A note from the author: When I sit down to write a study guide, I never know where the Holy Spirit is going to take me. I am so excited about where He took me on this one. This message is a matter of life or death. Expect God to speak directly to your heart about the most important decision of your entire life. The conclusion to your story is at stake. ~ Sarah Jane

1.  The Beginning of Our Story (Chapter 13)

Every story has a beginning and every story has an ending. That’s the cycle of life as well—we begin somewhere and we end somewhere. It is basically the Creator of all life who determines our starting place—what millennium, century, era, year, month and day, as well as what country, nationality, race and family we are born into. He chooses the important details about us as He sees fit, simply because He is in charge of all things beyond our ability to determine. After all, He is God.

However, we do have the capacity to understand that we are the created of God, and Bible tells us just how our Amazing Creator did it. Get ready to be amazed as we read these captivating words by King David in Psalm 139:13-16 (NKJV):

13 For You formed my inward parts;

You covered me in my mother’s womb.

14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;

Marvelous are Your works,

And that my soul knows very well.

15 My frame was not hidden from You,

When I was made in secret,

And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.

16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.

And in Your book they all were written,

The days fashioned for me,

When as yet there were none of them.

Dear one, you have a beginning and it began with God. He chose the big details about you, and He also chose the intricate details about you—the color of your eyes, your hair, your height, and the dimples in your cheeks. You are fearfully and wonderfully made, and God’s works are marvelous. That means YOU are marvelous, because you are one of His works! He also chose and shaped the days you will live upon the earth before one day of your life was even here. He loved you, His created one, so much that He recorded your days in His forever book. How does that knowledge about God make you feel?

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2.  The Middle of Our Story (Chapter 13)

As wonderful as it is, that is not all God has to do with your existence. He was not only involved in the beginning of your story; God is also right smack-dab in the middle of it as well. He knows you through and through, every fiber of your being and every intent of your heart and mind because He’s the One who made you the way you are. King David spells it out in the same chapter in Psalms. Read these incredible words slowly to grasp their meaning. Psalm 139:1-6 (NKJV).

1 O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

2 You know my sitting down and my rising up;

You understand my thought afar off.

3 You comprehend my path and my lying down,

And are acquainted with all my ways.

4 For there is not a word on my tongue,

But behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.

5 You have hedged me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;

It is high, I cannot attain it.

In other words, the Master Sculptor knows every word you speak and every thought you think. God knew where David was every moment of the day, whether he was sitting up or lying down. David said that God had a hedge around him, and was in front of him and behind him. In fact, David stated that God’s very hand was upon him. David described that as a wonderful thing.

I wonder why David thought that was a wonderful thing, since most of us like our privacy. I believe it was because David knew that the God who created him was on his side! God was for him and not against him. David recognized that having the most powerful force in the universe watching over him and looking out for him 100% of the time was a huge plus in his favor. How about you? Do you know that God is on your side? _______ That God is for you and not against you? ________ Explain if that makes you feel good or not-so-good.

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3.  The End of Our Story (Chapter 13)

At the end of my book, There Is Life after Tragedy, I describe how all of my relatives who were not Christians at the time of the tragedy eventually came back to the God of their parents. “Not one of them dared to miss heaven” because they grew up being taught that God was real and that God loved each one of them. I don’t know where you are in your journey, but you need to understand that while you didn’t have any say in where, when, and to whom you were born, and that God watched you all the years in the middle of life, protecting, drawing, and tugging at your heart, whether you wanted Him to or not—you do have a say in the end your earthly life. We are going to look at one more passage of scripture that could be the most valuable verses in all of these many weeks of studying the Bible. It is found in that same chapter—Psalm 139:7-12 NKJV

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit?

Or where can I flee from Your presence?

8 If I ascend into heaven, You are there;

If I make my bed in hell, behold, You are there.

9 If I take the wings of the morning,

And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,

And Your right hand shall hold me.

11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall fall on me,”

Even the night shall be light about me;

12 Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from You,

But the night shines as the day;

The darkness and the light are both alike to You.

What we glean from these verses is that the God who made you will not let you slip away from Him without trying over and over to get your attention. In fact, you will not be able to get away from Him. You cannot run far enough to get out of His reach. Isn’t it just remarkable to think that this mighty, powerful God loves His creations that much! He wants you to spend eternity in Heaven with Him, and He will go to all lengths to bring you to Himself. He cares more than you have ever imagined possible. Today He longs for you to stop running and let Him catch you. If this describes you, have you ever thought about these two questions:

“What have I got to lose, if I give my heart to God?” _________________________________________________________________

“What have I got to lose, if in the end I have not responded to God’s love for me?”

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A loving God patiently awaits your answer. You alone have control over the end of your story and where you will spend eternity. Not God. Not anyone. Only you.

4.  The Conclusion of Our Story (Chapter 14)

I tend to think of a conclusion as the wrap-up of an event or process. It is when all is said and done, or when it’s over and the results are in. In reality at the end of life, a conclusion means one thing: Where we will spend eternity. The opportunity to change our mind is past. The ability to think again has disappeared. The chance to have overs is forever gone. We will all have one of two conclusions: Life forever in heaven with a God who has loved us since the beginning, or life forever in a place of darkness away from God.

Stop for a minute, turn off the noise, lean back and relax. Now close your eyes and take in a long deep breath of air. Allow your mind to slip into neutral as best you can, and then ask yourself these questions: Have I ever stopped long enough while living this life God has given me to realize where it came from? Have I ever considered that there is a Creator who intentionally made me the way I am? Have I ever thought that I am the object of His love, His hope, and His joy? Be honest—have I believed these statements or do I believe what I’ve only heard about God? If so, was it from a reliable source?

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What else would your Heavenly Father have to tell you to make you believe how excited He is over you? More scriptures? The Bible is full of words that describe His love for you. You are His magnificent creation. His love is reaching for you. His love is encircling you, desiring to capture your attention. He has been looking for you for your entire life. He has been calling out to you and chasing you down with His blessings. He cares deeply for you. And He longs to reveal His love to you—if only you would welcome Him into your life.  

How about today—right now—would you turn your heart toward the Lover of your soul? No one has ever loved you like Jesus Christ loves you. No one else died for you—in your place—except Jesus. No one else can offer you eternal life in heaven. There are only two options when you die: one is a wonderful choice, and the other is the worst conclusion to any life. My prayer for you is that right now you will pray the following prayer and ask Jesus to come into your heart and save you. It will be the best decision of your life. I promise.

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, my heart feels something stirring inside. I have never actually given you the opportunity to catch me, but I’m tired of running. My plans haven’t worked out so well, so I would like to try your plan. I am sorry for my sins and my bad choices. I ask you to forgive me and give me another chance. I invite you, Lord Jesus, to come into my heart and change me into a new person. I want to spend eternity with you in heaven. Thank you for saving me right now. In Jesus’ Name I pray. Amen.

If you just prayed this prayer, please leave me a comment under Study Guide for Chapters 13 & 14 on my website: www.sarahjanekellogg.com and I will respond.