- Details
- Written by: Don Goulding
O Lord, of what importance is the human race, that you should notice them?
Of what importance is mankind, that you should be concerned about them? (Psalms 144:3)
Take a standard number two pencil, sharpen it to a good point, and tap the lead on a piece of paper to leave a dot. Let that .004 inch dot represent the 93 million miles from the earth to our sun. Using this scale, make a row of 216,400 dots to represent the distance to the nearest star, Proxima Centauri. To map the diameter of our Milky Way galaxy, draw 310 miles of dots side by side. The edge of the universe will be depicted when you line dots up one third of the way to the sun.
It’s necessary for me use dots when comparing distances in space, so I can make some attempt at grasping the ginormous scope of God’s governance. Realizing he holds together over 500 billion galaxies of every imaginable shape and color, I see that the word awesome only begins to describe him.
The most inconceivable fact is not that God is sovereign over the universe, but that he is also intensely focused on my minuscule life. All that vast space, billions of other places, whirling luminous ecstasies, and he—loves—me.
Humans were created as beings of great dignity. We were meant to receive and reciprocate God’s love. That’s our grand eternal mission. Sadly, we have largely abandoned our role. No matter how debased we become, we have the potential of regaining our purpose.
The one thing I can do to receive the dignity of being loved by the one who holds the universe together is to say yes to the offer of his Son. The result gives me something different than self-esteem. It’s a holy transaction that binds me to him who is forever significant—and therefore, makes me significant. It’s God-in-me esteem.
Prayer: LORD God, through Jesus, I receive your vast significance.
- Details
- Written by: Don Goulding
“Dispose of this accursed woman’s corpse. Bury her, for after all, she was a king’s daughter.” But when they went to bury her, they found nothing left but the skull, feet, and palms of the hands. (2 Kings 9:34-35)
Racing one hundred forty kilometers per hour through the ancient tiled buildings of Esztergom, Hungary, three intoxicated medical students crashed their BMW. Two pedestrians were badly injured. One passenger went into a coma, the driver and his seatmate were both decapitated.
The next morning, I sat across the roadway at an outdoor coffee shop. The gore had been removed, but I couldn’t avert my eyes from the site. The Spirit of God spoke to me about the horrific outcome of sin. It clung to me like smoke from rancid garbage.
I get too relaxed among evil. I treat wickedness like a rich uncle who lets me live with him. As long as he pays my bills, I stay in his house and laugh at his twisted ways. In the same way, while the world pretends to care for me, I indulge its vile.
It’s not my place to judge others, but I need to be sickened by my own wrongdoing. Everything from exaggeration to copy write infringement, from rude comments to impure thoughts—it’s revolt against Jehovah.
Our free will is a sacred right with eternal consequences. Every choice alters the universe for good or bad. So to God, sin is never laughable. To him it’s blood splattering, head rolling, life decimating evil.
Because of sin’s devastation, our Father paid the most extreme price to reverse the destruction. He paid it on the horrible cross of beautiful Jesus.
Prayer: LORD God, help me to despise my sin as hell’s gore.
- Details
- Written by: Don Goulding
A person who has friends may be harmed by them,
but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. (Proverbs 18:24)
My childhood friend came for a visit. We laughed about old times and got somber over shared grief. How was it that I’d left this guy behind? I asked him how long he could stay and he said he’d be with me as long as I needed. I invited him to sleep on the couch and he was grateful.
I needed groceries from the store. I also wanted some unhealthy indulgences.
“Um, would you mind waiting out here?” I didn’t want him to see what went into the shopping bag. “I know right where everything is and it will be quicker this way.”
A twitch of dejection crossed his face.
Next, we stopped to pick up papers from my office. I thought about asking my friend to come and see where I worked, but what if we ran into my boss? I knew my friend wasn’t always politically correct. I left him waiting in the car.
That evening, I created a distraction for my friend so I could plan an upcoming vacation with some buddies. I sent my childhood pal out to buy ice cream. He returned to find me with a bunch of off-color hooligans and watched without comment.
At the grocery store, I’d made him wait outside like a dog. I kept him out of my work life, vacation plans, and relationships like he was a flea on a dog. Soulmates don’t treat each other like that.
I broke the silence. “I don’t know what I was thinking. I want you with me everywhere I go. I’m sorry, Jesus.”
Prayer: Lord, I invite you into every activity, nothing held back.