Sometimes there is hard...
Illustration
Object:
Sometimes there is hard service we are asked to perform for our sins. We have a girl who is completing her prison term and has learned her lesson, so we speak tenderly to her. When we look back on our lives we often see that God has put us through painful experiences from which to learn.
Some don't like to get something for nothing. They are too proud. God tells us that the forgiveness of our sins is not for nothing. It cost a great deal. It is because God is the one who has paid for our sin at great cost. We can't do it.
When we punish our children it is (or should be) out of love. We want them to grow up to be better people. God's punishment is also a sign of his love for us. We may pay for some of our sins by God's punishment to make us better people who he can be proud of. In this case the punishment was seventy years in captivity. But our sins were paid for by Jesus suffering on the cross.
Some of the obstacles to be conquered are pride and self-pity. They can keep us from full confession. Do we sometimes, even in church, look over and say to ourselves that our sins are not as bad as some of those others we see on Sunday or meet every day? We need to stop looking at other's sins. Others should see the change in us and see God at work conquering all the obstacles that we have placed there.
We must be aware that we are nothing and deserve nothing. We are like the grass that grows and fades. Only God can put meaning in our life. Only God is permanent. When my first book was published, I felt so important, but after a while the experience faded. I realized that God was the one who made it possible. The only thing that lasted was the word he gave to inspire me. When people commented on my book after reading it, they almost always chose words or passages that God had given me.
To make us men more humble, the Hebrew uses a feminine word for "you or thou." Maybe that implies we are Jesus' "bride" who should proclaim good tidings.
When I try to picture what heaven will be like and what the real estate will be like, it is pointless. Finally I begin to realize that the most important part of heaven to remember is that we will be wrapped in the arms of our shepherd. When we feel love, nothing else matters. No matter what I faced as a little child, the most important thing was to know that my parents loved me and that they were always there for me. When my wife and I moved to a new home, the most important thing for us was to still feel our love for each other. That is the rock we stand on.
Wherever we are in this world, Christ is the rock we stand on. We know his love is always with us.
Some don't like to get something for nothing. They are too proud. God tells us that the forgiveness of our sins is not for nothing. It cost a great deal. It is because God is the one who has paid for our sin at great cost. We can't do it.
When we punish our children it is (or should be) out of love. We want them to grow up to be better people. God's punishment is also a sign of his love for us. We may pay for some of our sins by God's punishment to make us better people who he can be proud of. In this case the punishment was seventy years in captivity. But our sins were paid for by Jesus suffering on the cross.
Some of the obstacles to be conquered are pride and self-pity. They can keep us from full confession. Do we sometimes, even in church, look over and say to ourselves that our sins are not as bad as some of those others we see on Sunday or meet every day? We need to stop looking at other's sins. Others should see the change in us and see God at work conquering all the obstacles that we have placed there.
We must be aware that we are nothing and deserve nothing. We are like the grass that grows and fades. Only God can put meaning in our life. Only God is permanent. When my first book was published, I felt so important, but after a while the experience faded. I realized that God was the one who made it possible. The only thing that lasted was the word he gave to inspire me. When people commented on my book after reading it, they almost always chose words or passages that God had given me.
To make us men more humble, the Hebrew uses a feminine word for "you or thou." Maybe that implies we are Jesus' "bride" who should proclaim good tidings.
When I try to picture what heaven will be like and what the real estate will be like, it is pointless. Finally I begin to realize that the most important part of heaven to remember is that we will be wrapped in the arms of our shepherd. When we feel love, nothing else matters. No matter what I faced as a little child, the most important thing was to know that my parents loved me and that they were always there for me. When my wife and I moved to a new home, the most important thing for us was to still feel our love for each other. That is the rock we stand on.
Wherever we are in this world, Christ is the rock we stand on. We know his love is always with us.
