Written In His Book

Written in His Book

You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

Psalm 139:16-17

This is the day the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

You keep track of all my sorrows. You have collected all my tears in your bottle. You have recorded each one in your book.

Psalm 56:8

What dates are significant in your life? The day you were born? The day an accident happened that changed your life or the life of someone you care about? The day someone you love died? We all have dates that are significant to us because of what happened on those particular days.

David thanked God that “every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” In other words, David was saying that God had arranged every experience and event in David’s life—he planned in advance what David would do, who he would be, and how long his life would last.

On the days when life seems good, it is easy to say to God, “Every day of my life was recorded in your book.” We can celebrate that God has planned out the days that bring us joy. But on the days that tragedy strikes, on the days our lives are changed forever by loss, we wonder, Was this day of my life written in your book, by your hand? Is this the story you intended to write for my life, or has there been a terrible mistake?

We can take comfort in knowing that God’s plans for our lives are specific and complete. We don’t have to be filled with fear about the future or regret over the past. Nothing happens in our lives that is outside of his plans for us. And his plans for us are for our ultimate good, even when they don’t seem that way on the surface.

DISCUSSION STARTERS

What are some significant days or dates in your life?

What does it mean to you that God planned out the days in your past? What does it mean to you that he has planned out the days in your future?

Does the fact that God has power over every day in your life mean that you have no control over your life, no responsibility for your actions?