Day 155: It Can't All Be for Nothing

John 3:16

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

When I think of the Gospel and the measures God took for us to have life, I am reminded of how much He loves us. I am reminded that He wants a relationship with us so bad that He went through the trouble of seeing His own son persecuted on our behalf. He turned His back on His child so that we can live a life free of sin, so that we may have a relationship with Him. But also that we may have eternal life when our life here on earth is over. Today I want to talk about the importance of our life here on earth. God took a lot of drastic measures to assure that we can have a life full of freedom and purpose. That we may live an abundant life, here on earth.

I’ve heard pastor’s say that our life on earth doesn’t matter because we have a life that will be spent in eternity with God. With all due respect, I must disagree, it is how we live our life on earth that will determine if we get to spend eternity with God. Secondly, if our lives on earth weren’t that important why did God send His Son to die for the sins of humanity so that we didn’t have to. He could have let our sin kill us, but He didn’t He decided to save us and give us a straight connection to Him.

From the beginning of time, God has meant for us to have purpose and life here on Earth. From the creation, one thing I notice is that He created man last as if He was preparing the earth for man. Providing them with means of food, water, and work. Then when He created man, He gave them dominion over the earth. He then blew the breath of life into him, He blew breath into the nostrils of Adam and it is with that breath that we live and breathe today. We are living on the borrowed breath of God.

Now let’s fast forward to the Gospel. The coming of Jesus had been prophesied long before He was born. The moment Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the forbidden tree, man was disconnected from God, and from that moment on God was in constant pursuit of our hearts. God went through precise, complicated, and detailed steps in order to secure a relationship with us.

Jesus was born of a virgin Mary. Now Jesus could have come through a divine cloud, hailing righteousness on all man. But that is not how it went down, Jesus came to earth as a man, He was born of a woman, conceived by the Holy Spirit. So He was fully man while also being fully God. Jesus experienced life as a child, a teenager, and a man. He started His ministry at the age of 30. Jesus would then go on preaching and healing people. Then Jesus would be betrayed by one of His own and suffers the worst death known to man. Jesus suffered the death we should have gotten. He came and took on our sin, and died with it. Then three days later He resurrected without it. Jesus became sin in order to defeat it, and God would have to turn His back on His own Son because God cannot come in contact with sin. Which is why in our sin we are disconnected from God. But Jesus suffered and gave up His life so that we could be free. He even took on the sin of those who persecuted Him.

All this to say, It can’t all be for nothing. Jesus didn’t come and die for nothing. God didn’t go through the drastic measures of sending His son to live and die for nothing. When I think of the Gospel, I think of the life God has destined for us to live. I think of the message and hope He sent us through Jesus Christ. We cannot go through life being so focused on heaven that we are no good to the earth. While we’re here God has given us a purpose, He gave us this life for a reason. He sent His son for a reason. He wouldn’t go through all of that for nothing. Don’t throw it all away. We have a purpose here on this earth, God wants us here for a reason. It can’t be for nothing.

Response/Prayer Time

Take the time to think about all God went through so that we may have a relationship with Him. Think about the importance of your life here on earth. Pray however you feel led.

I love you, I hope you have an amazing day or weekend. Be sure to share this with someone and come back tomorrow for Day 156!

Day 101: My Soul Thirsts For You

Psalms 63:1-5

O God, you are my God; I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you; my whole body longs for you

in this parched and weary land where there is no water. I have seen you in your sanctuary and gazed upon your power and glory. Your unfailing love is better than life itself; how I praise you! I will praise you as long as I live, lifting up my hands to you in prayer. You satisfy me more than the richest feast. I will praise you with songs of joy.

God is more than anything we could ever want or need. He is better than this life itself, when we imagine the greatest thing in the world God is greater and better. God is just awesome all together. We serve a beautiful and unfailing God.

David starts off this Psalm by saying, “I earnestly search for you, my soul thirsts for you”. My soul wants more than a parched land needs water. Our souls search for God like a dry mouth searches for water. There is a thirst in all of our souls that only God can quench, and He continues to quench everyday of our lives. I’m pretty sure we have all been thirsty before, my favorite is waking up at about three in the morning and having your body beg for a glass of water. And there is nothing more satisfying in that moment than feeling the cold water go down your chest, especially on a hot day when you’re parched and nearly dehydrated. That’s how our souls are for the Lord, no matter what we try to do there is always a thirst there for the Lord, and there is nothing greater than God quenching that thirst in our spirits, nothing better. Our souls need it, but we search for it, we go after God because we know He is the only one who can quench the thirst within us. When we don’t chase after him our spirits get dry and dehydrated. We cannot let our spirits remain dry, we have to keep them hydrated, and that specific source of hydration come from our Lord and Savior. David goes on to say, “My whole body longs for you.” Every part of my being longs to be with and near God. Every part of us wants to be near God, all of us wants all of Him, (props to John Legend for that one).

David is in awe of God, He says “I’ve seen you in your sanctuary”, the message version says, ‘In the place of worship’. But David says “I gaze upon your power and glory.” David is in awe of the magnificent power and glory of God. Then he says this, he says, “Your unfailing love is better than life itself.” What?!?!? Yes, better than life itself, who knew that there could be something greater than this life. There is, there is something, someone so much greater. That someone is God and that something is His unfailing love. God’s love stretches far beyond the capacity of our minds and the time limit of our lives. It is eternal and it is unfailing. In life there are failures, there are let downs, there a disappointments. But what makes God so much greater than this life is that He is unfailing, there is not letdowns and disappointments within Him. He is greater than it all. He surpasses the limits of life. For this reason we will praise Him all the days of our lives, we will lift Him up. He is more than worthy of all the honor and all the praise.  He satisfies our every need. There is nothing more satisfying than the satisfaction we find in our Lord. God is everything we need.

Reflection/Prayer Time

Take the time to read and reflect on today’s passage and lift your heart in worship to Him. recognize your need for Him and honor His great unfailing love.

I love you, and I hope you have an amazing day or evening. Share this with someone and make sure you come back tomorrow for day 102!