Today's Bread
I was driving Clara to school yesterday and singing along to the radio. A song came on that I've heard at least a hundred times before. One of the verses is "This is my daily bread, your very Word spoken to me". You've probably heard it too.
As I was singing along and thinking about the words, I felt that still small voice speaking to me.
"You must be starving!"
It's true. I've been starving myself lately! When it comes to spending good quality time with the very Word of God...the Bible...I've been quite the slacker. It's my goal this weekend to spend some good quality time getting my fill. I feel hungry for it.
I opened my Bible this morning as I at my breakfast. I love the Psalms. Not so much the Psalms where David is moaning and groaning about something (although they have their time and place too, of course)...I love the Psalms that are full of praise and worship. I always seem to learn a thing or two about God's character when I'm reading the Psalms.
There was one verse that really popped out to me this morning (don't you love it when that happens? :) )
Psalm 89:14
"Righteousness and justice are the foundation of your throne; love and faithfulness go before you."
Righteousness. Justice. Love. Faithfulness.
Why did this jump out at me? I think it has to do with the "New-Agey" spiritual stuff that's been really on the rise lately. As you might know, I've been spending quite a bit of time on Oprah's discussion boards, where they are discussing her new book selection "A New Earth".
It's terrible, what's going on over there. There's lots of talk of "enlightenment" and "ego" and "self" and letting go of the ego and self and just...being still.
On the surface it seems fine...but what is being still if you are not in the presence of God? What does "god" even mean to you if you reject Jesus as savior...not just "highly enlightened" or "a great man"...but THE SAVIOR? Jesus is being completely lost in the discussion and teachings. The Gospel is being forsaken in the name of being "open minded." It keeps me up at night, what's going on with Oprah's new project.
My point? Well, a common argument that people have when debating the validity of Jesus as Savior...as God... goes something like this:
"God is love. God loves all. We are all his children. We all have God in us because we are made in his image. There are many paths to God. Heaven and Hell are only in our heads anyway, not real places. If you say that Jesus is the only way, then you are being judgemental and filled with hate and conflict. You are not in touch with God if you believe that Jesus is the only way."
There are lots and lots of arguments to this way of thinking. It's hard to hold my tongue and not really start "Bible thumping", since the Bible is FILLED with valid arguments to statements like those.
But the bottom line? The bottom line is that YES, God is love. But he is also righteous. He is also Holy. He is also faithful. There will be a penalty for our sins...thank the Lord, that the penalty was paid by Him for us if we accept the gift of his sacrifice.
Dying on the cross for us was the ultimate in love. But why was it necessary in the first place? It was necessary because I have sinned and because God is Righteous.
I rest with a satisfied belly today...filled with the Bread of God's Word. I rest today knowing that God is many things. He his perfectly loving. He his perfectly just. He is perfectly righteous. And that great big God who is so perfectly all things good? He loves me...little ol' me!
