Changing My View

What tough things are you facing this next week? Scheduling things? Family things? Relationship issues? Worry from the news, state of our country? Health issues? 

How are those things affected by your view of God and your understanding of the person of Jesus? Is your view of God too small? Is your concept of Jesus in a box? Is the work of the Spirit limited by your misunderstandings of his abilities?

Read Romans 8:27: "NO, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us." Conquerors! Isn't that such a big, majestic, strong word? 

But, the beauty of this verse is that God is not saying you will be a conqueror because you will do or accomplish or be so amazing. No. He is saying you will be a conqueror because of his love for you. 

Seems a little paradoxical, does it not? This is the beauty of our God! He who conquered kings and armies and created the world and orchestrates events and people and times and places LOVES YOU! 

Do you remember the story of Caleb and Joshua and the spies who went to investigate the land of Canaan? (It's in Numbers 13, if you want to read it!) If you remember, twelve spies were sent by Moses to see what kind of land the people would be entering. Ten of the spies came back with the report that the land was amazing, BUT there were giants in the land, and there would be no way to defeat those giants in order to take the land. (I can picture the people with disappointed looks on their faces, wondering why they had come this far only to be the recipients of this bad news.) Then, Caleb gets up and says, "We can conquer this land!" Why did he have the confidence to say such a bold thing? BECAUSE HE HAD A RIGHT VIEW OF GOD. Caleb understood that God had brought them to this place with the promise that they could possess it. Therefore, if God had brought them here, who were they to say he would not give it to them- by his power!? Caleb had no scripture to affirm this belief; but, this confidence was his understanding of God. 

This same God who brought the people of Israel into the land of Canaan is the same God who years later sent his beloved Son to earth, as a baby, to grow and be a man who would then die for the sins of the whole world. Now far be it from us to think Jesus did this as an unwilling participant. No. Jesus came (in power and as still deity) because of his great love for us. Why? To accomplish the purpose of bringing redemption for all who will believe in him. To conquer and defeat the power of sin and death. Our Jesus is MIGHTY! And our Jesus loves you. 

Here in Romans 8, Paul is telling us that because God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit have made the way for you to live as children of God (loved, saved by grace, filled with the power of the Holy Spirit), you can conquer whatever is facing you today. This week. In the years to come. 

"Say not my soul, 'From whence can God relieve my care?' Remember that Omnipotence has servants everywhere. His method is sublime; his heart profoundly kind. God never is before his time, and never is behind." (C.H. Spurgeon)

Bring your cares to God this week. He is your conquering king and your loving Father and Savior. The Spirit is your comforter, your helper. Read Romans 8 this week and ask God to enlarge your view of who he is, who Jesus is, and revel in the amazing process that is your salvation, redemption, and sanctification. "For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor rulers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord!" (Romans 8:38)

Praying for you this week!

Additional Song for Meditation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wcULqyoINg