He Made a Wretch His Treasure

           

It doesn’t make sense, does it? The perfect, all powerful God of heaven disrupted the ideal nature and the calm of His heavenly home to create…people. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (Joh 3:16). But, why? Why did He make us? Why does He love us? I have wondered how much I could possibly ever love a person who had helped cause the death of my child, yet God does just that. “But God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Rom 5:8) Even though He knew we would fail Him. He knew we would struggle to live like we love Him. But He created us, and He sacrificed His ONLY Son for us.

            Love is the only answer that makes any sense…and even that idea stretches greatly my capacity for love. You see, we are made in the “image” of God. (Gen 1:26) He made us like Him in various ways. To fathom God’s desire to make me, I think back to my own desire to become a father. I certainly knew my children would, at some point, let me down. Even in their innocence, they don’t always make my life easier. But I chose fatherhood so that I could LOVE my children.

            This is the explanation that God gives for making and loving us unconditionally. “Looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, ..” (Heb 12:2) We are His joy. Providing us with a chance to be saved is what caused our Father in Heaven to create us, and it is precisely what held Him to the cross. It was His choice to “make a wretch His treasure.”

            It is sometimes a good thing to look into the depths of our souls and truly realize how empty, lost, and worthless we would be if God hadn’t chosen to love us. It’s not a self-confidence thing, it’s just the truth. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Mat 5:3) Now, how will you live for the God who loves you like this?

----Darrell Powell

I Learned it from Paw Paw

My Pawpaw Rice was a Big, Big man.  When I was a little boy, I’d look up at his 6’4” 260 lb frame and imagine what it must feel like to be so large and powerful.  I’d dream of walking around, a giant among men, and wish that one day I would match his stature.  I was 18 years old when I outgrew him (in height and weight), but by that time I had already realized I could work at it my entire life and never be as big as he was…in strength, in love, and in humility.

 My Pawpaw taught me that strength wasn’t measured by what a man can lift.  Easy for him to say, a Samson of a man who could effortlessly yank my then 265 lbs off the ground with one arm.  He was one of the biggest reasons my football coaches had to MAKE me hit hard in the beginning.  But his strength was in his character, faith, and wisdom.  His most impressive powerful attributes came from God and the faith he had in Him.  “…The God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto His people (Psa 68:35). 

I saw how a man ought to love his wife when I watched how he treated my Mawmaw.  He spoke gently and kindly to her always.  We would be down at his cabinet shop working, and he would often stop everything and say, “I gotta go check on my girl.”  He took care of her, and what’s more, he loved to take care of her.  “Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;” (Eph 5:25).

It was easy to see that meekness doesn’t mean weakness when I observed the life my Pawpaw lived.  He had rock-solid hands that dwarfed mine, but they were gentle when they needed to be.  He didn’t shout or intimidate to get respect.  He earned respect by being a man of his word and by serving others.  I follow Pawpaw’s example because he absolutely followed Christ.  And I look forward to the day we can be together again.

----Darrell Powell

Would You Have Mocked Him?

The comfortable approach to Bible study is to come upon the recorded dark deeds of others and express or feel contempt and anger towards those who did evil. I have, at times, admittedly felt better about myself after reading of David’s sin with the beautiful Bathsheba. I have thought, “Well, I’ve never done anything as bad as Saul did before his conversion.” And, I suppose we would all like to think we would have somehow treated Jesus better than those who denied, rejected, mocked, or killed Him. So, when I ask, “Would you have mocked Christ along with the scoffers?” I want you to pause a few moments before you answer with boldness.

            During the last supper, Jesus revealed a painful truth to His disciples. “Then Jesus said to them, ‘You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.” (Mat 26:31) Peter was especially disturbed by the thought of this betrayal and said, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” (Mat 26:33) Then, Peter received a personal prediction that cut him deeply as Jesus told him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” (Mat 26:34) Peter was so sure of his dedication that he assured Jesus he would die before he would deny Him. But in the end, Peter’s fear conquered his faith and he was reduced to bitter tears after he had vehemently denied that he even knew the Lord.

            Perhaps we would have stood firm and had courage that Peter lacked when he denied Jesus. But there are other ways to deny. Keeping silent when we need to stand up can be as bad as cursing Christ. When I think about my mistakes, which I commit out of weakness, not fear of persecution or death, I’m afraid I would have scattered with the other disciples. I fear I would have run away and denied the Lord because of fear. I’m scared that I would have mocked to blend in and go unnoticed. I do know that when I give in to my weaknesses, I am wounding Christ all over again and even showing contempt for Him. (Heb 6:4-6)

Encourage and even rebuke the scoffers, the mockers, and the deniers. But realize that some of their weaknesses live in you, and strive even more diligently to be faithful.

----Darrell Powell

The Worst Part of the Cross

The Worst Part Of The Cross

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" (Matthew 27:46) I close my eyes and I can see my own son hurting or suffering somewhere, and at that moment I feel I’m as close as I can get to understanding the LOVE that it took for our heavenly father to divert His face as His only Son died to save the world. It MAY not be possible to know  the extent of what Jesus’ words here meant, but here’s what we do know: The human part of Jesus wanted to be spared from the agony of the cross. He said as blood and sweat poured from his worried body, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me…” (Matthew 26:39) But the eternal plan that had been set in place required Christ’s blood to be shed. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?" (Matthew 26:53-54) Jesus WILLINGLY gave Himself to die for us…and nothing outside of His love for us held him on the cross. But whether it was the weight of the world’s sins resting on Him, or his tormented body crying out for mercy, He felt forsaken as He died for us.

I wonder sometimes what the most painful wound Jesus suffered was. Was it the excruciating physical pain from the scourging, the repeated blows from soldiers, or the nails through His hands? Was it the shame of dying for crimes He didn’t commit? He did “despise the shame” (Hebrews 12:2). Maybe it was the loss He experienced as He left heaven and was born a lowly human. But made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:7-8)

Regardless of what was most difficult for Him, we should know that every wound He suffered was endured to save us…to heal us from certain death. But we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering. (Hebrews 2:9-10) Next time you are staring temptation in the face, remember these three truths: 1) Sin caused Christ’s death, and your sins crucify Him again. 2) Sin will wreck your life both physically and spiritually. 3) Sin will keep you out of Heaven.

----Darrell Powell