The Cedar Room

This is one of my top three songs. Ever. Period. It's just so good it gives me goosebumps and I lose myself everytime I hear it. Enjoy!

Our Father...

I was talking to a friend, having just heard an evangelistic gospel presentation, one evening this week. He said something which really struck me, as we were talking about his questions. He said (paraphrase)


"I know exactly what the speaker was talking about in relation to God loving us, because I have a daughter. I love her so much, she is the only reason I come to work each day, to provide and care for her. And if she were ever to turn to me and say 'I don't need you anymore' and walk away, it would hurt me so much, I don't know what I'd do"


All I could say in reply was "mate you've got it. That's exactly how God feels towards us, except more so, if you can imagine". My friend is exactly right! Jesus tells us to call God our "Father" (Mt 6:9). So we have a father in heaven, who loves us, and "he cares for you" (1 Peter 5:7). We have a loving father, who knows us intimately, who we call, in effect 'Daddy', just like my friends daughter would call her father. Allow this truth to sink in for a while. You have a father from whose love you cannot be separated (Rom 8:35), who knows you intimately, and who has set you apart for future Glory with him. Amazing! Knowing this truth in a deeper way in your soul will surely help you to fix your eyes on Jesus, the cross, and on the great assurance you can have in being known by a loving, sovereign father!

Where is your worth?

Galatians 1:10 says: 

"Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ."

Which leads me to think - where is my approval? Where is my sense of worth? Where is my value? Ask yourself this, but don't just jump the (correct) biblical answer of "Well obviously my worth is in Christ". That's true, but what do you really believe, whose approval do you live by on a daily basis? Where is your functional approval? In the value christ has on you, shown by himself dying for your unrighteousness, to bring you to God, or, is it in any of the following things:

1. Other people's approval of you
2. Your achievements
3. Your possessions

If it's in any of those things, you are not abnormal, most of us place our sense of value in them, in that we think that if any of those are taken away, we wouldn't have any worth. 

However if your worth is placed in any of those, it's misplaced! None of those things lasts. People grow apart, so their approval of you matters less - some people you only meet once, so what's the point in seeking their approval!? You, and your achievements will grow old, and dated, and they eventually become meaningless. You may lose all your possessions in a fire tomorrow. Then where will your value and approval be!

So start preaching to yourself, that you should aim to please Christ, and not men, aim to place all your value in Him who loves you so much he was wrenched from his loving father to face His wrath for you. It's a liberating thing to do, we become more free to love and serve Christ, and not men, in this way