perfect

Friends of God // Micah

When we consider God’s grand attributes, limitless power, boundary-less reign in light of our feeble flesh, limited capacity and hemmed in influence “relatable” is not the word that first comes to mind. Indeed many see God as creating all things then retreating to Heaven unwilling to engage in human affairs. After all, why would one so perfect, complete, and Holy want anything to do with our brokenness?

And yet, Emanuel chooses to be with us.  The God of Heaven took on flesh, embraced our weaknesses and bore the weight of our wrong doing. Jesus paid our sin debt so that we could be made right with God. As amazing as that is, He doesn’t stop with offering us pardon. One of the most mind blowing truths in scripture is that Yahweh actually invites us to be His friends. 

What joy floods the soul when we realize that the One who spoke the World into orbit and knows our every thought wants you and I to walk as friends of God.

Romans 5:10-11 “For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son. So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.”

- Micah McElveen

All Good // Micah

James 1:16-18 “Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. Of His own will He brought us forth by the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of His creatures.”

Having previously reminded us that God tempts no man with evil, we are exhorted to guard our minds against lies. The liar would not only have us believe wrong things about God but would also keep us from knowing good things about our Heavenly Father. In that vain, James reminds us that God is not just void of evil, our matchless Lord is entirely perfect. Furthermore, God is not only all good but all good comes from God. Think on that… every good thing that exists originated in God.

Our text reminds us that the majestic heavenly lights that grant energy and sustain life on our planet come from God. He goes on to note that the One who spoke the heavens into existence granted us the very Word of God. Having made God knowable through the Word, He then makes the connection that all who believe in Him are afforded new birth and a special place amongst His creation. Indeed, we who were far off are adopted as children of God by the goodness of Heaven. Now that is good news!

Father God, thank you that unlike human attempts at goodness, your faithfulness and goodness are unwavering. Thank you that you are unchanging and the shadow that your good form casts never varies, no matter the light of day. You indeed are All Good.

- Micah McElveen

Power in Sufficiency // Audrey

God often reveals to us His power, the miraculous that makes us stand in awe & adrenaline rush with complete amazement. Healing, mountains moved, dreams & visions, chains broken after years of slavery, deliverance, and what seemed like unreachable souls coming to faith in Christ. Power! It can strike undeniably.

What sometimes isn’t as easy for me to see, however, is the merciful work of Christ teaching me about His sufficiency. Which, is just, if not, more a display of His power. This seems to happen in the less “glorious”, the day to day, sometimes painful & grueling of times. When I ask for what I believe may be a touch of His power & the Lord chooses to answer in a more powerful but maybe less desirable way. Instead of removing the weakness, pain or hardship; He may choose to leave it in our lives in order that through our weakness/pain/hardship, His strength would be made perfect. That we, may then have to lean desperately close into Him, drawing ever so near to Him as He promises to draw near to us. And in that, something most powerful happens, a deeper Knowing of our Creator, intimacy so deep its unexplainable.

As we trust in His sufficiency day to day & through it all, we enter into a transformation that forms us more & more into His very image! From one degree of glory to another. Is there anything more powerful than that?! Us, dust of the earth, broken vessels...being transformed into the perfect image of Christ Himself! As we walk through this life, we must remember, oftentimes the refining process can only happen through life’s fire. In the end, our faith will be refined and purified as something way more precious than gold. And His power through that, Im convinced, is more powerful than our eyes can fathom seeing this side of eternity. 

(2 Corinthians 3:17-18) "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit."

(Ephesians 1:18-19) "having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might"

(1 Peter 1:6-7) "In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 

(2 Corinthians 12:9) "But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me."

- Audrey McElveen