How Great Is Our God? And How Important Are We To Him?

"What is man that You give importance to him, and that You should set your heart on him, and visit him every morning, trying him every moment?" (Job 7:17-18)

How Great Is Our God?

Have you ever seriously thought about what God has done for human kind? How that as God He swapped heavenly royalty for earthly poverty? When He lived among men His bed became, at best, a borrowed pallet --- and usually a hard earth. That He and his companions were dependent on donations for his daily living. He was sometimes hungry He would eat raw grain or pick fruit off a tree. He knew what it meant to have no home. He was ridiculed. His neighbors tried to kill Him. Some called Him a lunatic. His family tried to confine Him to their house. His friends weren’t always faithful to Him.

He was accused of a crime He never committed. Witnesses were hired to lie. The jury was rigged. A Roman judge swayed by politics handed down the death penalty even if it was clear that He did not deserve it. They killed Him. With all His power why didn't He prevent those things to happen? Why did He allow it?

Why did He? Because of the gift that only He could give: To save us forever from damnation.

There is no way our little minds can comprehend the love of God. But that didn’t keep Him from coming … From the cradle in Bethlehem to the cross in Jerusalem we’ve pondered the love of the Father. What can you say to that kind of emotion? Upon learning that God would rather die than live without you, how do you react. How can you begin to explain such passion?

When human hands fastened the Jesus Christ's hands to a cross with spikes, it wasn't the soldiers who held the hands steady. It was God who held them steady. It was God who stretched the hand. The hands that created the heavens and the earth. The same hands formed oceans and the mountains. The same hands that designed the dawn and crafted the clouds. Those hands that blueprinted one incredible plan for you and me.

How Important Are We To Him?

Take a deep thought about it. Look back, and think about what happened on mount Calvary. Think about Our Lord Jesus Christ, up on cross where, with holy blood, the hand that placed you on the planet wrote the promise that “God would give up His only son before he’d give up on you.” That's how precious you are as a creation... as a person... as someone He knew before you were even born.

God didn’t look at our problematic and scrupulous lives and say, “I’ll die for you when you deserve it”. No, despite our sin, in the face of man’s rebellion and un-mindful way of living, he chose to adopt us. And for God, there was no going back. His grace is a ‘come-as-you-are’ promise from a one-of-a-kind Lord of the universe.

You’ve been found, called, and adopted. So trust our Father in heaven and claim this verse as your own: “God showed his love for us in this way: Christ died for us while we were still sinners” (Romans 5:8). And you never again have to wonder who your father is --- you’ve been adopted by God and are therefore as “heir of God through Christ”. Now you just have to stand up. Claim it. All we need is to make ourselves worthy --- worth it. And then give back our love to Him in return. Our love is all He asks.

Through the ages, He sees us all. He saw us before we were born. And He loves what He sees. Flooded by emotion. Overcome by pride, the heavenly creator turns to us, one by one, and says, “You are my child. I love you dearly. I’m aware that someday you’ll turn from me and walk away. But I want you to know, I’ve already provided you a way back.”

Call it what it is. Call it grace. Call it love. God loves you.

The Greatest Comeback In History

We admire anyone who makes a comeback after failure and defeat. Remember the quotation, "It doesn't matter how many times you fall; what matters is the man time you would rise up each time you would fall."

In 2001, Sports Illustrated magazine featured an article on the greatest comebacks of all time. Surprisingly, they selected the resurrection of Jesus as number one. It was stated this way: “Jesus Christ, 33 A.D. Defies critics and stuns the Romans with His resurrection.”

How discerning! In any list of history’s comebacks, Jesus’ victory over the grave surely merits first place. Indeed, His resurrection is in a class that soars above any other comeback.

Death ultimately triumphs over life. When a person dies, there is no possibility of renewed existence—at least not in this world. But that wasn’t so with Jesus. He had promised His disciples that after being crucified by His enemies, He would come back to life—triumphing over the grave. Matthew records this in his gospel: “Jesus began to show to His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things . . . and be killed, and be raised the third day” (16:21). And that is what happened to our Savior.

When Jesus died upon the cruel cross the people who stood by thought that "This is the end." But we can put our faith in what He said: "If you believe in Me, you'll never die."

Jesus Christ's comeback assures us that we too by faith in Him will come back when we are resurrected from the grave (John 11:25-26).

The empty tomb is the foundation of our faith.

WHEN TROUBLE WORKS FOR US

Our light affliction . . . is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. --2 Corinthians 4:17


Is there something that seems to be working against you today—time, health, money, opportunity, people? Sometimes it's easy to feel that everything and everyone is against us. We know we're supposed to trust God, but it's hard to understand why He would allow our circumstances to become so difficult and confusing. A friend of mine who has experienced many setbacks offered a fresh look at the role of our difficulties. He emphasized a single word in a familiar passage: "Our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory" (2 Cor. 4:17). "We think our afflictions are working against us," my friend said, "but God says they are working for us. They're producing a glory that will last forever. Compared to our trials, the glory is always greater. That's why we don't lose heart." From God's perspective, our deepest disappointments and sorrows are "but for a moment." It's difficult for us to accept this while we are in the midst of our trials, but we can trust the word of our kind and loving Father. It's amazing to know that God can take the things that seem to be against us and cause them to work for us. By faith, we can embrace His perspective today. God can weave the thorns of life into a crown of glory.


READ: 2 Corinthians 4:7-18

RUNNING THE RACE

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us (Hebrews 12:1).

Should you ever have the opportunity of visiting ancient Corinth, there is an out-of-the way, seldom-seen-by-tourists place that makes what Paul wrote to the Corinthians more meaningful. Remember Paul's comments that those who run in a race should run in such a way as to gain the prize? If your guide really knows his geography, he will take you to the place near the Corinthian canal where the Isthmian games were held every two years.

Paul was a master at bringing home spiritual truths in such a way that his readers could readily identify with them. The Isthmian games were a forerunner of the modern Olympics, and Greeks loved their athletes, who were venerated as basketball and soccer stars are today.

"Everyone who competes in the games," wrote Paul, "goes into strict training" (1 Corinthians 9:25). It's still true. The old adage, "no pain, no gain," speaks in subdued tones of the discipline, the long hours of training, the hardships day after day so that you are ready when the day comes to compete.

Using the same analogy, the writer of Hebrews said, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us" (Hebrews 12:1, KJV).

Athletes still use some of the basic training techniques that the Greeks used. To strengthen their muscles they would often carry heavy weights, or strap them on their legs, but when the day of the race came, they took off everything that was non-essential.

Both Paul and the writer of Hebrews liken your walk to the Lord with the race run by the athlete. It has a starting point that is at your conversion, and it has a terminus --- when you meet the Lord. In this contest, the writer says you are to rid yourself of two things --- the weights that slow you down, and the sins which (like a heavy garment) keep you from achieving.

If every word is significant, then there is a reason why two words --- weights and sins --- are used, and understanding the difference provides insights for us today. The first word, 'ogkos', in Greek means a weight, a burden, or an impediment --- actually, anything that really keeps you from walking with the Lord, something that in and of itself is not wrong. But it becomes wrong in relationship to keeping you from doing the will of God.

The second word, ‘harmatia’, means just what it suggests --- sin. It meant "missing the mark," "falling short of a goal or target." It was the same word that Jesus used when Luke recorded His comments on prayer as Jesus said we should pray, "Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sin against us. And lead us not into temptation."

The writer says, "Get rid of what keeps you from being at your best including what you clearly know is wrong ---sin!"

And how do we do that? First, you make the decision that anything which keeps you from giving of your best to serve the Master has to go. Jesus said that you can't serve two masters, which is what you are trying to do. It doesn't work! You never succeed with a schizophrenic approach to Christianity. If Jesus Christ is the one He claimed to be, and if you really chose to serve Him because of what you believed Him to be, then serve Him with all your heart.

Second, confess and forsake what the Bible calls sin. God's promise is still in effect as He said, "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness" (1 John 1:9).

Then, when we start building our strength through daily contemplation on the word of God, and walk as children of light. Our daily walk is be part of the race set before us. If we continue to strengthen our consciousness of the Word and walk the Christian walk, daily as we run the race we can be sure that the prize of the high calling can be achieved.

Staying focused, renewing your determination, and hanging in there day after day is what it takes to win. It's true when you are running a race and when you are living the Christian life.

The athlete who triumphed in a Greek athletic contest was given a crown of garland leaves that quickly wilted and died, but when you succeed in your Christian life, your crown is eternal life which knows no end.

Resource reading: 1 Corinthians 9:24-27.

SOWING SEEDS IN LIFE

Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. [Galatians 6:7]

I read a fable about a man who was browsing in a store when he made the shocking discovery that God was behind a sales counter. So the man walked over and asked, "What are You selling?" God replied, "What does your heart desire?" The man said, "I want happiness, peace of mind, and freedom from fear . . . for me and the whole world." God smiled and said, "I don't sell fruit here. Only seeds."

In Galatians 6, Paul stressed the importance of sowing seeds of God-honoring behavior, for "whatever a man sows, that he will also reap" (v.7). We can't expect to experience the fruit of God's blessings if we don't recognize the importance of doing our part.

It helps to follow the example of others who have sown good seed. Author Samuel Shoemaker said that a good example can either inspire us or cause us to say, "Oh yes, he (or she) is like that. He is not troubled by temper or nerves or impatience or worry as I am; he is just a happier temperament." Shoemaker continued, "It may not occur to us that perhaps he had to fight for his serenity, and that we might win if we would do the same."

Are you weary of the way you are? Ask God for His help and begin sowing seeds of new actions and responses today. In due season the Spirit will give the increase.

We're always sowing seeds in life by everything we do and say, so let's make sure the fruit we reap comes from the good we do each day. The seeds we sow today determine the kind of fruit we'll reap tomorrow.

- o -

IT'S A RACE ONLY YOU CAN RUN

No Olympic medalist will ever tell you the prize came easily. Successful athletes spend years of extensive training, preparing for the day they will match themselves against other competitors to see who is the fastest, strongest, steadiest. To the athlete, the prize is well worth the many hours spent in training. It’s true. Good things seldom come without cost.

This truth applies in the spiritual world as well. When you read about the great spiritual heroes in the Bible, or when you admire the strong faith of your parish priest or church pastor, don’t assume that the same walk with God is not available to you also. You have just as much opportunity to walk closely and powerfully with God as they have. The question is this: Are you willing to pay the same price they went through in order to be filled with God’s powerful presence? Spiritual exercise doesn’t come without exercise. You cannot be spiritually lazy and vibrant at the same time. It’s not possible to neglect reading your Bible and ignore the place of prayer and still become a strong Christian. There is a price to pay for an intimate walk with God. The apostle Paul says if we are willing to do whatever is necessary in order to run the race of the Christian life well, the prize will be more than worth our effort.
Don’t you know that in a race all the runners run but only one wins the prize? You must run in such a way that you may win the prize. Everyone who competes in an athletic contest goes into strict training. They do it to win a crown that is temporal, but we do it to win a crown will last forever. So when you run, run with that clear goal in mind. (1 Corinthians 9:24-26)

Athletes are willing to push themselves harder and longer and farther than anyone else. They strive to bring their bodies and minds completely under control so that they excel and receive a prize. Others go home to relax, but athletes continue to train. While most people protect themselves from any form of discomfort, athletes push themselves to the limits of their endurance. While some remain satisfied with mediocre performance, athletes pay any price for excellence. The Apostle Paul said that despite their most valiant efforts, the athletes’ successes and prizes are eventually forgotten. Even the greatest athletic achievements have not affected eternity.

If an athlete can be motivated to make incredible sacrifices for a perishable reward, how much more ought Christians to strive for an imperishable one? How much motivation do you need to realize that what you are striving for is eternal life? If an athlete will labor day after day in order to receive praise and glory from others, how much harder will you work to hear the word “well done” from the Lord Jesus Christ Himself? Are you striving to bring your body into subjection for the glory of God? Are you training your mind to think the thoughts of God rather than thoughts of the world? Are you disciplining your life in prayer? When others are sleeping, are you interceding? Have you studied God’s word so diligently that you are prepared to find answers to the challenges you face? Have you equipped yourself in evangelism so that you are ready to share your faith? Have you prepared yourself as a Christian in order to qualify for the everlasting crown that awaits you? How much motivation do you need to run the God has set for you in this life?

At the end of the race, can you also say, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7)

There is much satisfaction in finishing something you have begun! The success of a race is determined not only by how well you begin but also by how well you end. Many athletes can begin a race impressively, but if they stumble or are injured or lack the stamina to finish, their good start is useless. Apostle Paul rejoiced that he had not only begun the race but he had also finished it. His prize was a robust faith in God and a life filled with God’s powerful presence.

The Christian life is not easy. Some mistakenly assume that once they become children of God, their struggles are over. Many Christians begin their walk with Christ enthusiastically, but as the pressures mount, they lose heart and abandon their pilgrimage. They quit the race, and fall into the sidelines. Many would even say the moment they find the obstacles too hard to supass that "this is probably not God's will for me".

The Apostle Paul described His Christian life as "a battle". There were times when he struggled, and only through perseverance could he continue. It may surprise us to know that the great apostle had to struggle at times to be faithful to God. Apostle Paul faced persecution, misunderstanding, betrayal, and even death threats. His Christian life was anything but easy, yet he persevered. He knew what it takes, and he kept his sight on Jesus.

"Therefore since we also are surrounded with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which so easily besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, LOOKING TO JESUS the Author and Finisher of our faith..." Hebrews 12:1-2

Your faith in God is not proven by beginning the race but by enduring to the finish. Publicly announcing your commitment to Christ in your church does not compare with a lifetime of devotion to His cause. Use the Apostle Paul as your model. Live your life in such a way that you can one day conclude, “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith!”

Run the race that is set before you. No one can run it for you. It's a race only you can run. It's a race you must finish.

When you run, there's only one thing you have to keep in mind: Focus on Jesus.

Godspeed!

...

Let God Be God.

One of the most important things
you can ever learn about God is that
God is God!

To say that God is God is to make a powerful assertion which takes us above the level of humanity, rising to the supernatural. Therefore, we should assume that in so many ways God is different from humans we know. He never changes. He has neither beginning nor end. He never grows weary nor becomes bored or frustrated. He's faithful, too. What He says He will do, He does! It may take Him some time, perhaps even a long while, and we may get pretty restless waiting for Him to come through, but He will in His time.

A man who spent a lifetime walking with the Lord, who was perhaps closer to God than any man in his day, Samuel, the prophet, wrote, "He who is the Glory of Israel does not lie or change his mind; for he is not a man that he should change his mind" (1 Samuel 15:29). This is one of the reasons why it's hard for some to understand Him. God is different from us. He's never in a hurry, but we often are! He always keeps His word. But often we don't. He just operates on a different logic level, and that's why it's tough for us at times. God, Himself, told us this a long time ago. You find these words in Isaiah 55:8,9, "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,' declares the LORD. ‘As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.'”

God is also different from us in that He has infinite patience and compassion. He understands when we wouldn't even try. Have you never read a newspaper account of some terrible situation where someone was brutal to another, perhaps a child or an innocent victim, and you thought, "If I were God I'd really zap that guy..."? Sure, you would have, and so would I, but God didn't. Why? Is God soft on justice? Some have thought so, even those who were spiritual men or prophets. I'm thinking of Habakkuk, the man who wrote one of the Old Testament books, who faced the issue and cried out, "How long, O Lord, must I call for help but you do not listen?... Why do you tolerate wrong?" God finally answered him and he began to realize that there is an end to the patience of God, a limit when His infinite patience runs out and justice follows.

There is one thought that I want to leave with you. Let God be God! Rest in the fact that He is sovereign, that He knows the future; and, therefore, if you are His child, you can rest in the confidence that He is fully in control of your life and the world in which you live. The more you know of His Word and His ways, the more confident you will be of His ability to keep you and to watch over your life. No child of God would ever question the ways of God if He understood the whole picture.

Like the visitor in a weaving factory who saw only the broken threads on the underside, we often see only part of the pattern. But someday we'll move to the other side and see the completed tapestry of our lives. “Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face,” says Paul, adding, “Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.(1 Corinthians 13:12 b). You can rest in that confidence.

.