NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

June 30

Scripture focus: So, what do you think? With God on our side like this, how can we lose? If God didn't hesitate to put everything on the line for us, embracing our condition and exposing himself to the worst by sending his own Son, is there anything else he wouldn't gladly and freely do for us? And who would dare tangle with God by messing with one of God's chosen? Who would dare even to point a finger? The One who died for us—who was raised to life for us!—is in the presence of God at this very moment sticking up for us. Do you think anyone is going to be able to drive a wedge between us and Christ's love for us? There is no way! Not trouble, not hard times, not hatred, not hunger, not homelessness, not bullying threats, not backstabbing, not even the worst sins listed in Scripture:
They kill us in cold blood because they hate you.
We're sitting ducks; they pick us off one by one.
None of this fazes us because Jesus loves us. I'm absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God's love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. Romans 8:31-39 The Message

If holy God put everything on the line for us, what does that tell us about our response to him?

Have we put everything on the line for him? 

When God put everything on the line, he embraced our condition – broken, narcissistic, selfish, prone to attachments and false gods. He didn’t wait for us to ante up and prove that we were worth investing in – he chose to embrace us even though the cost was great.

My kids love to quote a scene out of Seinfeld.

George Costanza says, “God would never let me be successful. He would kill me first. He would never let me be happy.”

Another actor replies, “I thought you didn’t believe in God?”

George says, “I do for the bad things.”

Reply, “Do you hear what you’re saying? God is not out to get you George.”

We must take seriously our false gods and misperceptions. God is on our side; Jesus at this very moment is sticking up for us. May we listen to each other with intentionality, and learn how to love each other in whatever condition we find ourselves or others. But may we never, ever accept our condition as an excuse for giving up on God.

What will we do with this information? Will it alter out thinking, feeling, believing, perceiving selves? Will it change how we work, play, live, love? May it be so!



Click on the word comments below and join our conversation!© Copyright 2010 NorthStar Community

---