As I read through the 3rd chapter of John, there are several observations to note. The first is that of a Pharisee named Nicodemus, a spiritual leader, approaching Jesus at night so as to go unnoticed, and calling Him Rabbi. Nicodemus goes on to say that they all know He is from God because of the miracles, but are mystified by the spiritual rebirth that takes place when one is reborn of the Spirit. Jesus is describing the faith required to accept and believe that He, Jesus, is the Messiah, the one and only Son of God sent to save the lost. The passage goes on to describe God's love for us in one of the most known versus in all of literature, John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." What an amazing love that provided a sinful humanity a way to restore, for all time, man's lost relationship with their Creator. A love so great that God sacrificed His only Son as the perfect, once and for all, sacrificial Lamb, who would die, conquer sin, Satan, and death, to be risen on the third day, and reigns on high "preparing us a place" where we can spend eternity with Him! Having grown up in the church, with limited exposure to the entrapment of sin, and a great deal of exposure to the ways of God, I still do not have the level of appreciation for the love God showed to us through Jesus that I should have. The Bible says that "All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and I am grateful to have been spared the depths of sin that others have endured, but I pray that I am not found complacent or lackluster having not been spared from depths of despair. As I type these words, I am sensing the Lord speaking to me that the absence of sinful activities is not the presence of righteousness, and that I am in danger of viewing salvation as more meaningful for those who have been saved from a life of sin, while viewing my own salvation as "easy" and therefore less meaningful. The amazing truth that God has revealed to me is that salvation is a free gift from God, and that our acceptance of that gift is a life changing decision that changes us from sinners on the way to hell, to children of God on the way to heaven! Praise God for this wonderful gift. I am a child of God, and not matter what Satan tells me about the merit of my testimony, I know that but for the grace of God, I would be lost, and yet now I am found. God does not want us to compare testimonies, but rather to share His love and the Gospel message to the world.
Heavenly Father, thank you for Your Word, for Your love, and for Your Salvation. Thank you that my salvation is as meaningful as any other, and that my testimony is as powerful as any other in that I was a sinner, and now, through the Blood of Jesus, I am saved. I pray that I will walk this journey of life as You would have me to, and that my testimony will shine the light of Your love and gospel to the lost and dying around me. Please help me to know you more by spending time reading and reflecting on Your Word, and that as I get to know you better, I will love you more and more, and that this knowledge and love for You will lead to a life of obedience to Your will. I love you and I am grateful for what you have done in me, and I pray that You will use me in whatever capacity you desire, to further Your will today. Please bless my family and friends today Lord, that each of us will have a better understanding of who You are, and what You have in store for us as we surrender to You. Thank You again for meeting with me today, and I pray that Your presence will continue with me throughout the day, and that my actions will pleasing in Your sight. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
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