How To Close The Wide Gap Between You And God
1 Timothy 1:12-14 “I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength to do His work. He considered me trustworthy and appointed me to serve Him, even though I used to blaspheme the name of Christ. In my insolence, I persecuted His people. But God had mercy on me because I did it in ignorance and unbelief. Oh, how generous and gracious our Lord was! He filled me with the faith and love that come from Christ Jesus."
Some of us have had a pretty colorful past, some of us not. Some of us think we don't really have a testimony, because we became believers at a young age. Others of us, well, can't believe we are even worthy of Jesus. Today, right now, stop and realize just 'where' you were before Christ! Not just your sin, but the actual separation from God! The MEF (minds eye flash) I see: a child standing outside her Daddy's office. He can see her, he can hear her. She talks to him very excitedly telling him all about her day, her hopes and dreams.... Another day, she's back at his door again. This time she's sad, and she's wanting so desperately to come in. But there is this deep, wide, gap between them. She's crying, begging to come and be held by him. Again, he sees her, hears her, he even offers words of comfort to her - but it's not the same! The DEEP separation is just not crossable! Over to the right, standing right there, offering His hand (a gift) to her (every time she comes, He's been there, waiting, offering) is this Guy. It is in fact Jesus Christ. She sees the Gut, even acknowledges Him sometimes, but she just won't reach out and accept His hand, His gift. The gap and distance between her and her Daddy gets bigger and bigger as time goes on. Yet, she still comes to talk to him, because there is an odd sense of comfort sometimes. Then, the comfort starts fading, so she feels, and 'rules' start coming in. She gets scolded for her actions and choices. She begins to feel the conviction of her choices and actions. Like most people, as she gets older, more independent, she stops coming to her Daddy's door. Yet, everywhere she goes, in all of her decisions and thru all of her choices, there's this Guy standing to her right offering her His hand!
See the darkness, the big distance now between her and her Daddy? If she were to die, it would stay that way and be even bigger and worse. BUT - one day, in the middle of either pain or complete joy - she reaches out and takes the Guys hand, His hand!! INSTANTLY she is back with her Daddy, not on the other side of the room or in the doorway, but ON His lap!! IN His arms! Peace, comfort, joy!! Now all of His instructions sound good, they make sense, and she 'wants' to do them! THIS is the generous, gracious mercy Jesus offers to each of us! We ARE Gods Chosen daughters/sons/children! Wanted! Loved! Saved! No longer a deep, wide space between Him and us!! THAT we can be thankful for!! THAT is being filled with Christ Jesus!
I am SO thankful for Jesus removing the cliff or gap/distance between me and God! For you and I to be able to approach our Daddy ANY time day or night. Happy or sad. I pray, you SEE just how wide your separation WAS from God, and then thank Jesus for filling it in for you and accepting you in to His family! I'm thankful you are Family with me!! Perhaps you haven't yet taken the hand of 'that Guy', well, what are you waiting for?!?! He IS standing right there next to YOU! Offering you His hand! Would you like to approach Daddy? Would you like to be able to sit on His lap? How about even just get in the room?!?! Well, it's easy, quick, simple..... Reach our your hand, tell God that you believe He sent Jesus to reach out His hand to/for you. That He came here for that very reason. That Jesus died on the cross in your place for ALL of your sins/bad things you've done. Now, He has risen and come to stand beside you, holding out His hand - and now you want to accept His "gift" and accept His outstretched hand to you. INSTANTLY, right THAT very second, you WILL be accepted, adopted, in to Gods family!! WOWZERS!! Welcome to the Family! Happy New Life Birthday! Be blessed today! Have a GREAT weekend!
Some of us have had a pretty colorful past, some of us not. Some of us think we don't really have a testimony, because we became believers at a young age. Others of us, well, can't believe we are even worthy of Jesus. Today, right now, stop and realize just 'where' you were before Christ! Not just your sin, but the actual separation from God! The MEF (minds eye flash) I see: a child standing outside her Daddy's office. He can see her, he can hear her. She talks to him very excitedly telling him all about her day, her hopes and dreams.... Another day, she's back at his door again. This time she's sad, and she's wanting so desperately to come in. But there is this deep, wide, gap between them. She's crying, begging to come and be held by him. Again, he sees her, hears her, he even offers words of comfort to her - but it's not the same! The DEEP separation is just not crossable! Over to the right, standing right there, offering His hand (a gift) to her (every time she comes, He's been there, waiting, offering) is this Guy. It is in fact Jesus Christ. She sees the Gut, even acknowledges Him sometimes, but she just won't reach out and accept His hand, His gift. The gap and distance between her and her Daddy gets bigger and bigger as time goes on. Yet, she still comes to talk to him, because there is an odd sense of comfort sometimes. Then, the comfort starts fading, so she feels, and 'rules' start coming in. She gets scolded for her actions and choices. She begins to feel the conviction of her choices and actions. Like most people, as she gets older, more independent, she stops coming to her Daddy's door. Yet, everywhere she goes, in all of her decisions and thru all of her choices, there's this Guy standing to her right offering her His hand!
See the darkness, the big distance now between her and her Daddy? If she were to die, it would stay that way and be even bigger and worse. BUT - one day, in the middle of either pain or complete joy - she reaches out and takes the Guys hand, His hand!! INSTANTLY she is back with her Daddy, not on the other side of the room or in the doorway, but ON His lap!! IN His arms! Peace, comfort, joy!! Now all of His instructions sound good, they make sense, and she 'wants' to do them! THIS is the generous, gracious mercy Jesus offers to each of us! We ARE Gods Chosen daughters/sons/children! Wanted! Loved! Saved! No longer a deep, wide space between Him and us!! THAT we can be thankful for!! THAT is being filled with Christ Jesus!
I am SO thankful for Jesus removing the cliff or gap/distance between me and God! For you and I to be able to approach our Daddy ANY time day or night. Happy or sad. I pray, you SEE just how wide your separation WAS from God, and then thank Jesus for filling it in for you and accepting you in to His family! I'm thankful you are Family with me!! Perhaps you haven't yet taken the hand of 'that Guy', well, what are you waiting for?!?! He IS standing right there next to YOU! Offering you His hand! Would you like to approach Daddy? Would you like to be able to sit on His lap? How about even just get in the room?!?! Well, it's easy, quick, simple..... Reach our your hand, tell God that you believe He sent Jesus to reach out His hand to/for you. That He came here for that very reason. That Jesus died on the cross in your place for ALL of your sins/bad things you've done. Now, He has risen and come to stand beside you, holding out His hand - and now you want to accept His "gift" and accept His outstretched hand to you. INSTANTLY, right THAT very second, you WILL be accepted, adopted, in to Gods family!! WOWZERS!! Welcome to the Family! Happy New Life Birthday! Be blessed today! Have a GREAT weekend!
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