Monthly Archives: January 2022

The God Who Sees

23 Jan

When I got to work last Tuesday I found a picture of Jesus with the words “I saw that!” taped to my desk. I laughed, because I knew right away who the culprit was. It had to be Jennifer, our receptionist, who loves to play pranks on people. It’s part of why we love her.

Thinking about it later, I realized those words, “I saw that!” were very true. God does see everything we do. That’s why Paul said in Hebrews 4:13, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

This fact scares a lot of people. Their image of God is a lot like the above picture. They see God as constantly watching them, waiting for them to mess up. When they do blow it they imagine Him wagging a finger in their face and shouting, “I saw that! Now you’re going to get it!”

The problem is, this isn’t how God is at all. Yes, He does see all our sins and mistakes and there will come a day when “He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of the heart.” (1 Corinthians 4:5). When we sin God does say, “I saw that!”, but then He adds, “…but I love you anyway!”

That is the Good News! This same God who knows all and sees all also loves us all! In fact, “God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16). And the amazing thing is, He didn’t wait till we deserved to be saved to save us, but “While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8).

This morning, don’t be afraid because our God is “the God who sees…” (Genesis 16:13). Instead, rejoice, because this same God also loves you with “an everlasting love” and is constantly drawing you to Him with “unfailing kindness.” (Jeremiah 31:3). He promises “whoever comes to me I will never drive away.” (John 6:37).

My friend, don’t wait a moment longer. Come to Him today. Don’t be afraid. Remember,

He’s the God who sees – and loves you anyway!

One Shoveful at a Time

9 Jan

Looking out my front door this last Thursday morning, I was tempted to just go back to bed and wait for spring. Twenty-four inches of white stuff had fallen during the night and it was still snowing. Where our cars had been there were now just two big white mounds. We were snowbound!

I groaned when I thought about the task ahead. The snow was too deep for our small snowblower to handle, so most of it would have to be cleared by hand. Shoveling out our driveway was going to take hours! The job seemed to be more than I could handle, but there was no way around it. Bundling up against the cold, I grabbed my shovel and plunged into the snow.

My brother-in-law pitched in, but, even with his help, it was slow going. The snow was up to our waists in places, but we kept slogging forward, shoveling our way towards the road. Three hours later the driveway was finally clear. How had we done it? One shovelful at a time!

Life is a lot like that. Often God gives us tasks which seem impossible. We shrink back from what lies ahead, overwhelmed by the enormity of what God is asking us to do. We’re tempted to just give up, but instead God tells us to keep going, to take up our cross daily and follow him. (Luke 9:23). He says to keep shoveling, trusting Him to give us the strength for the task, remembering “with God everything is possible.” (Matthew 19:26 NLT)

Are the drifts piled up pretty high in your life today? Does what God is challenging you to do in this New Year seem more than you can handle? Good, because now you realize you can’t do it on your own, anymore than I could have cleared the driveway without Danny’s help.

Remember “God’s weakness is stronger than the greatest of human strength.” (1 Corinthians 1:25). No matter how high the drifts, no matter how hard the way ahead, with Him by your side, you cannot fail. So grab your shovel and get to work. He will give you the strength to succeed – one shovelful at a time.

A Fresh Start

1 Jan

Today is one of my favorite days of the year. There’s just something about it, the idea that one year is over and a new one has begun. It feels like a fresh start, a new beginning, a chance to wipe the slate clean and begin again. As Paul said, “old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (1 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV).

No matter what mistakes I made in the last year, no matter how badly I blew it, that is all in the past. Now, “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:13, 14).

How about you? Are you ready to start again, to put the past behind you with all its mistakes and disappointments and begin again? You can, you know. As it says in the first part of 1 Corinthians 5:17, “if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation…”

No matter how bad we messed up in 2021 we can begin again. 1 John 1:9 promises, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

When you accept Jesus as your Savior and in repentance come to Him, God gives you a new start, a clean slate. He “blots out your transgressions” and “will not remember your sins.” (Isaiah 43:25). You get a new beginning!

The wonderful thing is He doesn’t just do this one day a year. Every day can be a new beginning, because the Lord’s “compassions fail not. They are new every morning…” (Lamentations 3:22, 23). Even if we mess up again tomorrow (or later today) we can begin again. Our Heavenly Father will never turn us away if we will just return to Him.

So, let’s start 2022 out right. Today let’s make a new beginning, make a fresh start. Let’s put the past behind us and invite Jesus into our hearts!

God bless and have a Happy New Year!

PS:

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