Jesus Is Worthy Of It All!

By Brooke Momblow

“You’re cheating on God.  If all you want is your own way, flirting with the world every chance you get, you end up enemies of God and his way. And do you suppose God doesn’t care?  The proverb has it that “he’s a fiercely jealous lover.” And what he gives in love is far better than anything else you’ll find. It’s common knowledge that “God goes against the willful proud; God gives grace to the humble.” So let God work his will in you. Yell a loud no to the Devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet yes to God and he’ll be there in no time. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.”

                                                James 4:4-10 MSG

After three hours on the phone catching up with a friend I love as deeply as a sister, I hung up and released the tears I hadn’t wanted to taint our conversation. My chest heaved uncontrollably with the weight of what had broken my friend’s heart so many times before. She was choosing a quick substitute for a deeper longing.

All at once I wondered if this is how God feels when we choose our own path over the one he has laid out for us. He wants good for us. He has created the desires of our hearts and wants to fulfill them. But like many before us, we feel that the road to the promise isn’t how we imagined it, so we decide to make our own plans thinking they will get us what we want faster and happier. 

In my own life, I know how hard it is to choose to follow God’s Word in obedience instead of what I want in the moment. Time after time I’ve chosen to do what I wanted, while claiming to love God, but in reality choosing something or someone instead of Him. Those decisions led to the darkest days of my life. Those days turned into years as I grappled to put God on the throne of my life. “Entangles” is an apt word for sin. 

This is the deceitfulness of sin. It appears as a viable option: desirable, workable, and without harm. Satan disguises himself as an angel of light, he often attempts to mimic God’s works and use God’s words to manipulate and to deceive. We often choose sin and tell ourselves that we’ve been blessed. 

Moses stood before Pharaoh on behalf of the people in order to see God’s promise to them fulfilled. Aaron in obedience threw his staff on the ground in front of Pharaoh and it became a snake (Exodus 7). Then Pharaoh’s wise men and sorcerers threw their staffs on the ground and they also became snakes. But Aaron’s staff swallowed up all the other snakes. God is Master Over All. God will reveal himself and the deception will submit to the Truth.

Obedience to God’s word might seem outdated and useless except for promoting good morals. Maybe disobedience even seems acceptable in some situations. But we don’t perceive that in disobedience we are giving the devil a foothold and refusing God’s good. As a Christ follower it can be so easy to choose a little thing, like holding a grudge for example, and not realize the destructive power sin wields or the blinders it places over our spiritual eyes.   

Moses and Aaron also stood before God on behalf of the people on their journey to the promise.  Aaron made sacrifices in the Holy of Holies. Moses went to the mountaintop to bring God’s instructions to the people. 

However, you and I participate in the New Covenant. Jesus, the overwhelming, never-ending, Love of God, was sacrificed for our sins and he tore the curtain to the Holy of Holies. Now we go to the mountaintop to meet with God, now we enter into the Holy of Holies. No one does the work for us. We alone are responsible to seek God and to do whatever he gives us to do.

Jesus sanctified himself for our sake. We follow him by sanctifying ourselves for the sake of those we love. Take hold of the promise. Walk in obedience knowing it is love, love empowered by the Spirit to overcome the deceptions of the enemy. Satan means to destroy us. “But we do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.” Hebrews 10:39

Jesus is worthy of it all. Jesus is worthy of our life, of having all our hopes and dreams and suffering laid in surrender at his feet. His directions and plans are love that brings joy, peace, purpose, and fulfillment to us for eternal purposes. Believe that God exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.

“Submit yourselves, then, to God.  Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.  Come near to God and he will come near to you.” James 4:7-8 NIV

“The LORD confides in those who fear him; he makes his covenant known to them.” Psalm 25:14

“My eyes are ever on the LORD, for only he will release my feet from the snare.”  Psalm 25:15

“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” 1 Peter 1:8

Jesus, make our desire for You a wholehearted desire. May our hearts and mouths proclaim that You are worthy of it all. So be it.

If you are inclined, take some time to worship God now or on a break later. These are some of my favorites. (Long repetitive songs are prayer and meditation to music.)  Enter into the heart of worship with a desire to love God and to give him the glory he is due:

You’re Worthy Of It All:

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt8eqJD2i5A&feature=youtu.be

In Awe of You

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sBB2LqMa0R4&feature=youtu.be