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“See, this alone I found: God made human beings straightforward, but they search for many complications.” -Ecclesiastes 7:29

This passage really caught my eye. 

So much so that I stopped reading and thought for several minutes on what Solomon could be referring to exactly when it come to complications. 

Then it came to me. 

Everything. 

God made you to be his child. 

He loves and will always love you no matter what. 

After he has communicated that to us it never changes and there is no loop hole. 

He will always love us no matter what we do. We can never run out of the love that God freely gives through his son Jesus Christ. 

However, sometimes I think we try to add loop holes to this statement. We think and rightfully that we are undeserving of this love and that much is true, but it seems to me that we constantly try to complicate things when really what God is saying is: 

Simplify. 

I encourage you today when you are going through your day that you simplify. Because sometimes its really not meant to be this complicated, and remember you have the single most incredible helper in the universe right by your side. 

 

In my 90 Day Bible Reading Plan I have recently begun reading Proverbs. Which has brought some very insightful thoughts. I thank God for what I have learned. I hope you are blessed with what I am sharing today as much as I was blessed by God showing it to me. 

Let’s dive in! 

“Fools see their own way as right, but the wise listen to advice.” 
-Proverbs 12:15- 

This thought is all over proverbs. And one that I believe we all struggle with, and I definitely include myself in this struggle. One of the greatest parts of my ministry at Edge Park is the opportunity to work for someone like my pastor, Dr. Lynn Moore. God has used him in mighty ways to teach me many things, but at first I was not willing to listen. 

I thought: “I know what I am doing. I don’t need your help.” 

Well in ministry this type of thought is very unhealthy. Needless to say it only took a couple of things to fall between the cracks, or a program to utterly fail before I realized I probably should listen more. 

This of course is not only in place with other people, this thought is paramount with God. 

There are times in our lives that we feel that God’s instruction and discipline is warrranted and down right not useful at times, and because God loves us completely he lets us think that way. 

Then when we mess up and realize that we should listen we come back to the Lord. 

This is not just in effect in ministry. It’s everywhere. This is why proverbs talks about this so much, but it is so important and something we forget all the time. 

 

Today it is my prayer that you and I would draw more near to God and listen to what HE HAS TO SAY and NOT WHAT WE HAVE TO SAY TO HIM. 

He is LORD. 

And for Him to be our Lord we have to listen to his instruction and discipline. The good thing about discipline and instruction is that He does them because He loves us so much and desires for us to be fruitful creations in this world. 

Thanks be to God for this reminder. 

Almighty God, 

Help us to draw more near to you. To listen to your instruction and embrace your discipline so that it is something that transforms us more and more into people that are worthy to be called your disciples. Thank you God for this reminder. I pray that we would embrace you, listen to you and above all else glorify you in all we do. 

Amen. 

Now that you have embraced and listened to the Lord. Go Forth and Share this message with the world! 

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better….It’s not.” 
-Dr. Seuss

In the Old Testament stories there is this pattern that is evident very frequently. It is listed in Psalms 106:40-46

“So the Lord’s anger burned against his people; he despised his own posssession. God handed them over to the nations; people who hated them ruled over them. Their enemies oppressed them and they were humbled under their power. God delivered them numerous times, but they were determined to rebel, and so they were brought down by their sin. But God saw their distress when he heard their loud cries. God remembered his covenant for their sake, and because of how much faithful love he has, God changed his mind. God allowed them to receive compassion from all their captors.” 
-Psalms 106:40-46-

So you see the pattern? God anger burns for the people even to the point of despising what they are doing. (Not who they are, but what they are doing), hands them over to their enemies. Then when the people cry back and are humbled then God delivers them. Again. Again. and Again. 

Now back to what the infamous Dr Seuss said.

“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better….It’s not.” 

Enter Jesus. 

The getting better formula. 

The Christ. 

God cares a whole awful lot for those that he created. He cares more about his creation than his own son. God is holy and perfect and because of that he cannot look upon sin, he cannot even be around it. 

Even this does not stop God from being in relationship with his most loved part of creation. He sends his own son, Jesus to pay the penalty for the thing that kept him from having a vibrant relationship with all of us. 

He did it all for a people that always are determined to rebel. 

For a very specific reason. 

To have a relationship with us. 

It is very obvious with his intent of sending his son, but also with how Jesus does ministry with the 12 Disciples. Jesus spends intentional time with these 12 men. Living with them, talking with them, ministering to love, and showing them how to live a life that is worth something, which only happens with a relationship with Him. 

God does all this for a people that will always be determined to rebel and struggle to be what God is. Perfect. 

So Why? 

Because he cares a whole awful lot about each and every one of us. So, it’s really not about why is it? 

The real question is what are we going to do with such care for us? 

What are you going to do with this? 

God sent his very son to offer this to you and to me? 

Do you realize how huge that is? Do you realize how much God loves you? 

I pray that God will rock your soul with such love that you truly understand how huge and awesome this is. When you realize this you will truly begin a life that is worth living. 

Taken at Edgepark United Methodist Church