Monday, December 21, 2009

A Christmas message

I came across some verses this week that has helped to make this Christmas season that much more meaningful to me. Here it is:

“For you know it was not with perishable things like silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life…but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. Through Him, you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him, and so your faith and hope are in God.”
-Peter 1: 18-21

These verses remind me that before God created the earth and humans, He knew these humans would betray Him. He knew many would reject them, reject each other. He knew the Holocaust would happen; that children would get molested; that people would spend their lives in poverty—through their own causes and through causes they would not be able to change. He knew that sin would bring in sickness and disabilities, and my grandmother’s Alzheimer’s. He knew people would lose children, that women would be barren, that divorces and affairs would break hearts.

And most of all, He knew that in order to fix it all—to make it all eventually right and new and full of life again—that He Himself would have to come down and suffer and die to pay the price for all that sin and pain and heartbreak.

Before all these things happened, Jesus was appointed to make it all right again. Now, we know that things are only partially made right on this earth. Yes, we who accept Jesus’ sacrifice and gift of new life get to experience joy while on earth. But we have no promises against more pain, in that same lifetime. But when I think about that fact that God made earth even though He knew all the bad stuff would happen, too, He must feel so very confident that eventually when all of time has run out, that a relationship between Him and humankind would be worth all the pain—for both Him and us.

I get to experience a glimpse of that relationship right now with God, and I hold onto the hope of a full relationship someday with God—one that will be so wonderful it will make me laugh at all the things that used to make me cry.

2 comments:

  1. Praise God! Thanks for writing and reminding us to hold onto our hope of a full relationship with God and all its wonder and beauty!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Happy New Year Rebecca! Thanks for the wonder words of encouragement. We are proud to have you and Brad represent Jesus to the East Kal folks.
    Will write a longer note to you and Brad soon!

    Praying always - Lew

    ReplyDelete

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