You Can't See With Your Eyes Shut - Part Two
By Rachel Graham
**adapted from a sermon by Chad Whitmore (minister of Franklin Avenue
Christian Church, Des Moines, Iowa).
Motivating scripture: Ephesians 1:18-19 NIV
"I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that
you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious
inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who
believe. That power is like the workin gof his mighty strength,"
Introduction
As Christians our actions in our relationship with God are often done out of
"habituation." This means that we get caught up in the motions of things and
want them to be the same as they have always been. We want to go to the same
kind of church service, we listen to the same type of sermons, we pray the
same prayer at the same time every day and not many other times, just to
name a few. We usually have no problem with accepting that God is all
powerful but do we think enough about how God feels about us? For me, this
was one of those slight changes in thinking that was really profound to me
because I realized I didn't often think of how God truly feels about me and
what gifts I have from him that make me special.
This week I want you to think about the WORTH that we have to our God.
I believe that so much of our lives are spent thinking about what God is to
us that we don't take the time to think about the relationship the other
direction. What are we to God? You are WORTH something to God. Not just
something but you are something precious to God. That is hard to swallow for
me but that is something that we need to focus on for us to really
understand our relationship with God. We, Christians, are God's inheritance.
He wants us to come to Him. He formed us to have a special relationship with
Him. He wants ALL who can to know Him. He will not send Jesus to us until
there is not one more heart to be turned.
Luke 12:6-7 tell us that He remembers each of our sorrows and he cares so
much about us that he counts the hairs on our heads. This caring that God
does for us goes beyond how I feel for my children and how my parents felt
for me. Again, this doesn't sit easy with me. How can anyone love me more
than my parents or more than I love my children? It seems impossible. But
that's where God trumps everything. He makes the impossible possible. He
loves you more than you can imagine.
Matthew 13:45-46 also illustrates how God feels for us. In that scripture we
see that God gave up everything for us. He sent us Jesus his only son to do
what no other man has been able to do or will ever be able to do again, be
the perfect sacrifice for all who believe. Jesus was sinless and blameless
and was slaughtered for the sake of all mankind. That really hits me at a
part in my heart that is hard for me to look at because I always struggle
with the thought of giving up a child. The thought of losing one of my own
is enough to almost give me physical pain. My heart goes out to those who
have lost a child and I pray I never have to experience that. But could one
give up their child even as a sacrifice to save another? God did that for me
and all others. That is so huge my mind has trouble grasping it.
This subject never ceases to amaze me. While I do believe that I am worth
something priceless to God it seems that it is not often a part of my
thoughts. I don't really see a reason why we shouldn't think on it every
day. What a great reminder of what we are doing here!
My prayer this week is that you rely on the fact that you are worth
something great to God to give you peace and feelings of self worth.
If you don't know the Lord all you have to do is pray and ask Him into your
life. That is what He is waiting and longing for.
Have a wonderful week!!
Written for Bible Study for Kids - Rachel's Reflections Blog
