301. He Knows What It's Like

Hebrews 4:15

I don’t really gamble, but I would bet anything that whenever you sin, (especially if you think it’s a really big sin) you believe that not only is God disappointed in you, but He’s also looking at you and thinking, “What’s wrong with you? Are you some kind of freak? Why on earth are you so messed up that you would want something like that?” Most of us think that God not only disapproves of our behavior, but just doesn’t understand us at all. We think God shakes His head at us in disgust, wondering how in the world we are tempted by the things that drag us down and take us out. The truth is so much better than what we naturally think on our own. In fact, one reason the truth is so much better is that it’s something we never would have thought up on our own. If human beings were inventing a religion and simply making up Jesus as a fictional character, we never would have put this part in. Hebrews chapter 4 tells us that Jesus is not unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but has been tempted in every way, just like us, only without sin. Do you realize what that means? It means that Jesus knows what it’s like to want to do the wrong thing. He understands why you desire the things that cause you to fall. He’s not looking down on you for wanting what you want. He gets it. Jesus stood toe-to-toe with those same temptations and overcame them. He never once sinned, but He was tempted by them. He doesn’t look at you like some kind of freak. Our God knows what it’s like down here.

300. His Love Is Better

John 15:9

Do you ever feel like you don’t know where you stand with the Lord? Maybe it seems like you’ve stepped over a line and now you’re in the penalty box for a while, or maybe you just feel distant and cold. Maybe you haven’t really been reading the Scriptures all that consistently and your prayers seem to go nowhere. Maybe you’re holding onto attitudes you know He doesn’t want, but whatever the case, things just don’t feel right between you and Jesus sometimes. Here’s the thing: the reason so many of us think we’re on shaky ground with the Lord is that we believe His love is like our love. Our love for Jesus is real, but the strength of it comes and goes. Our love for Jesus had a beginning and before that time, we were strangers and enemies against Him. Sometimes we get mad at Jesus and sometimes we simply forget about Him. Our love for Him is a very human love. His love for us is better. His love for you had no beginning. Before He made the world, He knew you and loved you. His love for you doesn’t ever change. He has already made up His mind that you are accepted and righteous and it’s not based on your behavior. His love for you is passionate and pure. In John 15, Jesus said that His love for you is just like God the Father’s love for Him. Whoa. Jesus loves you the way the Father loves Him. That love is endless, boundless, joyful and unstoppable. It’s a love that rips its way right through death. Jesus doesn’t love the way you and I love. He loves us the way we want to be loved.

299. He Cuts You A Lot Of Slack

Matthew 17:27

Have you ever felt like you need a lot of mercy and help, even on your best days? Do you know how it feels to be right on the edge of losing it, even when things are going really well? I know that for me, the more I know myself and the more honest I am with myself, the more grace I need. Even when I’m spiritually fired up and feeling really close to the Lord, I’m bound to be an idiot in one way or another. It always surprises me when I meet a person who wants to measure the health of their spiritual life by looking at the consistency of their own behavior. I mean, really? That’s what you want to go with? If God were to keep a ledger like that, I know I’d be toast, and if the behavior chart included my thoughts, it’d be over. I don’t even know the depth of my own need. I think that when it comes to our personal holiness, most of us are fooling ourselves. That’s why I’m so thankful for Jesus. He doesn’t keep the kind of ledger we think we could live up to. He just pays for everything. He covers our backs on every stupid mistake, slip of the tongue and dark thought. One time Peter ran his mouth to impress some temple officials and implicated Jesus in a tax liability He didn’t owe. Jesus didn’t make Peter pay for His mistake, but instead pulled off one of His craziest miracles to completely sort out the mess. Wow. I need that type of kindness in my life. I want that kind of understanding. I need Jesus to cut me a lot of slack.

298. He's Closer Than You Think

Colossians 1:27

Have you ever gotten so completely frustrated, alone, afraid, distressed and confused that you wondered where Jesus was? Why doesn’t He respond to your prayers? Why isn’t He showing up to give you help? Does He care about you? Why won’t He speak to you? Why won’t He do something? Where is He? One of the things that’s strange about our belief in Jesus is that it is a walk of faith. It’s something you believe even though you can’t see it. It’s something you’re convinced is true, even when there is no irrefutable evidence. It’s mysterious. Jesus sometimes allows us to go through extremely difficult things. He walks us through trials and suffering. He pulls the rug out from underneath and even breaks your heart and when that happens, it’s reasonable to look around trying to figure out where He is. I’ve watched some people I love go through seasons just like this recently. I’ve seen friends in the depths of these questions and I’ve noticed something really interesting. I’ve watched a person who’s frantically searching around for evidence of Jesus turn around and pray for someone else who’s hurting. I’ve seen a friend desperate to find the Lord in their pain that somehow mustered up the love to extend forgiveness and mercy to someone else who sinned against them. I’ve watched a brother drowning in confusion explain the Good News to people who needed to hear it. In other words, while they were looking for Jesus, I saw Jesus in them. One of the mysteries of our faith is that we don’t just believe in Jesus - He lives inside us. Paul says, “The glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.”

297. He Knows You're Going To Walk Soon

Romans 8:19

You’re not always going to stumble. You’re not always going to make a mess. One day you’re going to be completely grown. And look, I don’t mean that one day you’ll be a grown up. I’m not talking about your chronological age. There are plenty of adults who have tons and tons of spiritual growing to do. I’m talking about the fact that you won’t always be a person who struggles and backslides. Right now, you’re saved and forgiven and accepted and you’re growing, but you still have this magnetic pull toward the wrong things. It’s a deep and ancient part of your heritage as a human. The Bible calls it your sin nature and you will be engaged in a tug-of-war match with it for the rest of your time here on earth. One day, though, you’re going to take off that sin nature like an old coat, drop it on the ground and walk away from it completely. Right now it’s a fight, but on that day, it will be as easy and natural as changing from dirty, wet clothes into clean, dry ones. The Apostle Paul said that the whole creation knows that this is going to happen to you. Everything God made knows this day is coming and they’re all waiting eagerly to see you transform. From plants to planets, from starfish to stars, they’re longing for the day you leave crawling behind and walk tall forever. The creation knows about this day because Jesus told them it’s coming. He knows that you will soon be a sight to behold - beautiful, strong, radiant and filled with the Love that made the world. You’re not there yet, but soon you will walk.

296. He's The Best Friend You'll Ever Have

John 15:15

I bet you know how it feels to have a good friend turn on you and become an enemy. There’s nothing more shocking or disorienting. The pain teaches you not to trust that person again, but it also teaches you how to be a better friend. If you know that unique hurt, you should also know that you’re not alone. Jesus knows what it’s like to be betrayed. He knows the way your stomach churns when you find out that someone who was supposed to have your back stabs you in the back instead. You feel foolish and small when you finally realize the truth. Our Lord knows that feeling and He promises He will never betray you. In fact, He prays for you, He watches over you and He will vouch for you in front of His Father and all of Heaven. Jesus knows how it feels to be humiliated. He has felt the uncontrollable feeling of blood rush into His face while being surrounded by laughter and jeers. He knows that feeling and promises He will never treat you that way. In fact, our Lord honors you by calling you His very own child and the love of His life. Jesus knows how it feels to be judged. He has felt fingers of blame in His face and He promises to never judge you, no matter what. He knows how it feels to be abandoned. He knows how it feels to be lied to, mocked and hated. Jesus knows the pain of friendships gone bad. He knows the ache that enemies can cause and He swears by His own blood that He will never, ever do those things to you. He calls you His friend.

295. He's Not Leaving You Out There On Your Own

Isaiah 62:12

You’re not out there on your own. You’re not just running headlong into dumb luck or tough breaks. The mistakes you’ve made are not irrevocable disasters and you are not a lost cause. I think lots of us feel that we are sort of like free agents who are solely responsible for our fate. When bad things happen, or we run into some wrong thing, it’s easy to think, “Now I have to find a way to get out of this on my own.” The problem is that sometimes your troubles are too big to manage and your pitfalls are too deep to climb out of. The truth is, you’re not alone. You’re not a free agent. You’re not the only person responsible for getting yourself where you need to be. Remember the story Jesus told about the woman who had ten coins and lost one? That’s you. You’re like a lost coin. A coin doesn’t have arms or legs to pick itself up, or even a mouth to shout for help. Now, that sounds pretty bleak, but the story doesn’t end there because Jesus said there’s someone who cares about the coin who’s tearing the house apart looking for it. You didn’t make your own storms and even though you fall into wrong, you don’t have to undo your messes. No matter what anyone else in the world calls you, Jesus does not call you a lost cause. In fact, Isaiah chapter 62 says that you will be called “Sought After” and “The City No Longer Deserted.” No matter what you’re going through, Jesus is coming after you. He’s seeking you so relentlessly that His pursuit is now a permanent part of your name.

294. He Is Amazed When You Believe Him

Luke 7:9

Most folks think they are a disappointment to Jesus. They think He’s mad at them and frustrated with their lack of progress. Some folks spend so much time asking the question, “Have I failed Him again?” that they miss the chance to ask other really cool questions like, “How close can Jesus and I get?” or even, “What would it mean to follow Jesus right now, today?” We are so sure that we’re in trouble that we’ve never even entertained the possibility that our relationship with Jesus is just fine as it is and could actually get a lot sweeter and closer if we would just relax and enjoy it. I think people imagine that Jesus is like a really strict teacher who’s impossible to please, but what if those people have Him figured out all wrong? What if He’s more like your best friend who always sits beside you in the class? Jesus is probably the most misunderstood person ever, and most people would be shocked if they actually met Him on the street and hung out with Him for ten minutes. What if you found out that Jesus isn’t mad at you, but just really likes you? What if you discovered that He gets a kick out of your laugh? What if you found out He loves to hear you pray? One time an officer in the Roman army made Jesus amazed. Our Lord’s face broke into a wide smile of complete marvel. Why? Because this officer simply took Jesus at His word. What if you could do that? What if you could make Jesus amazed with gladness? Go ahead and try it. Just believe exactly what Jesus says about you and He’ll flip out.