The Course of Human Events
Have you ever thought about “The Course of Human Events”?
All human events have a beginning and an end. Everything we humans do has a starting point. All human events have a point in which the event was established or brought into existence.
All human events will have an end. Every human event is winding downward to an ending point.
Just as an example, let’s think about the war in Iraq. From the time we entered into the war in Iraq many people have been crying out for an exit strategy. Once started, when will it end?
Have you ever noticed that human events have a season or time frame for existence?
They have a date of creation in the mind. They have a great deal of planning that takes place to bring the event together. The event unfolds and begins and then there is the ending of the event with the clean up and then the planning and preparation for another event.
Ecclesiastes 3:1-13
1 For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.
2 A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest.
3 A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up.
4 A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance.
5 A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
6 A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away.
7 A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak.
8 A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace.
9 What do people really get for all their hard work? 10 I have seen the burden God has placed on us all. 11 Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end. 12 So I concluded there is nothing better than to be happy and enjoy ourselves as long as we can. 13 And people should eat and drink and enjoy the fruits of their labor, for these are gifts from God.
In the later part of June 1776 a group of men saw that there is a time for all things.
There is a beginning and ending.
Thomas Jefferson penned these words… “When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.”
So, as you can see through “The Course of Human Events” there is a time for all things.
We do not know what time it is.
Let’s think for a moment about the Founders of our nation. None of our Founders lived in the past. They all lived in their present. We also live in the present. Yet, we have the opportunity to look backwards to the Founder’s present, and study “The Course of Human Events”.
When the “Declaration of Independence” was written, it was the Founder’s present day, they were suffering under their present conditions and they had no knowledge of what the future held. You could say that they were living in the moment.
“The Course of Human Events” was driving a group of men who had been chosen to lead thirteen united colonies to make a present decision that would affect the whole world over the next 234 years. The Founders are now famous due to “The Course of Human Events”. None of them knew where we would be today and we don’t know where we’ll be tomorrow.
As we look back at the past from our present we have to wonder how “The Course of Human Events” has brought us to here.
At some point along the way we must face some profound questions. Could “The Course of Human Events” already be laid out? Could it be that we are just following the road that has already been laid before us? If we fight against the course will we still arrive at the intended goal?
According to the Word of God there is a time for all things. We must submit ourselves to the time frame that God has set before us.
We do not know what time it is.
Is it a time to be born or a time to die? Is it a time to plant or a time to harvest? Is it a time to kill or a time to heal? Is it a time to tear down or a time to build up? Is it a time to cry or a time to laugh? Is it a time to grieve or a time to dance? Is it a time to scatter stones or a time to gather stones? Is it a time to embrace or a time to turn away? Is it a time to search or a time to quit searching? Is it a time to keep or a time to throw away? Is it a time to tear or a time to mend? Is it a time to be quiet or a time to speak? Is it a time to love or a time to hate? Is it a time for war or a time for peace?
God knows the days and hours of our lives. God lifts up and lowers nations. God places leaders in their positions for His mighty purpose.
God controls “The Course of Human Events”.
Our greatest problem is we cannot see from our present foundation where we are headed. We cannot see into the future. We, as our Founding Fathers, do not know what is going to come of our present actions.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek his will in all you do, and he will show you which path to take.
If God is truly guiding “The Course of Human Events” we can trust that He will deliver us to where He wants us to be. God knows the beginning from the end. God knows what time it is. God has a master plan that is being worked out through “The Course of Human Events”.
We have a panic going on in our midst these days. Everyone is worried about what’s happening and how we can steer the happenings to best benefit our desires.
If we could all take a step back and realize that God is directing “The Course of Human Events”, maybe we could relax and trust where He’s taking us.
Romans 8:28
28 And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.
Jeremiah 29:11-14
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” says the LORD. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. 12 In those days when you pray, I will listen. 13 If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. 14 I will be found by you,” says the LORD. “I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land.
It is taught that Benjamin Franklin, who was one of the non-Christians in Congress, was the one that stood in the midst of all the controversy and said, Gentleman, it’s time we pray about this.
We have so had our eyes clouded by the events of our day that we have forgotten that God is guiding “The Course of Human Events”.
2 Corinthians 10:3-5
3 We are human, but we don’t wage war as humans do. 4 We use God’s mighty weapons, not worldly weapons, to knock down the strongholds of human reasoning and to destroy false arguments. 5 We destroy every proud obstacle that keeps people from knowing God. We capture their rebellious thoughts and teach them to obey Christ.
NIV
3 For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. 4 The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. 5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.
Are our thoughts about our present situation being taken captive and made to obey Christ?
If you are nervous, worried, in a panic or confused about our present world turmoil, I must say, you’re not trusting the Lord.
God has never told us that this world was going to be an easy place to live. He has promised us trouble, turmoil, tribulation, trials, struggle and even wars. But through all the commotion He is still guiding “The Course of Human Events”.
Isaiah 46:10
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.
Psalm 90:2
2 Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.
God has given us some insight to the future. He has told us that all things will be made new again. He has told us that the old order of things will pass away.
Do you trust the Lord with all your heart?
I want to read some passages because they tell us that there is a “Course of Human Events”. We can look back through history and read what happened in the present of those that went before us. Nobody knew where they were going but History tells us how we arrived.
1 Chronicles 29:29-30
29 All the events of King David’s reign, from beginning to end, are written in The Record of Samuel the Seer, The Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Record of Gad the Seer. 30 These accounts include the mighty deeds of his reign and everything that happened to him and to Israel and to all the surrounding kingdoms.
2 Chronicles 9:29-31
29 The rest of the events of Solomon’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Record of Nathan the Prophet, and The Prophecy of Ahijah from Shiloh, and also in The Visions of Iddo the Seer, concerning Jeroboam son of Nebat. 30 Solomon ruled in Jerusalem over all Israel for forty years. 31 When he died, he was buried in the City of David, named for his father. Then his son Rehoboam became the next king.
2 Chronicles 12:15-16
15 The rest of the events of Rehoboam’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Record of Shemaiah the Prophet and The Record of Iddo the Seer, which are part of the genealogical record. Rehoboam and Jeroboam were continually at war with each other. 16 When Rehoboam died, he was buried in the City of David. Then his son Abijah became the next king.
2 Chronicle 16:11-14
11 The rest of the events of Asa’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel. 12 In the thirty-ninth year of his reign, Asa developed a serious foot disease. Yet even with the severity of his disease, he did not seek the LORD’s help but turned only to his physicians. 13 So he died in the forty-first year of his reign. 14 He was buried in the tomb he had carved out for himself in the City of David. He was laid on a bed perfumed with sweet spices and fragrant ointments, and the people built a huge funeral fire in his honor.
2 Chronicle 20:34
34 The rest of the events of Jehoshaphat’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Record of Jehu Son of Hanani, which is included in The Book of the Kings of Israel.
2 Chronicles 25:26
26 The rest of the events in Amaziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
2 Chronicles 26:22
22 The rest of the events of Uzziah’s reign, from beginning to end, are recorded by the prophet Isaiah son of Amoz.
2 Chronicles 28:26
26 The rest of the events of Ahaz’s reign and everything he did, from beginning to end, are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Judah and Israel.
2 Chronicles 35:26-27
26 The rest of the events of Josiah’s reign and his acts of devotion (carried out according to what was written in the Law of the LORD), 27 from beginning to end—all are recorded in The Book of the Kings of Israel and Judah.
History has been Chronicled. It has been stored away and passed down so that we can see where we came from. Much of history shows us that someone is guiding “The Course of Human Events”. Here’s a question for you, Did things have to happen as they have?
So, when, in “The Course of Human Events”, it becomes time for a directional change, We need to seek the one who is guiding Human Events. We need to allow Him to lead us into the future His has planned for us.
I happen to believe that God is presently guiding our nation of people who has fallen from their foundation back to Himself.
The books of the Kings and the Chronicles are filled with God guiding people through “The Course of Human Events” back to Himself.
2 Chronicles 7:14
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
Let us Pray!
