As I sit down to write this I am reminded, again, of how God loves me in spite of myself. I look back over this past week and I think of where I missed God and the opportunity’s that He gave me to minister to the hurting or where I got angry and I think, “God could use a rock in my place!” The apostle Paul said that he was “Chief among sinners (I Timothy 1:15)!” Meaning that he would trip, stumble and fall down. He had flesh and blood to contend with just like me. But Paul also knew about the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and I am learning about the same grace.
Have you ever studied Romans 7:18-19 & 24-25? “18I know that nothing good lives in me, that is in my sinful nature, for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no the evil I do not want to do –this I keep on doing. 24What a wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” What a true picture of the grace of our Jesus!”
You see, He was God who came to earth and became a man and had the same ailments and testing and trials that you and I have. He knows what He’s talking about when He offers us grace and He can understand when we fall down. He understands us and still loves us. And He promises that no matter what He is going to love us unconditionally! He also promises us that He will NEVER leave us or forsake us and that we are really, really His (Heb 13:5)!
Now I want to ask those of us that have children of our own, do our own children ever do anything that irritates you? Have your flesh and blood children (no matter how old they are) ever done something that makes you shake your head and wonder where all of their brain cells went? I know mine have and I also know that I did the exact same thing to my mom and dad! But no matter how stupid I was I still remained their son! And my offspring still remain my sons and daughters! Even if we don’t love them at the moment, our DNA is still the same and they will always be our children because we love them! Now, just multiply that love that you have for your kids by a billion and you still won’t come close to how much you Heavenly Father loves us. So, as we try to live a holy life, let’s remember that we have a Savior that loves us no matter what!You pray for me and I’ll pray for you. Naomi and I love you all. -Pastor Steve