Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay
I began the day feeling like an impossible case. Yes, I’m sometimes hard on myself, but I’m also realistic. I acknowledge that I can do better. I need to do better, want to do better and that human beings in general fall short of the glory of God. Or as the New Century Version of the Bible puts it:
Everyone has sinned and fallen short of God’s glorious standard, and all need to be made right with God by his grace, which is a free gift. They need to be made free from sin through Jesus Christ.
Romans 3:23-24 (New Century Version)
I found myself wondering why God created us so inadequate, so self absorbed, selfish and in need of rehabilitation, so to speak. C.S. Lewis had his own thoughts on this conundrum. That is, that free will is necessary for God to have true communion with us. The ends justify the means. C.S. Lewis put it this way:
“God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong, but I can’t. If a thing is free to be good it’s also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata -of creatures that worked like machines- would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water. And for that they’ve got to be free.
C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity
Nevertheless, this piece isn’t about free-will. Nor is it about falling short. My intention is to share God and His character. To shine a light in a way that gives God the glory and praise and us mere humans some hope and understanding of who He truly is. The truth is that We ALL are a piece of work. (Some have an easier time admitting this than others… 🤣)
But God… There’s always a “but God,” and in this case, my morning meditation led me to recall that God loves to see the work begin. More than this God loves the work He does. He’s not like us. We become physically tired and weary, we grow faint, mentally run down, depleted, weak and even disenchanted. But God remains strong when we are weak. He continues the work He’s started, even taking delight in us while He patiently and compassionately continues His work. How can He do this? Simply put, because God is love. ❤️
It’s sometimes difficult for us to imagine or accept God’s patience, mercy and love when we feel like an ongoing project. Or when the progress seems small or even sometimes unchanging whether that’s the work God is doing in us or in others around us.
However, here are some verses that reflect God’s strength and love as He works. ❤️
God doesn’t become tired or weary and His ability to understand has no limits
Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the whole earth. He never becomes faint or weary; there is no limit to his understanding.
Isaiah 40:28 (Christian Standard Bible)
Jesus can empathize with our weakness
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16 (New International Version)
The Lord is great in patience and love and can be trusted
That is, the Lord passed in front of Moses and said, “Yahweh, the Lord, is a kind and merciful God. He is slow to become angry. He is full of great love. He can be trusted.
Exodus 34:6 Easy-to-Read Version
He doesn’t lie or break His promises
God is not human, that he should lie, not a human being, that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill?
Numbers 23:19 (New International Version)
He is compassionate and concerned for our wellbeing
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
Psalm 147:3 (English Standard Version)
God doesn’t give up on us. He finishes the work He’s begun. His love has no end.
Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8:39 (ESV)
And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
Philippians 1:6 (English Standard Version)
Can you think of any other reminders of the hope and help we have in Christ Jesus?
Thank you for reading. God Bless. ❤️❤️
–Tina
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