Imagine a world without God, how empty it would be. Chaos would become
the norm, as right and wrong wouldn't matter any longer. "Me first"
would reign in full vigor!
The prodigal son lived in such a world
of indulgence. Taking his inheritance years before his dad even died, he
opted for wild living, and no one could stop him.
At first he
delighted in his endeavors, but soon his money ran out and life was no
longer as expected. All his friends disappeared, never to be seen again.
All those who hung around him for their own pleasure, also mysteriously
vanished. He was left wanting with no one who cared. Welcome to planet
earth!
He didn't even have enough food: "He was so hungry he
would have eaten the corncobs in the pig slop, but no one would give him
any." (Luke 15:16, MSG) Not only was his stomach empty, but his soul was
as well. He had truly hit rock bottom!
Good news though: "That
brought him to his senses." (Luke 15:17a, MSG)
To make a long
story short, he decided: "I'm going back to my father. I'll say to him,
Father, I've sinned against God, I've sinned before you, I don't deserve
to be called your son . . ." (Luke 15:18, MSG)
Interestingly
enough, his father was far more excited to see his son than to listen to
his confession: "But the father wasn't listening. He was calling to the
servants, 'Quick. Bring a clean set of clothes and dress him. Put the
family ring on his finger and sandals on his feet.'" (Luke 15:22, MSG)
Do you find yourself completely dejected, hopeless and completely
submerged in darkness, so much so that you can't even see the light any
longer? Would you like to do something about it?
Suicide isn't
the answer. Get up instead ans come to your Father in heaven and
discover His abundant grace. He loves you far more than you love
yourself! He will save you from your pit, dress you up and celebrate
that you are allowing Him to give you a new opportunity, a life beyond
imagination. There is hope after all!
After the battle of
Gettysburg in 1863, it rained on the living and the dead. It's as if the
skies were commiserating the fatal lot of most of these soldiers. The
landscape was ravaged by cannon shells, wagon wheels and numerous
footsteps from the soldiers who were no more. Many dead horses laid
among the dead men. Cries of the wounded raised up amidst the stench of
the dead. The locals' homes were also far from desirable. Either they
had been burned down or had been partially destroyed, and blood was
found where the wounded had lain.
Sadly, many soldiers ransacked
Gettysburg, looking for food, clothing and spoils. Some locals tried to
exploit the situation as well. They sold water, bread and anything
possible, or charged wounded soldiers for a wagon ride to the hospital.
This sure didn't help the civilians who were looking for their loved
ones, dead or alive.
In such grim circumstances, the wounded
soldiers had no chance for survival, unless they had money, that is!
Despair must have rampaged, and prayers must have become even more
abundant.
Then the unforeseeable happened. A real miracle! Local
residents began to reach out to the wounded. Some cooked, as certainly
these poor souls must have been hungry. Others provided transportation
for free to the hospital or helped families finding their loved ones.
Many nurses and doctors came to their rescue as well. The grimness was
lifted, and hope became vibrant. Light started to shine and would
continue to shine until everybody had been taken care of!
Your
lot is not desperate. There is hope! Your circumstances may look grim,
but then, God is way bigger than our circumstances. He can assure you
that: "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?" (Rom 8:32, MSG)
Isn't it time that we fully discover the
grace He has reserved for us?
Rob Chaffart
A Challenge Beyond Bounds. Little Light of Mine, Part 2
Today's Bible Verse:
"Everything of God gets expressed in him, so you can see and hear
him clearly. You don't need a telescope, a microscope, or a horoscope to
realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe
without him." (Col 2:9, MSG)
A Challenge Beyond Bounds. Little Light of Mine, Part 2
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