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Is your heart broken over the things that break God’s heart? Do you care about the people He cares about? It is entirely possible to go to church, sing the songs, serve in a ministry, put money in the offering plate… and yet have a heart that is miles away from God. If you find yourself just going through the motions, begin asking God to break your heart for the things that break His heart. When that truly happens, your life will never be the same!
When Jonah rebelled against God and got thrown overboard into the ocean, God would have had every right to let him drown. But once again we see the gracious heart of God in Jonah 3:1 – The word of the Lord came to Jonah a SECOND TIME. Where would any of us be right now if we had not been given a second chance by God? His mercy and patience are astounding. But the question is, what have we done with the second chances God has given us? Are we using them to live for ourselves or to live out His mission?
Jonah’s rebellion ended up getting him thrown into the sea to drown, and in reality, he was getting exactly what he deserved. But once again we see the loving heart of God; that His grace is bigger than our failures. God sent a great fish to swallow Jonah, and although Jonah thought that fish was going to be the death of him, it turned out to be the very thing God used to rescue him. What “fish” is in your life right now that you think is going to be the death of you? That may be the very thing God will use to rescue you!
If you were in debt for a billion dollars, imagine how grateful you would feel if someone paid it for you, especially if you had done nothing to deserve such kindness! The truth is, that debt is small compared to the debt we really do owe. Our sin has put us under a debt we can never pay, but because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, all who trust Him by faith will be forgiven! Has the magnitude of just how much you’ve been forgiven of ever dawned upon you?
The power that parents have to shape and influence their children for a lifetime is astounding. While our parents pass down many good things to us, they also pass down a certain amount of baggage, which, if not dealt with, will be carried through our entire life and passed on to our children. Are there any hurts or destructive patterns you are still carrying through life? Jesus invites you to lay that baggage down at the cross and find the strength to be the agent of change for your family.
Where would your life be right now without Jesus? The fact is, you would be wallowing in sin, and you would be faced with a debt you could never pay. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid the debt for our sin and saved us from the wrath of God that was coming upon us. We did absolutely nothing to deserve this… that’s why it’s called Grace! Do we really understand all that God’s grace has brought to us? It truly is amazing grace!
Many people have tried to define the word Grace, but the greatest definition of grace is when Jesus took our sins upon himself and died on the cross in our place. He became sin for us, so that we might receive His righteousness. He willingly took our punishment and suffered God’s wrath for us. There is no greater picture of grace. When is the last time you remembered and gave thanks for all that Jesus endured and accomplished on the cross for you?
No matter how righteously we live or how devoted to God we are, evil, injustice, and betrayal will happen to all of us sooner or later. The question is: how do we as followers of Christ respond to the evil aimed at us? We can choose to hold onto the rocks of revenge and carry them through life… or we can choose to let them go and forgive as Christ has forgiven us. Who has wounded you, abandoned you, or betrayed you so badly that you’ve never been able to let it go? God is inviting you to come to the cross and lay your rocks down.
Failure to see our past through God’s eyes can be crippling to our future. Sins and hurts from years gone by often continue to haunt us, making us doubt whether God has really forgiven us. But what we must understand is that God sees our past differently than we do because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. It is vitally important that we learn to see our past as God does, or it will keep us from a life of effectiveness for Him.
It’s easy for discouragement to set in after we have failed the Lord in some way. Peter understood this all too well after denying Jesus, and he was ready to quit and return to his fishing business. But he learned that, despite his sin, Jesus was not finished with him… in fact, Jesus had an important mission for him to help lead the early church. Whatever you may have done to get off track, you need to know one thing: No failure is final with God! He is waiting to restore you right now.
Have you ever felt disappointed in yourself because you let someone down? Even worse, have you ever felt the bitter sting of knowing that you let Jesus down? Peter experienced this when he denied Jesus three times… but thankfully that was not the end of the story. Jesus restored Peter and assured him that no failure is final with God! Whatever failures you have experienced, Jesus is waiting to help you rise from the ashes and find hope in Him once again.
When we’re young, we all have dreams of how our life will turn out, but as time goes by, life looks very different than we ever imagined. Hardships and struggles set in, and often our own sinful choices leave our life tattered and torn. All our best efforts to fix it on our own leave us frustrated. It is only through an encounter with Jesus Christ that our old life can be transformed and exchanged for the brand new life that He offers to us. Have you had an encounter with Jesus?
