This past Father’s Day was particularly special for me, as it became the first time that I celebrated it as a dad. Our little miracle entered this world a year ago and it has been one of the most joyous years of my entire life. Watching him grow and develop has been something truly to behold. He has a smile that will simply melt your heart. I wasn’t even sure I was capable of loving like this, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do to make sure he is safe and protected, even if I had to lay down my own life for him. This is something I’m sure every parent understands.
Having a child puts Abraham’s situation in a completely different perspective when he was told by God to sacrifice his son Isaac. The child that he received at 100 years old, by the way. I think to myself, would I have that much faith and trust in God to go through with it? I would want to say yes, but I’m not so sure I would. Thankfully, the LORD provided a ram to take Isaac’s place on the altar.
Even more than Abraham’s situation, I think about what Jesus did for us. Would I sacrifice my son in the gruesome way that God allowed with Jesus to create the opportunity for humanity to be saved from the penalty of sin? Again, I would love to say I would, but I’m not so sure I could ever do that. To watch my little boy get beaten to the verge of death’s doorstep and then hung on a cross for hours before giving up his last breath? No way. This realization serves as a basic reminder that He is God and we are not.
What Jesus did on that cross is what separates our God, the only true and living God, from every other false deity that has ever existed. He said what He was going to do and then did it. God loved us that much. He was willing to hand His Son over to be tortured and suffer a horrific death at the hands of the Roman Empire and then walk out of the tomb three days later. It’s crazy and doesn’t make any sense at all until you study His Word and begin to understand ever so slightly, the heart and mind of our God. There is no ridiculously large mountain to climb or some absurd amount of hoops to jump through to get to Him. He simply reaches down to us, where we are in our everyday lives, to meet us at our point of need. That is the absolute beauty of our God. There’s nothing we can ever do to earn it. The complete and redemptive work on the cross is enough. We simply need to believe it, accept it, and walk in it. That’s it. End of story.
Titus 2: 11-14 NKJV
11 For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men, 12 teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for Himself His own special people, zealous for good works.
If you didn’t know that truth. Now you do and have no excuse. Trust in Him today. Your life will never ever be the same. For those that do know Him and life has beaten you down and you just feel defeated, you also walk in that truth. We have all been there. Just remember: We are either heading into a storm, in a storm, or coming out of a storm. Please don’t lose heart. Our God never leaves us. In fact, He’s always right there beside us, ready to meet us where we are at our point of need. Call on His name. Seek Him. He will respond. He loves us with an unfathomable love.
Wayne Errig