Monday, June 13, 2022

            At the end of John’s gospel, we read a fascinating conclusion or summation about Jesus’ ministry and work.  John wrote, “Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written” (John 21:25).  It is amazing to think that the world would not be able to contain the books if everything Jesus did had been written down! We can personalize that statement and consider what Jesus has done for us.  What would we write down about Jesus today?  How many books would you be able to fill up about Jesus’ presence and work in your life?  Where would you likely begin?
            We have four gospels devoted to the life, death, resurrection and works of Jesus.  Each of the gospel writers had to be selective about what to include and share about Jesus.  If God inspired you to write a gospel, what sayings or miracles would most capture your attention and devotion?  In Scripture today, we have all that we need to know Jesus and form a relationship with Him.  God has revealed all that is necessary for us to know His Son in a personal and life-changing way.  As we reflect upon our relationship with the Lord, we likely begin with thanksgiving and gratefulness.  We are thankful that God did send His only-begotten Son to be our Savior and to set use free from sin.  Gratitude is an appropriate place to start.  We could likely fill up a book with reasons to be thankful and grateful for all that God has done for our salvation.
            We might also fill up a book with the many things that God has faithfully given to us.  Consider the gifts of food, a place to live, family, friendships, a job, an enjoyable vacation, a good night of rest and healing when we are sick.  God’s provisions are nothing short of extraordinary.  He is always mindful of our needs and faithfully provides for those needs each day.  The air we breathe has been provided by God.  And He has created our bodies to function seamlessly as we sleep each night.  God is often at work to orchestrate situations and circumstances that bring glory to Him but also bring good things to us.
            We could write many pages in a book speaking about the majesty of creation and the awesome power of nature and the immeasurable size of the universe.  Consider the stars and constellations on a bright and brilliant night where the heavens declare the glory of the Lord.  Imagine the power of the sun to warm our planet and to provide us with light.  The distance between the sun and the earth is a perfect balance whereby we are neither deprived warmth and light nor consumed by intense and overwhelming heat.  Consider the beauty of the Grand Canyon, the Rockies and the coastline of the Carolinas.  We could spend chapters testifying to the beauty and grace of all that God has made.
            And we might be able to write a lot of words about how God has answered our prayers and worked in the ways where we have sought His help and grace.  God is at work in our world at all times and in astounding ways.  Consider the times you have felt His peace, enjoyed His forgiveness or experienced His healing.  God has not abandoned His creation or His people.  He continues to bless, encourage, strengthen and heal.  John was right to say that the world could not contain all the books that we could write about the deeds of the Lord Jesus.  He is God and we are mere mortals.  We can never conceive of all there is to know about the Almighty.  Any god we could fully explain and understand is not God.  We end with Paul’s beautiful doxology in Romans 11:33-36 where the old apostle gives a loving tribute to the Lord he met on the Damascus Road.  Paul wrote, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God!     How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!  Who has known the mind of the Lord?  Or who has been his counselor?  Who has ever given to God, that God should repay them? For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”
            Have a great Monday and remember you can share our worship from Sunday any time at youtube.com/FirstBaptistKannapolis.com