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Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” Genesis 1:26 (NIV)
You weren’t an afterthought. When the Creator God formed the universe, hung the sun in place and separated the water from the land, you were on his mind. When he spoke the word and thousands of plants and animals came into existence, he knew he wasn’t done. With a word, the Father spoke all this into existence. But when he made man, he stopped and thought about it.
Why? Was it because God was confused as to how to make man? Were we too large a task for him to handle? Of course not, God paused after making the other animals because this was something special. This ‘man’, these humans as we call them, were going to be set apart from everything else in creation.
These beings were going to be made in his image. That means that unlike other animals, human kind would have the ability to reason, speak choose. He would give them the power within themselves to do great and mighty things.
God made the world (the plants, the universe, and the animals) for mankind to tend to. He made mankind for his own personal relationship. Did the world need man to be complete? Probably not. The angels could have tended to the tasks at hand. Without man, God wouldn’t have been complete. He needed man to be his special object of love. He desired to create for himself one being that would be the most like him.
It’s no wonder then that when we shun God there is a part of us missing. We were created to fellowship with him and the absence of that fellowship causes and emptiness.
Oh, we can try to fill it with religion or spirituality. We can try to dull the pain with human relationships and materialistic endeavors. But nothing will fill that God-shaped hole in our hearts except for God himself.
God, the creator of the universe, the one that controls everything you see created you because he desired to have a passionate love relationship with you. Nothing you can do will make him change his mind about you. Nothing you can do will allow that love relationship to happen. There’s only one thing to fill the void and that’s Jesus Christ.
The forgiveness Jesus offers you through the cross allows you to a restored relationship with your creator.
PRAYER: God, I’ve been taught that you aren’t real. I’ve heard that all I see around me happened by chance. I thank you that I didn’t happen by chance. I thank you that I was intentionally made so I could love you. I’m tired of trying to fill this void in my life. Help me to find the peace only Jesus can give. Amen.
“Master,” Simon answered, “we have worked hard all night long and have not caught a thing. But if you tell me to, I will let the nets down.” Luke 5:5 (CEV)
He was an expert in his field. He knew the lake, he knew the seasons, he knew the patterns of the fish and the moon. He was a fisherman. Some of us fish for hobby and some are successful at it. Peter was a professional fisherman. His very livelihood depended on his ability to catch fish.
Because so much depended on his ability to catch fish, having an entire night without a single catch must have been very demoralizing for Peter and his crew. They had bills to pay. They had a family to feed. They had a reputation to uphold. A night without fish for Peter was like a business owner without a single customer entering the business on a given day.
I’ve never fished with nets before but I can imagine that cleaning them was no fun. Cleaning nets after a whole night of catching nothing must have been even more unpleasant. All that work for nothing! It’s no wonder that Peter was a bit hesitant to drop those nets back into the water. It wasn’t the right time or place for a catch. They’d just spent all night fishing and caught nothing. They were tired, perhaps hungry and that male ‘conquering spirit’ had been wounded by the lack of success.
On top of all that, Jesus was a carpenter by trade. What do carpenters know about fishing? Most people in Peter’s position would probably be thinking, “I wouldn’t waltz into his carpenter shop and tell him how to adjust that table or form that yoke for the Oxen. Who does he think he is?”
Peter didn’t do that though. He followed the request of this carpenter turned teacher turned fishing expert. He went against all he knew professionally to follow Jesus’ command. The result amazed him and his crew. So many fish were caught that day that there was concern that the fish would break the nets. And, as mentioned earlier, fish meant cash!
When you follow Jesus you have to be willing to step outside of common knowledge and your comfort zone. Jesus works best through us when we work outside the box. Everything he asked Peter to do was against common knowledge, but Peter was blessed mightily for his faith.
What steps might Jesus be asking you to do in your home, workplace or church? Are you basing your actions on human understanding or divine leadership? The outcome depends on your decision. Act outside the box and see what Jesus can do for you.
PRAYER: Lord, so much of my thought processes revolve around what I know and not what you can do through me. Give me the courage to think outside the box so you can do amazing things through me. Amen.
So people receive God’s promise by having faith. This happens so the promise can be a free gift. Then all of Abraham’s children can have that promise. It is not only for those who live under the law of Moses but for anyone who lives with faith like that of Abraham, who is the father of us all. Romans 4:16 (NCV)
Usually people refer to ‘Cheap Grace’ as grace the people take advantage of. A college professor once said to me, “I have no patience for people who go out and sin because ‘they can ask forgiveness later. It cheapens what Jesus did on the cross.”
I agree with him somewhat of course. Paul says ‘shall we go on sinning so grace might increase?” The answer of course is a resounding NO! As Christ-followers we would never think it’s okay to sin so that we get to ask forgiveness. That’s a preposterous idea!
But there is a more subtle way we cheapen grace. It’s seen every week in our churches, in our families, in Bible Studies, retreats and conferences across the world.
Not all of us are guilty of course, but cheap grace sneaks in the cracks when we least notice it. Grace is cheapened when we measure our Spiritual Maturity by our Spiritual Activity. It’s as though we believe that the more we read the Bible and the more we go to church or Bible Studies, the more God will love us.
Abraham was not a perfect man. He wasn’t a very good husband. He wasn’t a very good father. He wasn’t a good boss. His leadership skills were lacking overall. Still, he was God’s friend. Why? Abraham believed God and God’s promises and because of that he was considered faithful. His faith is what saved him, not his works.
Don’t get me wrong. It’s important to read and study God’s word because it contains the words of life and liberty. It’s vital that we, as Christ-followers, talk with our Heavenly Father on a regular basis. Strength in living comes as we fellowship with the body. But those activities won’t bring ‘more of grace to you’; they will simply make you more aware of the grace available to you.
There’s an old gospel chorus that goes something like this, “Every promise in the book is mine, every chapter, every verse, every line. All the blessings of His love divine. Every promise in the book is mine.” Those promises don’t come because of anything I’ve done. The promises given me are completely because of what Jesus did for me on the cross.
Don’t cheapen God’s grace for you by adding all sorts of activity requirements. You have all you need in Jesus.
PRAYER: Lord I have to admit I get a little proud of myself at times. I look at all the things I do for the church, all the songs I sing to you, all the times I proclaim your word. I confess that at times I feel these actions make me more spiritual. I thank you that I have all I need in Jesus. Amen.
It is God Who covers me with strength and makes my way perfect. Psalm 18:32 (NLV)
The wild fire roared through the farmstead destroying every thing in its path. The storm of flames left behind the charred remains of the farmer’s livestock, his home and his out buildings. Although his family was saved, his entire livelihood was gone.
As he shuffled through the dust and ashes he looked towards a still smoke-filled sky. “Show me one sign that you want me to continue on, “He prayed to his God. As he continued on his foot kicked against a blackened lump in the dust. What turned out to be the charred remains of a hen skittered across the ground and then flipped over. A small, yellow chick struggled from the midst of the ashes of its dead mother.
“I have covered you with my strength” the young farmer heard almost audibly. His sign delivered, he looked again at the farmyard and began to think of his future, a future build on God’s protection.
God’s protection doesn’t always come to us in a physical way. Indeed, all our senses perceive can be taken from us in a flash. But His strength goes beyond our senses. His strength goes beyond our understanding.
The clothing of the Middle Eastern person in Biblical times was never complete without a girdle, a piece of clothing that offered strength to the loins as they walked the wilderness paths. It kept them physically protected, kept their robes in place and offered a place for a sword if necessary.
This is the picture the Psalmist gives us in Psalm 18. Like the chicken that protected its young, God’s protection completely engulfs us. The rest of the world as we know it may fall away. All we hope for may be dashed upon the rocks. But God’s protection goes beyond whatever is attacking you today.
Regardless of how bad things seem now. No matter how much desolation, hopelessness and devastation you may see right now in your finances, your relationships or your health remember that your strength was never intended to see you through. Overcoming the obstacles of life always comes from God’s strength.
The young farmer could have looked out over his fire-swept farm and given up. But he sought one small sign, a struggling, chirping chick and from that rebuilt his farm as well as his faith in an almighty, protecting God.
PRAYER: Father, it’s hard to see positive things in the midst of all the trials of my life. Thank you for your promise of protection. Gird me with your strength so that the battles of my life will not overcome me. Amen
Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. Romans 12:12 (NLT)
“I hope”
Two little words ripe with expectation and emotion.
“I hope the car starts this morning.”
“I hope the doctor calls with good news.”
“I hope the job offer comes through.”
“I hope the bank accepts our offer.”
“I hope my son/daughter grows up to love God.”
“I hope [fill in your own words here.]”
The inherent problem with hope in the physical realm is that it almost always involves something in the present, in what we can see, hear or touch. Often times ‘hope’ is focused on the results of some action we’ve taken or tried to take in order to make our lives more complete, more whole, more comfortable.
But hope built on earthly standards is often subject to the whims of others. But in God’s economy hope isn’t about this world, it’s about eternity. Too often it’s easy to build our hopes for today on our own ability to accomplish something. We look to our past experiences to build future hope. That’s all fine and well if our past is squeaky clean, but for those of us who have a past littered with broken relationships and missed opportunities, building a hope for the future on the efforts of our past is risky at best.
“I hope the grades I got in school get me into the college I choose.”
“I hope the boss looks at my work record when he considers that promotion.
As a believer in Jesus Christ our hope is on the past, but not our past. Our hope is built on the past work of Jesus on the cross and the empty tomb. Our hope is built on spiritual position in Christ and not our ability to live up to someone else’s standards.
When our hope is built on what Jesus can do for us and with eternity in view it makes the troubles of this world pale. It’s the hope of our future, not the regrets of the past or the fears of today that give us joy and patience. It’s our walk with God built on study, fellowship and prayer that empowers us to forge ahead when the battle seems too big for us to handle.
Leave your past mistakes at the foot of the cross. Seek divine power to put your focus on the hope of our future with Christ. Let his word so richly dwell within you that you are able to withstand the attacks the enemy throws your way. Hopelessness comes from focusing on the past and present. Hope comes as we focus on eternal values and goals.
PRAYER: Father God, my past seeks to cripple me. The present tries to wrap me in worry and fear. Empower me by your Spirit to set my focus on a future with you. Give me patience to endure and wisdom to know how to pray as I forge ahead on this journey. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Mike Fisk & Built with Grace 