Unleashed – As You Go – Pray

“The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. The Lord is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.” Psalm 145:8-9

Throughout the Bible, God inspired the writings of scripture, capturing the whole story, including the failures as well as the victories, of men and women. Granted, it might have made for more edifying reading if some of the dark stains of failure had been left out, but for our benefit and teaching, the writers included the whole story. They captured the close relationship that Adam had with God but also his disobedience. We read of the faithfulness of Noah but also read of his drunken stupor. We read of the valor of Samson along with his character flaws. We learn that David was called a man after God’s own heart yet we have to read of David’s adulterous affair and murderous plot. The cowardly denial by Peter is shared and the nitpicking complaints of Martha. The religious legalism and zeal of Paul is highlighted. Yet God made sure the full stories were captured so we could read of their redemption and restoration. These were men and women who didn’t stay in their sins, but allowed God to restore them. Their flawed stories were not revised but redeemed.

Our story may not be mentioned specifically but how marvelously implied it is, “So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” (Genesis 1:27-28)

However, God knew our hearts well and that we would fail to live up to the lofty declaration that He made for mankind. Seminary professor Scot McKnight taught a class on Jesus and would start every semester with two surveys. “The first was a set of questions about the student: what they liked, disliked, believed, and so on. The second was the same set of questions, but this time about Jesus and 90 percent of the time, the answers were exactly the same.” Mark Comer writes “Here’s how you know if you’ve created God in your own image; he agrees with you on everything. He hates all the people you hate. He voted for the person you voted for…And above all, he’s tame. You never get mad at him or blown away by him or scared of him. Because he’s controllable.”

Oswald Chambers wrote, “Jesus Christ never trusted human nature, yet He was never cynical, never suspicious, because He trusted absolutely in what He could do for human nature. The pure man or woman, not the innocent, is the safeguarded man or woman. You are never safe with an innocent man or woman. Men and women have no business to be innocent; God demands that they be pure and virtuous. Innocence is the characteristic of a child; it is a blameworthy thing for a man or woman not to be reconciled to the fact of sin.”

God didn’t bother to sanitize and revise the stories found in Scripture since “human ways are under the eyes of the LORD, and he examines all their paths.” (Prov 5:21) The writers of Scripture didn’t respond like the latest trends we are seeing where statues are being removed or damaged, streets, buildings and universities renamed because of the past sins of the person. Thankfully God takes us where we are and begins his work of restoration and redemption. “Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God; indeed, he has prepared a city for them.” Hebrews 11:16b

Personally, I am thankful that, next to the statue of David’s adulterous affair, the cross of Jesus overshadows the affair. Next to Peter’s statue of denial, the cross of Jesus overshadows the failure. Next to my statue of sinfulness, the cross of Jesus now overshadows all my failures. Instead of trying to tear down your statues of failure and sin, let the cross of Jesus overshadow your statue.

“Gladden the soul of your servant, for to you, O LORD, I lift up my soul. For you, O LORD, are good and forgiving, abounding in steadfast love to all who call on you.” Psalm 86:4-5

God is great,
Pastor Lynn