“But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

             -Romans 5:8

If you want to be amazed, then stop and think for a few moments on the incredible love of God. Few things are as unbelievable, and yet even fewer things more real. Though the Scriptures tell us He was “despised and rejected of men” (Isaiah 53:3), He nevertheless endured the cross on our behalf  that we might be reconciled to God through His blood and enjoy everlasting life with Him (Hebrews 2:17; John 17:2, 3). He demonstrated the greatest kind of love one can possess despite our obvious inability to ever earn grace or forgiveness, and promises that many more blessings will follow to those who put their trust in Him.

What makes this kind of love so amazing? The simple fact that we don’t deserve it. As humans, we are all members of a fallen race (Romans 5:12-14) and the thought that an infinite, holy, and eternal God would even take the time to notice – let alone die for – us should baffle our minds completely. We have nothing to offer Him that He doesn’t already possess, because, as Matthew 5:48 so plainly states, He is perfect. We don’t complete Him, but are in desperate need of His grace and mercy to complete us (Colossians 2:10).

“In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him.”

                         -I John 4:9

On this Good Friday, when people around the world are commemorating Christ’s death on the cross, let each of us be reminded of the amazing and undeserved love that was demonstrated by God the Son on that day some 2,000 years ago. He did what no one else could do and what few others would do: He died for us (Romans 5:7). God, in all of His power and glory, stooped to our level so that we could be raised up to His (Ephesians 2:6). That, my friend, is amazing love.

“A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.”

          -Proverbs 15:13

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Q: Which Old Testament character was known for having a foul mouth at a young age?

A: Job - He cursed the day he was born. (Job 3:1)

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Q: Where is baseball mentioned in the Bible?

A: - In the big inning (Genesis 1:1)
    - Genesis 3:6- Eve stole first and Adam stole second
    - Numbers 11:32 "Ten homers"

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Q: What man in the Bible had no parents?

A: Joshua, the son of Nun

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Q: If Moses were alive today, why would he be considered a remarkable man?

A: Because he would be several thousand years old.

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Q: How do we know that Job went to a chiropractor?

A: Because of Job 16:12, "I was at ease, but he hath broken me asunder: he hath also taken me by my neck, and shaken me to pieces…”

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Q: What excuse did Adam give to his children as to why he no longer lived in Eden?

A: Your mother ate us out of house and home.

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Q. Who was the greatest female financier in the Bible?

A. Pharaoh’s daughter. She went down to the bank of the Nile and drew out a little prophet.

“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.”

               -Proverbs 4:23

The choices you make on a day-to-day basis are always influenced to some extent by the condition of your heart. As Solomon reminded us in this wonderful passage of Scripture, the issues of life that require any kind of decision making at all will be affected by whether or not our heart is in its proper place, and it thus behooves each of us to guard it above all else with diligence.

So how does one actually go about guarding their heart? Well, the first step is in realizing that your own efforts simply won’t be enough and relying completely on God to do what you cannot. Ask Him to remove what does not belong and to “set a watch” on the doors of your lips and heart to keep them pure (Psalm 141:3), while always being careful to obey the exhortation of 2 Corinthians 10:5 by “bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.” When we make His will and His holiness and His blood the only filters of our heart, we can then rest fully in the promise of Matthew 5:8: “Blessed are the pure in heart; for they shall see God.”

“A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.”

               -Ezekiel 36:26

Once we see the human heart as it truly is, salvation by works will appear to us precisely as it appears to God: impossible. We can do nothing to save ourselves, but instead must put our faith fully in Christ and His atoning sacrifice in order to obtain redemption. It is only then that the blackness of our heart can be washed white as snow, and the righteousness we seek be imputed to our account (Isaiah 1:18; II Corinthians 5:21).

“Jesus saith unto them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the brim.
And he saith unto them, Draw out now, and bear unto the governor of the feast. And they bare it.
When the ruler of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was: (but the servants which drew the water knew;) the governor of the feast called the bridegroom,”

                       -John 2:7-9

Read the Bible, and one of the first things you’ll notice is that God rarely chooses the rich and renowned to accomplish His purpose here on earth (1 Corinthians 1:26-29). Instead we find story after story of our Lord using people that were considered by everyone else to be under par, and yet through them doing things so great that only He can receive the glory for it. He used David, the youngest of his family and a mere shepherd boy at the time, to defeat Goliath and become the greatest king Israel would ever know (I Samuel 16-17). Joseph, despised and rejected by his brothers, became the only one who could save the people of Egypt and even his own family for a terrible 7-year famine (Genesis 37-41), and a young boy with only a basketful of food had all the faith necessary to provide thousands of people with a meal in the wilderness (John 6). God doesn’t look for people who can offer Him the most, but for those to Whom He can offer the most.

Just like the people we read about in today’s Scripture, oftentimes what we’re able to offer God personally seems so insignificant when contrasted with the enormous task at hand that we wonder how God could possibly use us to accomplish anything. We feel so unworthy, and yet fail to realize that it’s faithfulness and humility God seeks in His servants – not power and prestige, or the ability to handle things on our own (I Corinthians 4:2; I Peter 5:5). As it has been often said, God doesn’t call the qualified; He qualifies the called.

“Then he answered and spake unto me, saying, This is the word of the LORD unto Zerubbabel, saying, Not by might, nor by power, but by My spirit, saith the LORD of hosts.”

                    -Zechariah 4:6

Maybe God has placed a calling on your life that seems far beyond your perceived capabilities. Like Moses did so many times when leading God’s people out of Egypt and into the Land of Promise, perhaps you feel completely overwhelmed by your questions and uncertainties while wondering if and how you’ll ever measure up to what it is you’re being asked to do. If so, just remember that it’s not your place to provide the miracle. All you must do is open yourself up completely to God and them watch Him make a miracle out of your vessel full of ordinary.

“And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.
And He was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake Him, and say unto Him, Master, carest Thou not that we perish?
And He arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.
And He said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”

                                                      -Mark 4:37-40

For someone who writes as much as I do, if I’m going to be honest I must admit that it doesn’t come easily to me at all. Sometimes I can sit down at this desk and pour my heart out to you guys in a matter of only 30 minutes or so, while there’s other times – like this one – when God lays something so heavily on my heart that I just can’t find any words to express it. I don’t know why, but I feel more so than ever before that this post is meant for somebody who really needs to be reminded of God’s faithfulness.

With more than 300 followers, I think it’s safe to assume there’s at least a few of you going through the worst moments of your life. Some of you just lost your best friend to death, or your parent to divorce. Maybe faith has been close to your heart, and yet peace far from your mind as you wonder if that loved one will ever be saved, that prayer ever answered, or that need ever met. The promises of God are there for you in big, red letters, but perhaps it seems more as if they are mere words on a page than something written to bring you the individual blessing you so desperately need.

“I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

                                                  -Philippians 4:13

Wherever you are in life, know that it’s the same Jesus Who walked on water that offers His everlasting presence and protection to you today. It’s the very same Lord Who turned water into wine that can turn your curse into a blessing (Deuteronomy 23:5), and the One who raised Lazarus from the grave longs to resurrect the shattered pieces of your broken heart (Psalm 34:18). His grace is sufficient to supply all your needs, and it is only through our own weakness that His strength is made perfect (Philippians 4:19; 2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

In Psalm 46:1, God is described as “our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Like a modern-day storm shelter built to protect us from the physical elements of nature, our God is One Who provides us with a spiritual shelter when trials come even though the storms themself often continue to rage around us. He doesn’t speak peace to every wind that blows our way, but offers His continued presence and protection even during the most difficult of circumstances (Matthew 28:20).

"Blessed is the man that endureth temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love Him."

                                                       -James 1:12

Trials, believe it or not, are some of the most important moments of our life according to Scripture. If our faith was never tested, how would it grow? If our hope remained unchallenged, how would we ever know it to be real? Even the crown of life promised to those who love the Lord is, as James wrote, something that only trials allow us to obtain. Of course we shouldn’t go around looking for valleys to walk through, but, when we do find ourselves in one, we should realize that it was sent our way to bring about patience and completeness in our walk with God, and continue to praise Him for Who He is (James 1:2-4). After all, God wouldn’t have reminded us through His Word to praise Him as many times as He did if it were always an easy thing to do (I Thessalonians 5:18).

Perhaps lately it seems as if the “valley of the shadow of death” has become your permanent home (Psalm 23:4). The rain won’t stop pouring, and it feels as though this trial will never end. Don’t worry; it will. God will one day wipe away all tears from the eyes of His children, and there will be no more death, sorrow, pain, or crying (Revelation 21:4). In the meantime, though, let us learn to cast all of our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7); He cares for us more than we’ll ever know.

“Behold that which I have seen: it is good and comely for one to eat and to drink, and to enjoy the good of all his labour that he taketh under the sun all the days of his life, which God giveth him: for it is his portion. ”

                                                 -Ecclesiastes 5:18

This time of year is always one of the most busy seasons of life around our home. The grass is growing and needs cut; the flowers are blooming and need weeded; the weather’s nice, and you can’t help but notice that the shed could really use a fresh coat of paint. All of a sudden the days of hot chocolate and sled rides come to an end, and we quickly come to the realization that there’s about a million and one things we did last spring that somehow came undone over the winter months. With toolbox in hand, we thus set out to rid ourselves of any degree of spring fever while silently hope we don’t kill ourselves in the process.

Of course there’s nothing at all wrong with some good, hard work. In fact, Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 2:24 that “there is nothing better for a man, than that he should eat and drink, and that he should make his soul enjoy good in his labour.”  The problem we must avoid, however, is in allowing our ever-growing list of things to do distract us from that which is truly important in life (see my last post). Even though most spring chores usually can’t be postponed for very long at a time, I truly believe these moments are some of the best for intimate fellowship with God since it is in these moments that our true character really begins to shine through. Once we learn to walk with God while tilling the garden, it won’t be so hard to walk with Him through the valleys of this life.

“Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.”

                                                   -Ecclesiastes 9:10

What will you be doing tomorrow? Cutting the grass? Then sing songs of praise to the Lord (Ephesians 5:19). Raking the leaves? Then meditate on God’s Word or talk to Him in prayer (Psalm 1:2; 1 Thessalonians 5:17). Whatever we do we are commanded to all to the glory of God (Colossians 3:23), and there’s few better ways to do this than in acknowledging you can’t go a minute without Him by your side. It is only then that we can experience the fullness of joy His presence brings (Psalm 16:11).