jesus the great physician is ready to operate and bring spiritual healing. But he does not force himself upon us. He waits for us to ask. He has said, “Behold I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in.”

As the largest land animal in existence, the elephant generates an extraordinary fascination for us. It’s no wonder that zoos around the world keep numbers of these huge animals for public viewing. Unfortunately, the Toronto zoo has lost seven elephants since 1984, due to cold winters and lack of adequate space. Experts advise that more comfortable facilities need to be found for the remaining elephants. In other words, “if you love them, set them free.” Of course freedom is not only important to animals but for people too – often we feel bound by habits, problems and relationships, and feel much like an animal in a zoo. Look up! Freedom is available. Jesus has said, “You shall know the truth, and the true shall set you free.” And that truth is that, though we are all spiritually needy, Christ paid our sin debt on the cross, and offers to forgive us and set us free.

Charles Schwab, the president of Bethlehem Steel Corporation hired a consultant and gave him the following challenge. “Show me how to get more things done with my time.” The advice given to him was three-fold: 1 – prioritize your tasks. 2 – start with number one and stay with it until completed. 3 – make these rules your habit every day. Schwab followed the consultant’s suggestions and within five years, Bethlehem Steel Corporation became the largest independent steel producer in the world. Time is one of our most valuable commodities. Jesus once posed the question – “What shall it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul.” I urge you to take time for the important things. Become conscious of your spiritual needs – then turn your life over to the master – Jesus Christ. And let him direct your ways.

A never published reel-to-reel audio tape of an interview with Dr. Martin Luther King junior has been found in a Tennessee attic. The interview took place and was recorded on December 21, 1960. It was about King’s trip to Africa, which influenced his views on civil rights in America. Dr. King was tragically assassinated on April 4th, 1968. With this discovery, as well as many other recordings, King, though dead, in one sense continues to live. But there is another man, greater than all the Martin Luther King Jr’s of this world, who died and yet is alive. Jesus Christ has tasted death for everyone but, unlike Martin Luther King Jr., our Savior rose from the dead. John’s Gospel recorded Christ’s hope-filled promise to all those who put their trust in Him, when Jesus said, “because I live, you also will live.”

Have you had your passport picture taken lately? Passport pictures are notoriously unflattering. It has been said that if you can recognize yourself in a passport picture, you’re too old or too sick to travel. Most of us can relate to seeing a picture of ourselves that we really dislike. Perhaps it made us look too fat, or too thin, or had some physical distortion that displeased us. But there is one place where we get a true picture of ourselves. James wrote in the New Testament “…if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and forgets what he was like.” When we look into the mirror of God’s word and see our true selves, there is recognition of our spiritual needs, and an awareness that we need to ask God for his mercy and forgiveness.

It was scooped up from the sea after 98 years – a bottle with a message. Fisherman Andrew Leaper found the bottle released in 1914. It was part of a government experiment to map the under currents of the sea. It was the oldest message ever recorded in a bottle. But I’m thinking today of an older message, not in a bottle, but in a book – the Bible. In this remarkable book we read many wonderful messages. Here’s one – “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.” God did all this that we might be forgiven. The 98 year old message in the bottle is very interesting. But this timeless message in the book is of far greater significance because it can be the means of transforming lives and preparing us for the next life.