God has been pouring down blessing after blessing upon me since Saturday! But as I begin one of the busiest weeks of the new year He brings me back to what this life is all about: HIM!
I received a phone call this afternoon from a woman who has lived a very difficult life. A few years ago she received Jesus as her Savior and she was "born again" as she told me today! Her life has not changed much since that time - until just recently when she had a car accident that almost took her life. But God spared her and she's been asking Him "why? " - ever since.
Today she asked me why God loves her so much when she is such a sinner. She thought that I had lived a pretty 'sinless life' and was comparing herself to me. If only she knew!! And that's just what I told her. If we compared lives - she might start looking at her life as pretty 'good'. But thankfully, we are not to compare ourselves with one another - to measure our lives. Our only measuring line - or plumb line is God HIMSELF. And with that - we all come up short of His glory and perfect standard. But that's where Jesus comes in - He gave His life and provided the shed blood that would satisfy the atonement for our sin before the Father.
I love the picture of Christ all the way back to the Garden of Eden where God showed His loved for Adam and Eve as soon as they had sinned. It is the first picture of the necessity of blood having to be shed for the provision of covering sin (our sin)!
Genesis 3:11-12, 20-21
11 “Who told you that you were naked?” the Lord God asked. “Have you eaten from the tree whose fruit I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
12 The man replied, “It was the woman you gave me who gave me the fruit, and I ate it.”
20 Then the man—Adam—named his wife Eve, because she would be the mother of all who live.
21 And the Lord God made clothing from animal skins [bloodshed occurs] for Adam and his wife.
[emphasis mine]
Notice who made the covering... God Himself. Everything we see in the Old Testament is a shadow of Christ's coming in the New Testament. What a visual we get right here in these few verses.
Why did God do it? Because He loves us!
John 3:16
For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
James 5:10-11
10 Brothers, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11 As you know, we consider blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Job's perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. [emphasis mine]
Whatever you are struggling with in your life today, if you know Jesus as your personal Savior, then you know He loves you and wants only what is best for you. Be patient in your suffering - and persevere. God is faithful and good! He is full of compassion and mercy! Trust Him! Praise Him!
Choosing JOY,
Stephanie
No comments:
Post a Comment