Do you love anyone?
Work with me on this. Take a moment right now and visualize in your mind’s eye the person’s face that you love the most in life. Perhaps it’s your mom or dad, or a son or daughter, or your spouse or friend; regardless, just choose the person that means the most to you and that you love with all of your heart and focus.
Now ask yourself, what would I do for them?
Most would answer that for those whom we love the most, we would do anything within our power. We want to protect and cherish those we love and we want to shower them with love and all the good things in life.
When I initially read the Bible I came to a part that said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”. I furiously threw it down on the bed, because I didn’t believe that anything could ever change my wicked life, and in particular, ever get me off intravenous drugs. It was just “impossible”.
When I confronted my friend and nurse Lydia with this verse and angrily told her the Bible was just a damnable lie, she just as angrily told me, “Jesus is God and He can do anything He wants”.
Her faith made me think about the power of God to do anything He wants and I came to the conclusion that Lydia was right. A God powerful enough to speak the world into existence and who created me in the first place could surely change me by taking away addictions, softening my bitter spirit, or anything else, and I was suddenly filled with hope for the first time in my life.
There is no problem too big for the Lord to help us resolve, and today I firmly believe that.
Now stop and rest for a moment like I did so many years ago and think about the fact that God’s love for us is far more intense than our own, and in fact surpasses any love that we can even imagine. (His visit to the cross was an ample demonstration of what I’m talking about.)
Now consider that He also possesses virtually limitless power that enables Him to do anything and everything that He wants. Any time of day or night, without a moment’s hesitation or notice He can open the floodgates and shower blessings innumerable upon those that He loves (without even working up a sweat).
Meditate on this: Is there anything God can’t do?
The Bible gives us plenty of examples of His power. It recorded His silencing a raging storm merely be telling it to calm down already; we are told of His healing of the lame and sick, including lepers, giving sight to the blind, walking on water, raising the dead, being resurrected, and even ascending into heaven. But that’s not the half of it, if you really want to get an inkling of the awesome power that God possesses, just read Genesis!
Hmmm…Okay God loves us more than we can imagine and He is also powerful far beyond whatever our limited intellects can grasp.
When I thought about this, the question arose in my mind, “Well yeah, He undoubtedly has the power to do anything He wants as Lydia proclaimed, but why would He bother? Especially when one considers that I’m just a scummy drug addict, drunk, and violent criminal”.
What I learned from the Bible (that drew me the closest to my God), is that He is merciful and loves every single one of us with that powerful love that we cannot even conceive. He wants us all to succeed and doesn’t want anyone to fail, (or especially to perish). God does not look at us as we are, rather He looks far beyond our current state in life; He looks at what we can “become” through the strength of Christ. He very much wants to provide for us, but we must have faith and “invite” Him to do so.
And this applies to everyone. Contrary to our “great society”, God is full of love and compassion for every single one of us. He is not condescending, nor judgmental even of sinners; (in His own words He said He didn’t come to judge or condemn the world, rather to save it).
The world loves the beautiful people, the tall, dark, and handsome, those talented athletes, and celebrities, the articulate, brilliant, successful, winners that have become idols of this world.
God loves them too, but He also loves those who are despised and disparaged by society; the losers and underdogs, the downtrodden, the sick, the poor, the disabled, the short, fat, and ugly, the ill tempered, the obnoxious, the pimple headed, the disabled, the weak, the black, the brown, the yellow, and the whites, and outcasts that people cross the street to avoid.
Oh how I wish “religious” people and those who claim to represent Christ, (but act like anything but His disciples), could look at others with the same love that Jesus looks at us and have compassion on them instead of condescending hatred.
If so, the world would experience and enjoy revival overnight.
God does not see long hairs and bums, drunks and druggies, adulterers and cheats, liars, or even murderers, but the fruitful, peaceful, sons and daughters and followers of Christ that they will become after being exposed to His saving grace that is free to one and all.
The world is often amazed by dramatic transformations and turnarounds of lives, but shouldn’t be. As Lydia said, “God can do anything He wants!”
I can honestly say that I don’t understand why God loves us the way He does, and I don’t understand how He came into being and is so powerful. In fact I’m so stupid that it’s an insult to stupidity to describe how stupid I am in this regard, but I do know it’s true. I may not understand God or His grace, but I’m saved by it, and I praise God for His love. It obviously knows no bounds and this wicked sinner’s rescue is just another proof in that regard.
It is His victory and not mine that I am where I am today and I’m exceedingly happy that He “holds me up”, because without Him even for a second I would surely fall… If you don’t have Him holding you up, then ask Him to come into your heart and life today. Once you have done so, don’t take your eyes off Him, (even for a second), and have FAITH that He will honor His word and bless your life…
Isaiah 41:10
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.