During this season of Lent, I think alot about the love that God has for everyone through His son, Jesus Christ. I am also amazed at the way the Lord changed dealing with us. In the Old Testament, when people did not follow His commands they were wiped out. When Lot and his family left Sodom and Gomorrah, God told them not to look back at the cities...Lot's wife did and she was turned into a pillar of salt (Genesis 19:16-29).I am prayerfully grateful that God changed from turning people into a pillar salt, to sending His only son, Jesus Christ to love us. Through Christ we are able to obtain a joyous life on earth and eternal life in heaven when we leave this earth. God no longer punishes us immediately for our transgressions, but rather tells us to turn to His son and ask for forgiveness. If we do that we are assured that we will not be turned into a pillar of salt (a very good thing), but rather we will feel God's loving embrace.
It is God's way of showing us His love that has changed so dramatically from the Old Testament to the New Testament and ..."Boy, I am Glad He Did" change. For the entire New Testament the theme is the love of God through Jesus Christ. We are to learn from Christ's example how love touches our lives and is a form of growth. A 19th century minister Henry Ward Beecher said, "Love is not a possession but a growth. The heart is a lamp with just enough to burn for an hour, and if there be no oil to put in again its light will go out. God's grace is the oil that fills the lamp of love."
God also gave us a symbol of His love and that is the cross. No other symbol can bring such emotion to millions of people...whether it be a crucifix or whether it be an empty cross. To some they can only think of Christ's suffering...to others it is an overwhelming sense of peace and love. For me, at different times, it can be one or the other emotion, but the strongest emotion is God loved me so much that He gave His only son and since I believe in him I will have eternal life.
I pray that you too will feel that love and understand that God changed from wiping people out to holding us..."Boy, I Am Glad He Did!"
