You know when you wake up in the morning, look outside your window to see how the weather is - you see a little bit of frost on your car, slight wind, remember that its September - you tell yourself its going to be a cold day. So what do you do? You wear a sweater, or a light jacket, bring an umbrella, and head off to work or school. You go through your morning, and when you step out for lunch, its 85 degrees all of a sudden, and you are sweating in your winter clothes! I dont know about you guys, but that always annoyed me! Just like that guy you see walking around campus - every university has one, when its snowing outside and you have a hat and gloves on, and that kid.. that annoying kid who wears shorts no matter what! He didn't do anything to me personally, but I just get so annoyed with him!
Every time the weather gets like that, one thing comes to my mind - me letting down Jesus. Why? "O Ephraim, what shall I do to you? O Judah, what shall I do to you? For your faithfulness is like a morning cloud, and like the early dew it goes away." Hosea 6:4b. This verse hits home for me. Usually I put in my name in the verse to really take something from it. Imagine God telling me "Sam, what shall I do to you?.." Its a little more meaningful, no? It is as if God is sighing and is like that parent who after several times we've messed up, doesn't know what else to do.
Along the same lines as my last post, this topic has been on my mind lately. Am I in or am I out - I just need to make a decision. No more of "I'm in!" followed by actions opposing that idea. God took a firm stand for us, and we should do the same for him. There are many, many temptations out there - but we need to put one thing in front of us only, so we can see everything else through it - Jesus giving up His life for us.
On giving commentary on the book of Ephesians, St John Chrysostom says "this being His will, we are the object of His earnest wish". Christ set His eyes on the prize, which was us. Everything He did and said was for us - everything! Can we say the same for Him?
your article has reminded me of a quote that has revolutionised my relationship with God;
ReplyDelete"your place in heaven was more important to Christ than His place in heaven, so He gave up His so you could have yours"
Max lucado
mediating on that quote gave me the strength to be all in. I pray that it would do the same to everyone who reads it :)
That is a great thing to keep in mind! I'm sure it was based off of one of my favorite passages.
Delete"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross." Philippians 2:5-8
Thanks for the encouragement!