Corona Devo 442

Let's go back to the very beginning of our faith in God.

I don't mean "scripturally", so I am not talking about turning to the Book of Genesis.

I don't mean "chronologically", so you can pause in doing the mental-math of when you first asked Jesus into your heart.

I mean--let's be reminded/refreshed/and revitalized by going back to the simple Truth of what faith in God is and what it means to us.

We "decorate" faith with acts-of-service/pious discussions and opinions/theological debates about current affairs and age-old issues affecting God's people, and sometimes all of that stuff buries the simple Truth and exuberance of why we "believe" in the first place.

Today let's strip all of that away and let God splash cold-water in our face with the refreshing reminder of what our faith in Him means to us.

I'm ashamed to say that in the fast and busy pace of "Christian-life", I had almost forgotten. But I was reminded (jolted really) yesterday when I heard a quote from a Christian Vietnamese immigrant who lives in our city and is deeply grateful for every blessing that God and America have afforded her and her family. She spoke of a pastor, many years ago in Vietnam who introduced her to Jesus, and her simple words described the simple beginning of her faith in God. They also define the simple beginning of every believer's faith in God.

"I was nothing. And he told me that I was something", she said of the pastor who changed her life with the Good News of Jesus.

Let's go back to the very beginning of our faith in God.

We were nothing, and God told us that we were something...to Him and in Him.

I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.  With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself.  ~Jeremiah 31:3

God loves us and He chose us, and He draws us to Himself.  We were nothing before He came into our lives.  We may have thought that we were "something", but worldly measuring-sticks of success are constantly shifting and changing and they are fickle and false.  There is only One True God, and in realizing/accepting/coming-home to Him, we become "something".

Something valuable.  So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.  ~Genesis 1:27

Something purposeful.   For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. ~Jeremiah 29:11

Something beautiful.  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  ~Psalm 139:14

Something new in Christ.  So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new!  ~2 Corinthians 5:17

Today, God challenges us to peel away all of the flowery and superficial top-layers of our faith and let's go back to the very beginning of our faith in God.

We were nothing, and God told us that we were something...to Him and in Him.

But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  ~Romans 5:8

It's humbling and igniting for us to realize this freshly. It's probably been way too long since we remembered-in-honesty about where we were before Jesus. We all have different pre-Jesus memories: Remember the relentless pursuit-of-worldly-success/the depression/the lack-of-purpose/the feeling of abandonment/the loneliness/the hopelessness/the broken heart/feeling unloved/fill in your previous brokenness here _____.

We were nothing, and God told us that we were something...to Him and in Him.

The Truth of God and the reality of His love and sacrifice for us fills all of the gaping holes in our soul. We have battle-wounds from life, but Jesus binds them with His love and His purpose for us.

We were nothing, and God told us that we were something...to Him and in Him.

At first I was leveled by the fresh-reminder of this old Truth (Jesus loves us)...and then I was propelled! Who has not been told that they are something in Christ?

Who do we know that is sitting on the outskirts of life? Who is contemplating their life? Who is searching and experimenting and seeking any and all outlets to feel validated/accepted/loved?

Who feels like nothing but could have their life changed by the Good News that they are something to Chrrist and in Christ?

Just as a pastor spoke God's love and purpose into a Vietnamese woman decades ago (and changed her life!), we can be the ones to speak God's love and purpose into a desperate heart today.

We were nothing, and God told us that we were something...to Him and in Him.

Today, take a moment to go back to the very beginning of your faith, and be reminded/refreshed/revitalized and propelled today by the simple Truth of who we are to Jesus and in Him, and be encouraged to share it with someone who needs to hear that they are something to Jesus too.

Blessings,

sarah

https://sarahsundy04.blogspot.com 

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