God’s Undeniable Gift.
Having given my whole life unto my blessed Savior, I find it fitting that I now share His goodness and long-suffering with those who want to hear. There is nothing I could ever do to gain His favor or return to Him a portion of what He has willingly given me. With His assistance, I would like to tell the world what He is to me and stress the importance of having Him as the Savior of my soul. In a lost and dying world, He can be the only answer, and before He takes me to my heavenly home, I would like to share His goodness and mercy with those who are in doubt and are searching for the truth of His Word. I know deep within my heart that I could never measure up to His example for my life, but lately, He has given me a passion for His Word and a willingness to share it with all those around me. I have no desire to speak about myself other than to talk about the greatest love I have ever known. It has never been about man; it has always been about God. Even though God has given man dominion over the earth, it was never intended that man forget Him and all the many blessings He has provided. God, in His infinite mercy, has given us everything, including His only Son. To deny His truth and refuse His mercy is reckless when He has been so willing to share with us the highest treasures of heaven. Man can never match the endless love of a dying Savior. Man can never rid this world of His influence.
As I go through each day, I am made more and more aware of how much we have dismissed God and all He has done for us through the blood of His beloved Son, Jesus. How could anyone forget such a loving Savior? How could they refuse such an awesome gift? I am saddened when I think so many are not willing to accept His forgiveness; but, when I see where that refusal is taking them, I am made to fear. What is so important or so precious that we would trade it for having eternal life with our blessed Creator? I have trouble believing that anyone would want to go to hell, but I know by their indifference that that is where they are headed. Opinions, beliefs, ideologies, religions, and outright lies have been used to mask the true Word of God. Many have chosen to believe things that are not spiritually profitable. As I stop and ponder, I ask myself how views could have gotten so perverse and distorted, but in my spirit, I know the truth. This world is evil and is not my friend. Satan is out to destroy everything that God created good and righteous, especially His most precious creation: man. He will stop at nothing until he has placed us all with him in that bottomless pit. Knowing that we have a blessed Savior, I must also acknowledge that we have an enemy, Satan. If we are to have any chance of a righteous life here on this earth, we must not allow him to rule over our lives or to destroy those values, which God has established to teach and guide us. God truly loves His creation, and He will not let anything or anyone destroy what He so loves (John 10:10). He came to give us an abundant life and to secure us a home with Him, but He has made that possibility of life with Him contingent upon our choosing Him.
It’s painful to imagine the great distance that sin had caused between God, the Creator, and man, His beloved creation. How it must grieve God that He cannot wrap His arms around us and draw us back into His ever-present love. The enormous desire to redeem His children, was only defined by His willingness to sacrifice His only Son for our salvation. Could it have been that God knew His Son would live forever and man would die without a Savior? No matter what, God dearly loved His Son and would not have offered Him up if there had been any other way. No matter what we choose to believe, the sacrifice that God chose to provide for us is and will always remain the ultimate gift. It really doesn’t matter whether or not we choose to believe that God willingly died for us. The fact that He did will never be altered by our disbelief. The only reality that can be achieved by our skepticism, is that we will not be forgiven, and will be forbidden a place in heaven. We do not deserve forgiveness, but He offers it freely. All we must do to have His forgiveness is humble ourselves and ask for it. Jesus is the only way to close the gulf between God and man. It can never be filled any other way. The love that Jesus had for His Father, would motivate Him to do as His Father required. God gave Satan, the enemy, free range over the earth, but even he is under God’s watchful gaze. This world does not belong to man; it belongs to its creator: God. To suggest that God is dead or that he never existed is sheer folly. To presume our existence as accidental is insanity. God does not demand that we love Him, but it is only rational and wise that we do (Luke 18:27). While man can do so little, God can do so much. It is inconceivable to man, that an all-powerful God would put up with the indignity of an unworthy generation, and so we go on devising ridiculous imaginations to explain away His marvelous reality. God is not dead, but if it were not for His miraculous love, we all would be. God will not be de-toured by the foolishness of man. He set this world on a path that will take it to His inevitable conclusion. Life on earth is not endless. We do not have control over the many things of God. In His ardent love, God might have surrendered the life of His Son, but He will not give up his total omniscience. To suggest that man and God are equal, is to be completely un-aware of His awesome power, and to be totally void of all intellect.
Everything in this life will have a beginning and an end, but God is One who has always been and will always be. The truth is not determined by opinion, nor will men’s final state be a resolution of their own making. The enemy, in his vigor to overthrow God, was defeated and cast out of heaven, to one day be doomed for eternity in hell (Isaiah 14:12-17). How can we presume ourselves to be more powerful than he, the prince of darkness? What God has done for us does not solicit our indignation, but demands our love. God’s intent was never to be our enemy, but our friend; His purpose was not to withhold His blessings, but to meet our needs. The goodness of God is unrivaled, while the forgiveness of God is unimpaired. To be complete, man must have the love of God abiding within his body, soul, and spirit. The love of God is what gives us the hope of a blessed future, the joy of a better day, and a mansion forever with Him. To compare the things of this present world with the things of a brighter home with Him, is to compare an indigent with a billionaire. It is past time that we take stock in the goodness of God and allow Him to take the proper place in our lives. We must be prepared. We must be about doing the Master’s business. As He rules upon the throne of heaven, so should He reign upon the throne of our lives. His soon return is eminent. His kingship is forever secure. We must choose to follow or we will be condemned; we must not delay, for today is the day of our salvation. This day is the time for our deliverance.
For everything there is a price. Jesus gave His life so that I could live. He willingly paid the price so that I may forever take my seat in His kingdom. He offers me the gift of life as a free gift, but I must not only be willing to accept His gift; I must be willing to follow Him. So many consider this a steep price to pay; but giving up my sins for the promise of eternal peace is not, in my mind, too expensive a price to pay. There are many things that are hard to explain or express. Feelings or emotions are not best expressed with words, but can only be truly felt to their fullest by being personally experienced. I can tell you how something wonderful makes me feel, but until you are ready to experience it for yourself, you cannot really be made to completely understand. I cannot experience it for you. If I did, it would cease to be personal and fulfilling. There are some things that are special when they are yours and yours alone. Once you own them, you can then share them with others. So many of the most wonderful things in life must be experienced personally. While there is really nothing that we encounter totally on our own when we have Jesus by our side, we must choose to accept Him, and serve Him personally and privately. Choices are personal decisions that we make on our own. You may be provoked or prompted into doing something, but the decision to do so is yours alone. When you choose to serve Jesus, you feel a joy unlike any joy you have ever known. There is nothing in this world that can give you peace like the peace that He gives. When the problems and difficulties of this world become too heavy to bear, there is no one that can carry your burdens like He can. He has a solution for every problem, and an answer for every need. There is nothing that He cannot solve. There is no burden that He will not bear. He would like to give Himself to you, but you must choose Him for yourself. He has made Himself available. I can tell you that you will not be disappointed. Experiencing Him for myself, I know that He can and will do all that He has promised you. Now is your time to choose. Now is your time to experience His fullness and rest. GLH