The Ultimate Snobbery

Hello, Father. Thank you for sustaining me through a busy day.

I love your Word for me today:

John 3:36[a] (NIV)
"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, ..."

It's something I'm quite aware of but that's not what I'm taking from it this time. It is the very awareness of it that reminds me how flesh can be so forgetful. We can be so comfortable that we know something that we take it for granted.

This is why you teach us to pray even when you already know what we will be praying for before we utter the first word. This is why you tell us to read your Word daily and every chance we get.

The world could think this would be boring. That is certainly not the believer's experience. Your presence is so sweet in those times of prayer. Your Word always brings fresh meaning no matter how many times we read it. What's more, we find ourselves to have grown a few steps better each time you visit us in prayer and Bible reading.

Why not? Trust grows as we see the truth of your Word prove itself time and again. Trust deepens faith. Faith builds character.

Through it all, your love is revealed. Love that requires no conditions. Love that would sacrifice even life to save the life of the loved one---whether love is returned or rejected.

Rejection. That's the second part of your Word for me today:

John 3:36[b] (NIV)
"...but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God's wrath remains on him."

It is so unthinkable that such a loving, patient God would be rejected. It's unbelievable that such unfathomable love would be unreciprocated, even despised and mocked.

Until I remind my forgetful self that once upon a time I did it to you, too, my LORD Jesus. What mindless snobbery! I belittled your love and toyed around with your fiery wrath:

Romans 1:18-19 (NIV)
"The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them."

Oh, yes. Heaven and earth testify to your truth. In wondrous ways you wrote your Bible so that we have a love letter from you that should make your love and concern for us so plain and clear. You revealed yourself to us through your Son:

John 3:16 (NIV)
"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."

Once again, a very familiar verse from your Word. One I am also only too aware of that I need to keep reminding myself of it.

Remind me, LORD. Remind the world. Those of us that know you, let us not forget.

Those that do not know you, let them not reject your love.

In Jesus' Mighty Name, I ask it, LORD. Amen.

Experts say that when a father is involved in church, there is a high probability that his children will also get involved. In fact, when the men's ministry flourishes, so does the church. That's certainly something to chew on while we worship the LORD today.