Matthew 1:22-23 – All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" — which means, "God with us." (NIV)

The various jobs which I have held throughout my lifetime have taught me many things, but one of the most important is to keep a paper trail. A paper trail is evidence of where we have been, what we have done, how it was done, why it was done, and who it was done by. Paper trails are valuable, as we never know when we may need them to guide us, to remind us, to encourage us, or to prove the truth.

God, our heavenly Father, left the finest example of a paper trail known to man when He commissioned, through His servants, His Word — the Scriptures. The Bible reveals a paper trail of evidence concerning God's plan of salvation for mankind. It begins in Genesis and proceeds on through Revelation. Jesus' purpose, His birth, His life, His death, His resurrection, and His coming again have all been foretold, so that man might have every opportunity to believe and come to salvation in Christ. The proof is in the paper trail and its fulfillment.

At present, we are living in a world where the paper trail, which God has left mankind to reveal to him the way of salvation, is under much attack and is often shrugged off as irrelevant, or a crutch for the weak, ignorant, or simpleminded — people not able to cope with the real world. And yet, God's prophecies, His paper trail, continues to prove itself day by day and will continue to be a reliable source of truth for the future. Let us therefore continue to be diligent, no matter what the world may think or say, to allow His Word to be our guide and encouragement no matter what may lie ahead. Let us allow it to continue to plant its truth within us, so that the hope and convictions of our lives might become a paper trail of their own, which may lead others to the everlasting truth of salvation in Christ Jesus.

Prayer: Father God, thank You for the paper trail of Scripture. Bless this world with a hunger and thirst for the truth of Your Word, that hundreds of thousands who do not yet know the way of salvation through Jesus Christ, our Lord, may personally discover and embrace the glory of Your eternal plan for mankind. In Christ's name, we pray. Amen.

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About the author:

Lynne Phipps <lynnephippsatlin@gmail.com>
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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