CYCLES - Dag Heward-Mills

READ: Ecclesiastes 1:9, 10

Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

1 Peter 5:8

The Scriptures contain many history lessons that guide us. God instructed His leaders to teach history so that people would not forget what happened in the past. Forgetting leads to a repetition of the same mistakes.

History repeats itself. If you know what happened to others who walked where you walk, then you will know what will happen to you. There is a proverb that states, "Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it."

Many things are programmed in cycles. There is an inbuilt cyclical system of the world. The planets revolve around the sun. The moon circles around the earth. The human body has numerous biochemical and hormonal cycles within it. The Krebs cycle and the menstrual cycle are examples of these. Your life may be part of an evil cycle that is playing itself out. Break every terrible cycle of your life and ministry by studying history.

A student of history can predict the future (Ecclesiastes 1:9). Your prophetic insights will be greatly enhanced as you study church history. Boldness and confidence are fruits of studying history. You can lead the way with greater confidence by using the lessons you learnt from history.

One day, an old wise man said, "The devil has just a few tricks, which he keeps using over and over again. I am always surprised that the same trick works every time. Because people do not know what happened in the past, they keep falling for the same old tricks."