Why?

Saturday, March 30, 2024

Good morning, Lord

Verse of the Day:    At my first defense no one came to stand by me, but all deserted me. May it not be charged against them! But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. So I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom. To him be the glory forever and ever. Amen. (2 Timothy 4:16–18)

Memory verse: Romans 8:32 ►He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?  

Today's reading: JUDGES 11-12 LUKE 6:1-26

Why?

I have often asked for the reason that Christ had to die for me. Could there not have been something else God could have done short of His own son die for me. The answer never changes: "No".

Why?

Psalm 51:3 ►  For I know my wicked heart, and my sin is always before me.(paraphrase)

The human condition is plainly sinful. Romans 6:23-"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God".

One of the reasons I ask 'why' is that I fall so short of seeing the true righteousness of God. I know my sin. I live in a world full of sin. It has numbed my senses and I get accustomed to the darkness. If I spend little to no time with God, His righteousness is a distant thing and that is a pitiful condition.

1 John 1:5 This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all.

A man walking in the darkness of night was always stumbling and falling and suddenly there was a  light in the distance. The closer he got to the light, the more of the junk he was able to avoid injuring himself on. He stayed as close to the light as he could but knew he would have to leave to go home and continue his life. He thought, "If I could only take this light with me, I could see to not fall and hurt myself again."

This is a very sad part of many Christian lives today. We walk in the darkness of this world and stumble and fall and keep hurting ourselves. We bump into others and hurt them and then some of us blame it on them for being in our way.

If only we would realize that we have the 'light' with us and it is a great choice we must make to walk in this light as we live in the 'black junkyard' we know as everyday life.

We must know that it takes more than flipping a switch. It takes work to keep our spiritual eyes open and on the source of our light-Christ Jesus.

Paul wrote this from our verse of the day: "But the Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed."

The Lord stands with each of us to do His will-deliver His message to this dark junkyard-He will never leave us(Matthew 28:20).

But we must take up our cross everyday(Luke 9:23) and walk in the light(1 John 1:5-7), and we can see how really dark the world is and live to His glory by His light.

Jesus has all the answers to all our 'whys'.

...because He loves us...

Father in heaven,

Forgive me for walking around blindly in the dark when you are standing right by me all the time. Holy Spirit, remind me to keep my eyes open and walk in Your light.

Righteous and loving Father,

In the name of Christ Jesus,

Amen