Vital signs- Saturday,January 20th, 2024

Vital signs

”Tax collectors and other notorious sinners often came to listen to Jesus teach. This made the Pharisees and teachers of religious law complain that he was associating with such sinful people—even eating with them! So Jesus told them this story: “If a man has a hundred sheep and one of them gets lost, what will he do? Won’t he leave the ninety-nine others in the wilderness and go to search for the one that is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he will joyfully carry it home on his shoulders. When he arrives, he will call together his friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice with me because I have found my lost sheep.’ In the same way, there is more joy in heaven over one lost sinner who repents and returns to God than over ninety-nine others who are righteous and haven’t strayed away!“

‭‭Luke‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬-‭7‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Before the creation of the world, before the stars and galaxies, the oceans and rivers, before the redwoods and daffodils, the lions and the butterflies—God knew you. On that fateful day in the garden when Adam and Eve ate the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, and sin entered the world—God knew you. As history unfolded and God enacted His redemption plan to save humanity, God knew you. When Jesus hung on the cross, beaten and bruised, suffering and dying to defeat the power of sin and death—God knew you. When Jesus was buried in the tomb and when He rose again three days later—God knew you. When Jesus ascended to heaven, God made you alive in Christ; then He picked you up and set you down right next to Him! You were there! (Eph 2:6 MSG) 

God has not for a second forsaken you or forgotten you. He has not abandoned you. His promises are good and His heart is for you. You did nothing to deserve His love. And there’s nothing you could ever do to earn it. Like the lost sheep, He found you. His arms are open wide to you. He wants to put you on his shoulders and carry you home. That’s the love of our God. It doesn’t make sense. It isn’t selfish. It isn’t self-serving. And it never fails. 

In these next few moments will you let God’s love rush over you? Will you let Him come near, comfort you and remind you He gave His life for you? He is here. 

God, I am overwhelmed by Your love for me. Now I will live with the confidence that there is nothing in the universe with the power to separate me from Your love. Nothing— living or dead, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get me and Your love for me. There is nothing in my present or future circumstance that can weaken Your love. There is absolutely nothing that can distance me from Your passionate love, which is lavished upon me through Jesus! 

Team Wade loves you and is praying for you 👊❤️