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“Before I made you in your mother’s womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work. I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” Jeremiah 1:5 (NCV)
Isn’t it nice to feel chosen by someone? When we are growing up we love to hear mom or dad pick us up and say “You are my little boy/girl”. Our children long to hear the words “I’m proud of you!” As young adults it’s exciting when that special someone says, in a variety of ways, “I choose you. I want you to be with me forever.”
Unfortunately, the opposite is true far too often. Children, especially those from families torn apart by divorce, grow up wondering why they were put into this world. Young people see the world wracked by war, disease, and political turmoil and wonder why things are the way they are, how long before we self-destruct and why they were put in this world. We adults worry about being able to stay healthy, make our financial obligations, and hold our relationships together.
Life seems to go easier when we feel we have a purpose for being here. The path we travel can take us through times of wilderness. We can travel through areas of our lives when the path is shrouded in darkness, or at best enveloped in a fog that keeps us from knowing our direction in life. Our journey can elevate us to the highest mountain top, or through the deepest valley.
No matter what you are going through right now; regardless of the reason for finding yourself in the situation you are in, life is easier when you know you have a purpose for being here and that someone cares if you are successful.
Remember this, with God there are no unplanned pregnancies, no ‘accidents’ when it comes to conception. You are here as a result of a plan God instituted long before your mother gave birth. Regardless of what people tell you about your lack of value, God formed you as you are. The aimlessness of life you feel is God’s call to bring you closer to himself. Your failures are God’s instrument to help you grow stronger in life.
For Jeremiah, his calling was a prophet. For you it may be to show Christ’s love to the kids you teach, the people you package the fast-food burger, the lonely old couple at table 7, or the sick child in the hospital room. Whatever your calling, you were placed here by the Creator God of the Universe to grow in relationship to him and show his love and grace to those who cross your path.
You are NOT an accident my friend. You are a masterpiece created by the master creator himself. Don’t listen to the voices that want you to believe otherwise.
PRAYER: Thank you God for making me just the way I am. Thank you for putting me where you have in life so I can show those around me the love of Jesus. Strengthen me for the battles ahead through your Holy Spirit. Amen.
Think about Jesus’ example. He held on while wicked people were doing evil things to him. So do not get tired and stop trying. Hebrews 12:3 (NCV)
The writer to the Hebrews challenges us to press on in the face of ‘wicked people’ intent on doing evil things to us. The example he uses is the ultimate example of love, grace, patience, mercy and forgiveness, Jesus Christ. Jesus, the writer reminds us, endured attacks by evil people yet he held on to accomplish the task before him in spite of the adversity.
You mind may conjure up visions of these ‘wicked people’ who were a constant thorn in Jesus side throughout his ministry. You may see battles similar to Cowboys and Indians, or Cops and Robbers. Maybe you see some heavenly version of ‘Star Wars’ being played out with Jesus in the center of the battle and enemy warriors surrounding him.
Before you let your imagination run wild, think for a moment of whom the ‘wicked people’ were that the writer is referring to. Maybe you are thinking it was the Romans. After all, they were ruthless warriors whose army ruled the known world with an iron fist. But frankly, the Romans weren’t interested in Jesus. Caesar was perfectly fine letting the Jews have their religion and their prophets as long as they remained in political subjection to the Roman Government by paying taxes and behaving themselves. Jesus was just another religious zealot in a long line of kooks that walked the paths of Palestine.
The ‘wicked people’ probably weren’t women in Galilee and the surrounding area. Jesus’ treatment of women was remarkable compared to society of the day. When Jesus walked the paths of Galilee the top priorities were livestock, children and women, in that order. Jesus elevated women to a place of importance equal to men.
Robbers? Tax Collectors? The poor and destitute? Prostitutes? The wealthy? Were they the wicked people? Not likely. These were the very people that sought Jesus out for comfort and a word of hope and forgiveness. Nor were those who opposed the Roman Government. Even though Jesus never spoke in opposition to the Romans, he certainly spoke a message of freedom and hope. Many mistakenly thought he would become King of Israel.
So, again, just who were the people the writer of Hebrews is referring to? Who were these wicked people that were always a constant thorn in the side of Jesus? Sadly, those who opposed Jesus the most were the religious people of the day. The ones with the status and respect of the people.
As you struggle through the path of life you are on, remember this. Jesus endured the same scoffing you have endured. He saw firsthand how people who ‘failed’ were treated. They are the ones he reached out to.
It doesn’t matter what struggle you are enduring right now, Jesus understands. Don’t give up on yourself. Don’t allow those who are intent on reminding you of your failures and weaknesses to pull you down. Jesus knows all about your struggle. He didn’t come to condemn you. He came to encourage, to offer hope and forgiveness. To extend the grace of God to you.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I thank you today for the fact that you understand my struggles and love me even though I fail. Empower me with your spirit to stop listening to those who want to pull me down. Help me rise above the attacks so I can live in the freedom a relationship with you offers. Amen.
In Christ we were chosen to be God’s people, because from the very beginning God had decided this in keeping with his plan. And he is the One who makes everything agree with what he decides and wants. Ephesians 1:11 (NCV)
I don’t know if this is a true story or not, but a great sculptor was allegedly asked how he went about taking a block of granite and transforming it into a statue. His response went like this: “Well, imagine I wanted to make a statue of a horse. I simply look at the block of granite and chip away everything that doesn’t look like a horse!”
For people like me that are artistically challenged in the area of sculpture, that explanation is completely worthless. My ability to make anything from clay or granite would have to have a plaque underneath it with the inscription “I don’t know either. It didn’t turn out the way I’d like.”
That’s not true with your Heavenly Father. Unlike you or me, he had a plan at the beginning of time. His plan was for you to have a relationship with him. It’s as though, in all his power and majesty, he looked a piece of clay and said, “I’m going to create my perfect lover, my perfect object of my affection. I’m going to make something for me that is exactly as I want it. Something I can love more than any of my other creations”
Once he finished molding and forming, your image appeared! You may think that sounds ridiculous. “Just look at me,” you say, “look at my scars. Look at the mistakes I’ve made. Look at the mess I’ve made of my life. Look at all the people I’ve hurt. How can you say that God created me to be some perfect love of his?”
Your question is understandable. We all have ugly scars from our past; we have all endured the consequences of stupid decisions that hurt ourselves and others. But the explanation is really rather simple, from God’s perspective anyway. When he looks at you, he looks beyond the scars and mistakes, he looks beyond the rebellion and anger, he looks beyond the frustration and worry.
God planned you from the beginning. He knew every obstacle you would have to endure. He knew your failures. He knew all about your rebellion. He knew all about the abuse and pain you’d have to suffer. That’s why he sent Jesus.
When I set my camera to manual focus I can make objects seem blurry or clear, perfect or imperfect; acceptable or unacceptable. Jesus is like God’s auto-focus. When you come to Christ and ask forgiveness for all the flaws in your life (the sin, the anger, the hate, the hurts) he looks at me through Jesus and sees the perfection of his plan.
You are planned by your Heavenly Father and his plans always work out just the way he wants them to. That’s what grace is all about. Grace is all about a relationship with the Father, through Jesus Christ, who sets us free from the penalty of sin.
PRAYER: Lord God, I thank you for your ability to carry out your plan for me exactly aw you intended. Thank you for Jesus and for the fact that because of him, I’m exactly what you want. Amen.
In Christ we can come before God with freedom and without fear. We can do this through faith in Christ. Ephesians 3:12 (NCV)
I remember sitting in Bible Study. We were discussing the life of King David and, in particular, his affair with Bathsheba. I asked the question, why does sin have such power over us? Think of David. The man after God’s own heart. The man who had seen God move in miraculous ways. The man who defeated a lion, a bear, a giant and an angry King. All this because of his faith. What would make someone who was so close to God commit such a heinous crime? Why does sin have that kind of power over us?
A very dear, elderly sweet lady gave an embarrassed grin and answered, “Because. Sin is so much fun!”
I was taken back by her answer, as were the others. Mary (I’ll call her) was the kind of person you would expect to have been sinless her entire life. Sin being fun in her mind was the furthest thing from my mind.
She’s right of course. That’s the draw. We know the right way to think. We know what the right words to say and what words will spark an argument. For those of us who know Christ, we know the attitude to take. So why are we often so easily led astray?
Not only is sin ‘fun’ (at least at the beginning) but sin entraps us. That’s the catch. Sometimes it starts small, an attitude, a sarcastic comment or two, an off-color jest, a hug that takes just a little to long. Then, if we allow it to, sin creeps in, taking more liberty. Asking more questions. Causing more doubt. Like the serpent in the garden, the question is asked, “It God really fair taking this pleasure from me? Will it really hurt just once? Don’t I deserve this justice?
Then like a steel trap, the jaws slam shut. We’re trapped with no way out. Have you ever been in that situation? It’s like being handcuffed and being led down the hallway towards the courtroom. Waste of time? You bet. Your guilty, but…. (There will be no buts in this courtroom).
That’s sin. The longer you are in it the more the guilt weighs you down. You knew better. How did you think for a moment you wouldn’t get caught? The longer it has you enslaved the more resigned you come to it’s dominion over you. The more it attacks, the weaker your resolve to fight back. Finally you just give up. It doesn’t matter anymore.
There is only one way out of this trap. Only one way to rid yourself of the guilt once and for all. Only one way promise can return to our lives. The only way we can be free of the penalty and power of sin is Jesus. The penalty has to be paid. There is no escape from that. But Jesus paid the penalty! Because of that, regardless of what you have done. Regardless of how many times you’ve stumbled and fallen. The Grace of God through Jesus Christ allows you to have a perfect relationship with your Heavenly Father. Enjoy the freedom to fly once again. Enjoy the freedom of being afraid of God’s wrath.
PRAYER: Lord Jesus, I need to be reminded of your love and grace today. My thoughts, words and attitudes have entrapped me. I’m listening to the enemy’s lies. Please forgive me once again for my weakness. Thank you that because of you I am restored. Amen.
When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. John 14:3 (NLT)
Imagine the setting. You’re sitting on your deck enjoying the last remnants of light from a warm summer evening. As you look to the west, lost in your thoughts, you see clouds on the horizon. It’s the makings of a beautiful sunset as the sun sinks prematurely below the billowing thunderheads.
Then you see it…you think. “Was that lightning?” You ask yourself as you continue to watch the horizon. A few moments later your suspicions are confirmed. A second flash of light brightens the darkening horizon. As you watch the approaching storm the signs of its inevitable arrival multiply. The once calm wind begins to blow, occasional rumbles of thunder are heard, the lightning flashes grow more frequent. A storm is coming.
The word picture can conjure up all sorts of emotions. If you are relatively assured of your safety and the safety of your loved ones you may look forward to the oncoming storm. There is nothing as awesome as a good ole’ fashioned summer thunderstorm.
On the other hand, you may feel some concern. Thunderstorms can bring hail to destroy crops. Heavy rain can wash out roads. Wind can cause massive destruction and even death. Your emotions about the coming storm depend on your feeling of personal safety and/or trust in the outcome of the storm.
When Jesus left the disciples he prepared them for his departure by promising his return. He didn’t tell them when he’d return, but he told them how and what to look for. He told them about the gathering storm clouds on the horizon; about the deterioration of the family as God ordained it; about economic upheaval; of political unrest.
He warned us of false prophets and teachings that would claim a new way, a better way than the way of the Good News of Jesus Christ. ‘Just as you know the signs of the seasons,” he would say to his disciples, “watch the signs of the times.”
We don’t know when Jesus will come back for us. Forget those who have all the numbers and the codes figured out. Forget the stories about asteroids and alien spaceships. Put away the white toga and take the ladder away from the roof. You don’t need to wait for a specific time or place. In fact, at a time we least expect his arrival he will come for those who have accepted his grace and forgiveness. How? Like the lightning. Just a flash and I’ll be gone.
If I’m talking to you at a coffee shop and suddenly disappear, it’s nothing personal. I’ve been called. If you see my car idling by the side of the freeway with no sign of me? I’m in a better place with NO traffic jams.
I see the storm clouds on the horizon. I know the signs. A storm will be here soon. I’m just waiting for the lightning!
PRAYER: Jesus, in spite of how many struggles we have here, I’m feeling truly blessed with my life in you. Still, I can’t wait until I get to see you face to face. Thank you for the promise that someday, maybe today, you will come back for me. Amen.
(thanks to pictureapromise for the great photo! http://www.facebook.com/pages/Pictureapromise/264103118342?sk=wall#!/pages/Pictureapromise/264103118342 )
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 