"..the future history of Christians, both in life and death, is foreknown by Christ."

"The Lord tells Peter, "When thou art old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not," These words, without controversy, were the prediction of the manner of the Apostle's death. They were fulfilled in after days, it is commonly supposed, when Peter was crucified as a martyr for Christ's sake. The time, the place, the manner, the painfulness to flesh and blood of the disciple's death, were all matters foreseen by the Master.

The truth before us is eminently full of comfort to a true believer. To obtain foreknowledge of things to come would, in most cases, be a sorrowful possession. To know what was going to befall us, and yet not to be able to prevent it, would make us simply miserable. But it is an unspeakable consolation to remember, that our whole future is known and forearranged by Christ. There is no such thing as luck, chance, or accident, in the journey of our life. Everything from beginning to end is forseen,--arranged by One who is too wise to err, and too loving to do us harm.

Let us store up this truth in our minds, and use it diligently in all the days of darkness through which we may yet have to pass. In such days we should lean back on the thought, "Christ knows this, and knew it when He called me to be His disciple." It is foolish to repine and murmur over the troubles of those whom we love. We should rather fall back on the thought that all is well done. It is useless to fret and be rebellious, when we ourselves have bitter cups to drink. We should rather say, "This is also from the Lord: He foresaw it, and would have prevented it, if it had not been for my good." Happy are those who can enter into the spirit of that old saint, who said, "I have made a covenant with my Lord, that I will never take amiss anything that He does to me." We may have to walk sometimes through rough places, on our way to heaven. But surely it is a resting, soothing reflection, "Every step of my journey was foreknown by Christ." -JC Ryle

Our Savior and God is eternal, infinite, omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. What a great Savior we have, and serve! We must never bring the awesomeness of God down to the level of creation. Surely, in His wisdom and love He has entered into our realm, but we must always be in awe of this, and never become indifferent, or even smug about God's incarnation.
And so, when we do go through these trials, and storms, which the Lord has arranged, then the Lord is with us in His greatness. And yet we must never forget His love for us through these necessary seasons of pain. He experiences the pain with us. He said to Saul, before he was Paul, "Why do you persecute Me?" Saul was tormenting Christians, the Body of Christ. And so Christ felt this torment, and affliction.
What a compassionate Friend Jesus truly is, though he is the Eternal Sovereign Creator. All glory to His name!div>