Tag Archives: John 3:16

The everlasting Christmas gift of hope

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Everlasting Father

Everlasting. Eternal. Never changing. Forever the same.

 

Just as you and I like to take snapshots of our children when they are born, so the birth of baby Jesus is a snapshot in his life. But what is different about Jesus is that he has always existed. He was with God the Father when the worlds were created (and before). He lived on earth fully God and yet fully man. He lives forever, sitting at the right hand of His Heavenly Father, forever, for everlasting. This is the Jesus we worship at Christmas.

 

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.” Hebrews 13:8  God’s love endures forever.

 

The everlasting nature of Jesus conveys stability, confidence, trust. Life brings turmoil and trouble. It shakes us. We are tempted to worry and despair. But our foundation and our refuge and strength is everlasting. God doesn’t change. When something is everlasting we can depend on it, trust it. We don’t have any frame of reference for this on earth. I think of mountains as being everlasting, but even they are sometimes shaken and moved. Only the Everlasting Father is unchanging. In him we can safely and securely place our hope.

 

We may hope for safe travels to a reunion. We may hope for a nice time with family and friends. We may hope for a nice present. We may hope for peace on earth.  But the children of the one true everlasting God, those who trust in his son, have “the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time.” (Titus 1:2) It is the Christmas gift of everlasting hope that is found at the feet of Jesus.

 

May Christmas fill you with such everlasting hope.

 

 

You are a delight to God

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Delight in the one who delights in you.

 

Being a light-bearer raises the bar for all fully devoted followers of Jesus. Even during the challenge of running the race we need to maintain a perspective of who we are – from God’s point of view.

 

“Jesus loves me this I know” – we’ve been taught it from the beginning but do you believe it today? “For God so loved (insert your name here; also the name of someone who irritates you) that He gave his only begotten Son.” “The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him – in those who hope in His steadfast love.” (Psalm 147:11) “He will rejoice over you with gladness.” (Zephaniah 3:17) “He brought me out into a broad place – he rescued me, because he delighted in me.” (Psalm 18:19) And the list goes on and on.

 

It’s official: God loves you and delights in you. How can that be when we have so very many shortcomings? It is because God sees us as redeemed and made holy by the forgiving grace of His Son. As John Piper relates, “He sees us becoming in practice what we (already) are positionally in Christ.” Believe it or not, God loves you dearly. Put your troubles at the feet of that truth!

 

Such an affirmation of our worth, our value to God could be a dangerous thing. We could (but better not) let our egos get puffed up and say, “Look who God loves.” It is a popular “me-centered gospel” preached too often today: ‘God delights in you and wants to favor you with all kinds of (materialistic) blessings.’ The truth is that God does delight in you but His favor may be evidenced by the hardships that draw you ever closer to Him.

 

The best choice of how to respond to God’s amazing expression of love for us is to delight in Him. “Because your steadfast love is better than life, my lips will praise you.” Psalm 63:3. We are created to delight in God and to enjoy Him more than anything else. We are made to seek His presence throughout the rough parts of life and the mundane as well as the mountaintop experiences of great joy. It is our primary purpose.

 

Delight in God, not just in His blessings. Delight in Him for who He is, not just what He has done. Even if nothing else is going ‘your way’, fill your day with your delight in Him who delights in us!

 

“But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you.” Isaiah 43:1-2

 

 

Seeing others -2-

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Seeing others through God’s eyes is a transforming experience. It takes us away from our self-centered focus and leads us to seeing ourself and others as part of God’s plan. It leads us to becoming engaged in God’s plan ourselves. Asking God to see others through His eyes will expand your territories.

There was a big fuss over the “prayer of Jabez” a few years back. All we know about Jabez is that he prayed to God, “Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.” And God granted his request. 1 Chronicles 4:10.

I suspect many discovered this isolated prayer and claimed it as the mantra of their life for their own personal gain. Our Heavenly Father does love to bless his children even more than we earthly fathers love to bless our children. But when you meditate on John 3:16 (For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son…) don’t you think that God is interested in expanding more than our personal territory of riches? What if we let God expand the territory of our views, our passions, and our prayers?!

Jesus didn’t die just for those in the affluent parts of the world. (Yes, that probably includes all of us reading this on a computer, living in decent shelters, and seldom going without food and water for more than a few hours.) Seeing others through Jesus’ eyes is a prerequisite for loving others as He first loved us…while we were still sinners, undeserving of such love.

We don’t HAVE to love others. God will let us choose to live selfish lives if we insist. He will let us choose to depend on our own logic, our own financial nest egg, our own egocentric ambitions and hobbies. He will let us take the view of letting the rest of the world go to hell in a hand basket if we choose to be so self-inclined. But how has that worked for you so far? As for me (and yes, I’ve tried this route), living for self doesn’t bring real and lasting joy. Such a self-centered view separates us from the heart of God.

I have learned (and am still learning after nearly 42 years of marriage) that if I really want to grow and demonstrate my love for my wife, I need to spend more time with her, enjoying her presence and seeing the world through her eyes. The same is true with God. If we want to grow and demonstrate our love for Him, it begins with seeking His presence throughout each day, and asking Him to show us how to see the world through his eyes.

Imagine what seeing through open eyes looks like! Will you ask Him as you prepare for your day to see others as He sees them?