It really should come as no surprise, Father, but Your love and grace never cease to amaze me! A hymn I grew up with popped in my head when I first sat down.
“Such love, such wondrous love!
That God should love a sinner such as I –
How wonderful is love like this!” – C. Bishop, 1929
“God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love – not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.” 1 John 4:9-10
Lord, first of all thank You… Thank You for loving me even before there was a day one! (Ephesians 1:4) Thank You for your sacrifice for me… for all of us. Thank You for Your faithfulness to me even when I am unfaithful. I am overwhelmed by Your “real love”.
I think one of things that beats us down is thinking that we are the only failures in Your kingdom. Looking out over the vast sea of faces of fellow pastors, and leaders in the church – over individuals that just seem so “saintly,” it becomes very daunting.
No matter how overwhelming those thoughts might be, in reality they are not true. We – every single one of us– are all sinners. None of us are perfect. You are the only one who is perfect. And even though we may feel like the ugly stepchild in the family of God none of us were “naturally” born into Your family. We are here not because we are better than anyone else but solely, entirely, exclusively because You…loved…us! Help me, Lord, to remember this. Burden my heart and mind with the burning desire to draw closer to You each and every day!
Dec 20th, Sun, 6:43 am
