Esther risked the throne and her life for her Jewish people.
David took on Goliath.
Mary risked humiliation and abandonment.
Joseph risked ridicule and doubt.
Peter was stoned to death.
Junia faced imprisonment.
All of these people and more, risked money, fame, family, possessions . . . for what?
To follow Jesus.
To follow a man claiming to be king. A king who was abandoned by his closest friends. A king allowed to be killed because of government pressure, whipped 39 times, stripped of his closes, hung on a cross, and left to die a murder’s death.
What a small gospel.
. . . .
A needle to the back ended in paralyses and a spinal fluid leak.
Each time I sat up I thought a chainsaw was cutting my head.
My eyes crossed from the pain.
Cat scans, mri’s, and a lumbar puncture.
No blankets, no food.
I don’t remember crying but I remember feeling scared.
One doctors mistake turned into months of fear.
Fear the pain would come back.
Fear my body would break again.
Fear if something worse happened I would die.
For 2 years I struggled to sleep. It is harder to get help at night. The darkness scared me.
I watched Netflix until 1 or 2 in the morning before I fell asleep.
Waking up minutes later to panic attacks with half my body numb. Limbs so numb I would fall on the floor if I got out of bed.
I was scared but I was also sad.
We moved across the world to be used by God and here I was broken.
God was so big when we boarded that plane . . .
Now . . .
He felt so small.
The Gospel felt so small. God felt so small.
. . .
“For our God is a consuming fire.”
Heb 12:29
“Take heart! I have overcome the world.”
John 16:33
God is in the business of saving people. From Genesis 3 to the end of Revelation humanity makes one unfortunate decision after another.
God, “Here is a beautiful garden – don’t eat of the fruit.”
Humanity, “Umm I think I will eat it.”
God, “Let me be your king.”
Humanity, “Nah we want a human who knows better.”
God, “Leave and I will give you a land flowing with milk and honey.”
Humanity, “How can we be sure? We will stay in slavery.”
God, “David I will give you a mighty kingdom.”
Humanity, “Great! I will indulge my every desire.”
God, “Here is my son, to rule so that you and I can have a personal relationship.”
Humanity, “Kill him!”
God, “My father’s house has many rooms. I am going to prepare a place for you.”
Humanity, “How can we know the way?”
“Where sin increased, graced increased all the more.”
Romans 5:20
God is the same yesterday, today and forever. While humanity chooses self, God chooses humanity. While humanity chooses desires, God offers humanity his child.
“The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word.”
Hebrews 1:3
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
so that
whoever believes in Him may have eternal life.”
John 3:16
When the creator of the universe gives part of himself for another; the story isn’t small.
The Gospel isn’t small.
Lying in bed scared, God reminded me he has chosen humanity and will keep choosing humanity.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame so that. . .
we will not grow weary and lose hope.”
Hebrews 12:1-3
Friends as we are ending 2020 and entering into a new year with unknown chaos. Let us join together and remind each other God isn’t small. His sacrifice for us wasn’t small.
His love for us isn’t small. The Gospel isn’t small.
“Is he safe? . . .
“Safe?” Said Mr. Beaver.
“Who said anything about safe?
Of course he isn’t safe,
But he is Good.
He is King, I tell you.”
Chronicles of Narnia
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