March 12, 2018 Monday

“And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” (Ephesus 2:1-10 NKJV)

            There are a lot of dead people walking around!  Without God we are dead spiritually and because of that we are not living but just existing!  Some people are afraid of death but many more are afraid of living!

            Some are so afraid of thinking about death that they run faster and turn up the volume of their lives so they won’t have to see or hear God’s call for them to discover Life in Jesus!  They define God as angry and judgmental so they have an excuse to look away but this passage destroys that view!

“But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)”

            As you look at the whole passage list how many ways God reveals to us His wondrous love!  You may wonder why God goes to such an extreme to reveal His love for us but maybe the reason is that as fallen people it is so hard to think God does not respond with condemnation and judgment!

            Notice that salvation is the method God uses to bring us into His presence for eternity.  For God wants YOU!  God loves you and wants you to come back to Him and have a relationship with Him!

            Read about the Fall in Genesis and you will discover this love of God.  For after the Fall when God had every right to judge and condemn God cries out “Adam where are you?”  God first response to the Fall is to miss the close relationship with Adam and Eve!

            Does this passage help you to understand the love God has for you?  If not, seek God’s presence and you can experience God’s love firsthand!

            Today is worse than yesterday.  The pain increased and I could not read and even prayer was hard.  Most of the time my pain was so great that I writhed on the bed.  But I experienced the love and support of God, Bonnie and Rebecca.  Without that I do not know what would have happened.  I know that if I begin to feel sorry for myself, doubt or despair I will fall into the “pit of despair” and that is horrific and is extremely difficult to get out of.  Please God help me to not fall in!