Tuesday, November 28, 2017

Day of Praise

Wed, 11/29/17, "Day of Praise"

"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified." - 1 Corinthians 2:2

Life is funny. Just when you think something is a sure thing, then you come to see that maybe you shouldn't have been so sure. 

As a general example, sometimes things that look bad become reasons for someone to step up and do something. And sometimes things that look good become the ruin of the one who got the good thing. Life can be funny. Things aren't always as they seem. 

As a specific example, I remember one time I used a football and dirt example in this devotional. I thought for sure that I'd hear from the mass of guys who receive Day of Praise because guys stereotypically like dirt and football. But life's funny, and every single reply that initially came back about dirt and football was a beautifully-worded response from a woman. Only a little later did a few guys chime in. Life's funny. Things don't always turn out as you initially think. 

Even as I began today to write about life being funny, someone dear to me was just talking about life being funny: "I love seeing God's sense of humor in all the places: life, relationships, scripture, weather, and so on."

In the end, for all the things that we think we know, there is one absolute thing for certain and for sure. And that one thing is this: God loves us. Almighty, sovereign, everlasting God loves us. And we know this with utmost certainty through his Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Specifically, we see God's love for us completely poured out from his heart when Jesus is rejected, suffers, and dies on the cross. 

That's why St. Paul wrote: "For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified" (1 Corinthians 2:2). In essence, St. Paul was saying that life is funny because just when you think something is a sure thing, then you come to see that maybe you shouldn't have been so sure. Therefore, Paul was saying, "I'm going to stick to the one thing that truly is for sure: Jesus Christ and him crucified." For in Jesus and his cross, we have assurance of the one thing we need for sure, namely, that we're loved with the everlasting love. 

Praise God!

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