"Waiting for You"
Jan. 18, 2019
The Lord is not slow to fulfill His promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.
~ 2 Peter 3:9 (ESV)
Repentance.
No matter what potential for good you see in yourself and in the world, you are irrevocably messed up. No matter how hard you try, you are destined to fail on your own, and just trying is not good enough. The God who made you and loves you desires perfection. When Adam and Eve messed up in the garden, bringing evil into the world, they earned the death sentence for you, for me, for all of us.
The apostle Paul in Romans 5:12 puts it this way: "Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned."
That's about as grim as it gets, but it doesn't stop there—with us fading to black, that is.
You see, God loved us so much He immediately put into place a promise to substitute His own Son Jesus, who was perfect (see Genesis 3:15). That promise was fulfilled 2,000 years ago when Jesus, born in Bethlehem, lived a life as both God and Man and died on a cross for our sins, outside of Jerusalem. He was then raised from the dead on the third day and now reigns at the right hand of God the Father.
So, by the grace of God, there is a way out of the situation we find ourselves in due to sin. It's available to all, and it can be received as simply as accepting a gift—because, in fact, that's just what it is. Here's Paul again, Romans 5:15, "But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of one man, how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one Man Jesus Christ, how much more did it overflow to the many?"
And what is it about this one Man, this Jesus Christ, that's such a big deal? It is this: Jesus is here for you, as opposed to you being here for some god. It's that simple. It's not about your actions upward toward some higher power, earning favor or achieving enlightenment. It's about Jesus' action downward, the Son of God giving His own life for you so that you could receive His peace for today's ups and down and, more importantly, life with Him forever.
So, how are you doing in the all-important issue of Jesus? Angry, happy, full of questions? You can talk to Him, you know. Use your own words. Nothing fancy is required. He's there. He's here, listening. He's waiting for you.
THE PRAYER: Heavenly Father, it's all about Your Son and how His life—given on the cross, resurrected by Your command—He has the power to transform us, me, through the gift of faith. Thank You for Jesus, Your inexpressible Gift. In His Name. Amen.
This Daily Devotion is adapted from a booklet written by Tara Mulder, Here: You Are Here in God's Plan. Use these devotions in your newsletter and bulletin! Used by permission; all rights reserved by the Int'l LLL (LHM).
No matter what potential for good you see in yourself and in the world, you are irrevocably messed up.
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