“You’re our only hope,” she pleads. Luke is moved by her
need—her utter helplessness—and is immediately ready to do whatever it takes to
rescue her. (Of course it doesn’t hurt that she’s young and beautiful.)
If Princess Leah’s call for help was able to touch the heart
of this young warrior, who didn’t even know who she was, imagine how God feels
when we express our desperate need for Him!
This Christmas I ask myself, Am I desperate for a closer relationship with God? Am I aware I’m
in extreme need of His help? Do I
know I am utterly and completely lost without Him? Is Jesus my only hope?
The Jews put their hopes in the coming Messiah to rescue Israel
from the tyranny of Rome. However, Jesus came to rescue all mankind from the tyranny of sin.
Do we make the same mistake today - looking only for liberation from discomfort,
sickness, financial ruin, worldly oppression, or the consequences of our own
sinful choices?
Throughout history believers have declared Jesus is the only
hope of mankind. We desperately need the eternal hope He offers, not just a
temporary fix. He didn’t come looking the way people expected. He didn’t kill
off their enemies the way they wanted. When the crowds who followed Jesus found
out He wasn’t going to do things their way, many abandoned Him.
At this point Jesus asked His disciples if they were going
to leave Him too. “Simon Peter said, ‘Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the
words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy One of God’”
(John 6:69). In other words, “You’re our only hope.”
What about you? Has God answered your prayers in a less-than-spectacular
display of power that left you disappointed? Was His answer “No” when you
wanted it to be “Yes?” Kind of like getting a baby when you expected a war
hero?
Have you read the Bible looking for comfort and rescue, and
found He’s also calling you to commitment, obedience, and self-denial? It can
be hard to swallow.
But Peter had it right – where else can we go? Jesus refuses
to cram His God-ness into a box of our making. Salvation is His plan and He
will bring it about in the way He chooses. In His perfect way.
The question is, will we recognize Him? Will we see our real
need is not for an earthly hero, but a Savior? He came to rescue us from the
despair of sin, and prepare us for eternal life with Him. This world is only
temporary.
What
have you been seeking this Christmas? Is Jesus everything you’ve hoped for? Is
there anyone else who can meet the deepest needs of your soul? If not, look for
His entrance in the quiet, humble moments of the day. Your hope will rise as
you recognize He is all you need.
Reprinted from
The Four Days of Christmas, © 2015,
Beth Vice
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment