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A Childlike Amazement

By Steve T. on June 29, 2010

In the message “Remember The Basics” we saw the importance of returning often to the fundamental truths of our faith. We are called to grow and mature, but never to “grow” such that we are led away from the simple and unchanging truth: God loves us so much that He provided a way to restore a right relationship with Him through faith in His Son. Jesus died so we could live! Does this awesome act of love still amaze us, or have we “matured” to more “important” matters?

Matthew 18:3
“And He said: ‘I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.'”

When my daughter was four years old, we read about young Samuel. While discussing this story, my daughter showed me the excited faith God calls us to maintain. Perhaps her faith could teach us all.

As a young boy, Samuel was ministering with an old priest named Eli. One night God called to Samuel, but Samuel thought it was Eli’s voice. Eli said he didn’t call and told Samuel to go back to bed. After God called a few more times, Samuel realized who was calling and answered: “Speak, for Your servant is listening” (1 Samuel 3:10). God then gave Samuel a message – but the message was all about Eli.

My daughter asked, “Why did God speak to Samuel if the message was really to Eli?” We talked about how we must be ready and willing to hear God. I said Eli may have had some problems or distractions in his life which kept him from hearing God, so God spoke His message through a child. I said little kids (like her) can often hear God better than older people (like me).

“But, I don’t hear God talk to me,” she said, with a little disappointment in her voice. I explained how God doesn’t usually speak so we can hear Him with our ears; rather, His Spirit speaks to our heart and we hear Him as we listen to our heart. Her little eyes widened, “Like today when I was going to sit on one of the baby toys – Jesus told my heart I was too big and shouldn’t do it so I listened to what He said.”

I encouraged her that this is exactly how God speaks to us, we just need to learn how to listen and then obey. My daughter thought for a moment and then slowly shook her head in amazement: “Wow! That’s sooooo cool!!”

Heavenly Father, I pray that Your Word never becomes just an interesting collection of stories. You created us, loved us, and will one day call us Home to be with You for all eternity – and Father, that’s sooooo cool!! Help us to come into Your presence with a thankful and loving heart. Strengthen our faith every day and allow us to continually look on You and Your wonders with a childlike amazement.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Remember The Basics

By Steve T. on June 29, 2010

As we continue down God’s path of sanctification, “being transformed into His likeness” (2 Corinthians 3:18), moving from milk to solid food (Hebrews 5:12), and growing in grace and “all spiritual wisdom and understanding” (Colossians 1:9), it’s wise to return often to the basics of our faith. As we learn more of our Heavenly Father and ponder His “deeper truths,” we must never forget that “God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). The truth of all scripture is that God loves us and is inviting us to join Him – to know Him and enjoy Him – for all eternity.

The Apostle Peter understood the importance of fundamentals. He wrote his second letter to warn us against false teaching and to remind us that, as we step out in faith, we have been given all the necessary tools to accomplish what God desires for our life; “His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness” (2 Peter 1:3).

Peter taught that when we place our trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of our sins, we receive everything we need to live a victorious life; “so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires” (2 Peter 1:4). The real challenge of our Christian walk is not in acquiring new and “greater” gifts, but in learning how to best utilize what we have already received.

Peter also wanted us to remember that Salvation is not the end of our journey; rather, it’s the beginning of a long and wonderful walk which begins in faith and continues by growing ever closer to Christ. Since we have been given such a wonderful gift, we should “make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love” (2 Peter 1:5-7). We must continue to grow such that the end result – the highest quality of our Christian life – is love!

Peter believed these to be fundamental truths, but truths which were necessary to often repeat!

2 Peter 1:12-13
“So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live.”

To ensure we don’t wander down side paths filled with self-effort and self-importance, or stumble in the world’s temptation of corruption and evil desires, we must continually return to the starting point of our faith. We must never forget that God loves us and desires to walk with us each and every day. All that we do must be directed by God and accomplished with the tools He has provided. Let’s dig deep at every opportunity, but let’s remain lovingly close to His side and always remember the basics.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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All His Energy

By Steve T. on June 24, 2010

When the Apostle Paul met Jesus on the road to Damascus, his life was forever changed. Prior to meeting Jesus, Paul was “breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples” (Acts 9:1). After the encounter with Jesus and being filled with the Holy Spirit, Paul “began to preach in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20).

Paul had been given the task of preaching the gospel of God’s grace through faith in Jesus; and he would do so for the remainder of his life. But Paul would endured many trials along the way. He faced those who desired to take his life and others who simply refused to listen to his message…but he continued on.

Colossians 1:29
“To this end I labor, struggling with all His energy, which so powerfully works in me.”

Paul “labored” and “struggled” with the task he had been given. But rather than rely on his own strength and abilities, Paul learned to labor with the energy of Christ.

The word Paul used for “energy” refers to the active working of God’s power. Paul used this same word to describe the power all believers have received from God; “That power is like the working {energy} of His mighty strength, which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at the right hand in the Heavenly realms” (Ephesians 1:19-20).

God has provided a power like the energy which flowed through Jesus and raised Him from the dead. This is a remarkable gift, yet one we seldom use. With His energy we can receive clear direction; we can be focused and accomplish all He desires. Without His energy we may wander from task to task, become exceedingly weary, and never accomplish anything of eternal value.

There will be times of overwhelming adversity when God simply takes charge and directly fights the enemy. But, for the majority of our journey, God directs us to continue struggling in the daily labor of accomplishing His work. Jesus said the burden of this work will be greatly eased as we learn to attach ourselves to Him and walk by His side; “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light” (Matthew 11:30).

We only fail in His work when we fail to trust; “I can do EVERYTHING through Him who gives me strength” (Philippians 4:13). God’s path can certainly change direction and become difficult from time to time, but His provision will always be sufficient and it is ALWAYS too soon to quit – we must continue. We can do all things and find great fulfillment as we attach ourselves to Christ and labor with all HIS energy.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Our Unconditional Love

By Steve T. on June 23, 2010

When we become a Child of God, through faith in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, He loves us in spite of our failures – in spite of the way we stumble and sometimes fall. But what type of love do we give in return? Do we have a continual love which remains through good and bad, or do we love only during our “scheduled” times and only when the conditions of our life are favorable for worship?

The prophet Habakkuk ministered during the same general time as Jeremiah, Daniel, and Ezekiel. This was a time when the southern kingdom of Judah was being invaded by Babylon and eventually taken into captivity. There was great wickedness, sorrow, and fear in the land. Habakkuk asked God many of the same questions we might ask today: “How long, O Lord, must I call for help, but You do not listen? Or cry out to you, ‘Violence!’ but You do not save?” (Habakkuk 1:2).

Habakkuk was frustrated that God appeared slow in answering his prayers and was allowing so much evil to go unpunished. Yet through these many trials, Habakkuk developed a deep and unwavering love.

Habakkuk 3:17-18
“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will be joyful in God my Savior.”

Habakkuk presented his heart-felt and anguished concerns; but regardless of the outcome, his love for God would remain unchanged. Even if every one of his prayers seemed to go unanswered, he was determined to love God with all his heart. This same love was expressed by Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego before they were thrown into the furnace. They knew God could save them, but their love did not depend on being rescued: “But even if He does not {save us}, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up” (Daniel 3:18). They loved God simply because He was God!

We know there will be times when the world around us seems to fall apart – times when our life begins to crumble and the heat of the furnace seems very real. There will also be many times when we just don’t understand God’s plan or timing. Our path may seem unclear and His timing painfully slow. When this occurs, we must strive for a love that doesn’t fade or waver; a love which isn’t weakened by heat or torn by the force of the wind; a love which is pure and not conditioned by external circumstances.

Our Heavenly Father is our only true source of comfort and strength; “He alone is my rock and my salvation: He is my fortress, I will never be shaken” (Psalm 62:2). He has given His very best, and we ought to return our very best with a life of unbroken worship. Let’s truly rejoice that He is God and faithfully give Him our unconditional love.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Walk Humbly

By Steve T. on June 22, 2010

Seven hundred years before Jesus walked the earth, the prophet Micah wrote words given to him by God; words that tell what God expects from His Children.

Micah 6:8
“He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.”

God loves us so much that He gave His Son so we may be restored to Him and receive the gift of eternal life (John 3:16). When we begin to understand the fullness of His love and place our complete trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin, it’s natural to ask: “What do You now require of me Lord?” But as we search the Scripture, we find no additional “requirements” for our Christian walk which are not summed up in the words of Micah.

As we live by faith, we must “act justly” by doing what is fair and right; “Anyone who does not do what is right is not a Child of God” (1 John 3:10). This means we live with integrity and “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31).

God requires that we “love mercy” by showing compassion and forgiveness for others; “judgement without mercy will be shown to anyone who has not been merciful” (James 2:13). It also means we live with a continual thankfulness for God’s mercy toward us. An understanding of God’s merciful forgiveness of our sins should compel us to forgive and show mercy to others. Without God’s mercy, we would all be lost.

The final requirement is for us to “walk humbly” with our God. The word humble means to place a low value on “self.” This is not a very popular concept in our “me-first” generation which seems to reward the individual who is prideful and confident in his own ability. We are trained to achieve, acquire, and rise higher than we believe possible; but God calls us to submit and walk with Christ continually exalted above all else in our life; “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30).

True humility is required for proper worship and thankfulness before God. We did NOTHING to deserve eternal life and yet we have received. We are made worthy and given value without having done anything to earn our Salvation. This heavenly gift ought to produce a never ending stream of praise from our heart and cause us to focus less on ourselves and more on the needs of others.

All we have and ALL we are has been given to us by a loving God who created the Universe and accepted us into His Kingdom through faith in His Son. Let’s glorify Him with every step we take; and with each step of faith, let’s remember to act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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All For His Glory

By Steve T. on June 21, 2010

A few years ago I visited a planetarium and remember coming away with a renewed wonder of God’s creation. I saw many pictures taken from large telescopes and even many taken from space. The stars are fascinating! I’ve often looked into the night sky and wondered about God’s promise to Abraham: “‘Look up at the heavens and count the stars – if indeed you can count them.’ Then He said to him, ‘So shall your offspring be'” (Genesis 15:5). When Abraham looked into that dark clear sky, you can be sure he saw a LOT of stars.

But as incredible as our night sky appears, the facts of our universe quickly become staggering. During the day we see the sun – which is really just the closest of all the stars. Our sun, though it appears large, is a relatively small star located 93 million miles from Earth. This distance is about the same as traveling around the world 4,000 times. And though this distance is hard to comprehend, the next nearest star is 270,000 time further away. But that’s only two of the 200 billion stars in our Milky Way galaxy – a galaxy which takes light 100,000 years to travel from one end to the other!!

But as incredible as our galaxy appears, the Milky Way is but one of billions of other galaxies within the Universe. There are estimated to be as many galaxies in the Universe as there are stars in the Milky Way.

But as incredible as our Universe appears…

Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Just like that, it was done…and it was good. The Creator spoke and the Universe appeared. He then selected one of the billions of galaxies, one of the billions of stars within the galaxy, and one of the many planets around this star to create a people to call His own. God’s plan from before the foundations of the world was to create a family who is adopted “as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace” (Ephesians 1:5-6).

We who believe that Jesus Christ died for the forgiveness of our sin become a testimony of praise to God’s glory and grace. In the same way, the immensity of the stars give testimony; “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands” (Psalm 19:1). I can barely understand the distance to our sun, let alone the size of our galaxy or the size of the Universe; and I’ll spend a lifetime trying to comprehend the “size” of our God; “The heavens proclaim His righteousness, and all the peoples see His glory” (Psalm 97:6).

If we would look up on a clear night we might see that our perceived status, as well as our varied problems, are all quite small. And we might begin to understand our God to be much, much bigger than we thought. We might even just shake our head, as we try to understand His love, and realize this is all for His glory.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Tohono O’Odham – Day 5

By Steve T. on June 18, 2010

Today (Thursday) was the fifth day on the Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservation in southern Arizona with our youth group. It was a great day and we will go back out tomorrow and then begin the two day trip back home on Saturday. I’m so proud of our youth. They have been physically and spiritually challenged and have responded with some awesome growth in their relationship with God. I’m humbled by their desire to live for God and share His love with others. They will certainly have their share of struggles over the next months and years, but I’m so excited about what God is going to do through the lives of these young people.

This is also my last post regarding this missions trip. I will return to the regular devotional messages on Monday. This was the first time I have ever posted this kind of “real time” messages and I pray it has been a blessing.

I’ll end this series with a strong exhortation about something which God has placed on my heart over the last several months, confirmed on this missions trip, and shouted with clarity during my quiet time this morning.

James 1:27
“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”

This is another one of those passages which you need to read and allow to sit in your ponder bucket for a time. Does the Bible really mean what it says? Can we truly read this as the Word of God? If so, then I don’t see any other way to read this except that the only religion acceptable to God is the one which looks after orphans and widows. In the context of the time of Christ, this means those who are the outcast of society who have no means to care for themselves.

Many people around the world live in communities and attend churches without a large orphan and widow population. But there are also many, many communities around the world where the majority of the population is made up solely of orphans and widows. Though our own immediate community may not have a great need, the call from God remains – we are to care for the orphans and widows. If the need is not apparent in our own community then we must begin to look outside and around the world.

What are we doing to provide care for those in need? And please believe me that the need is huge! Let’s begin to evaluate our place of worship, our family and personal priorities, and determine if we are being obedient to the call of God. Let’s recommit to being part of a religion which is acceptable and pleasing to God and take some very definite steps to answer His call. This is my last report from the nation of Tohono O’Odham – Day 5.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Tohono O’Odham – Day 4

By Steve T. on June 17, 2010

Today (Wednesday) was the fourth day on the Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservation in southern Arizona with our youth group. Our days have now settled into a schedule, though admittedly a schedule with great variations. We get up early for a quiet time of Bible study and prayer, clean up, eat, and head out to the various villages by about 8:00. The Bible camp runs from about 9:00 to 11:00, then back to our lodging facility for lunch and off to a different village for a sports camp from 3:00 to 5:00 in the afternoon. Our evenings are filled with worship and lots of mutual encouragement.

With some of the uncertainties removed, the ministry is allowed to become much more relational. At night we talk (at length) about our day and I’m amazed by how many of our youth are able to name the kids they have been working with, tell specific things about their family, and know how to pray for them. They are excited to return tomorrow and continue their ministry.

In yesterday’s message I considered the importance of humility and how the best path toward being humble is to come into the presence of God. But I intentionally skipped over an important point in the main verse.

James 4:5
“Or do you think Scripture says without reason that the spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely?”

Remember that this passage is in the middle of a section on the need for humility and how God opposes the proud, and even how our pride is caused by worldly desires and wrong motives – by envy. Yet, at the same time, this passage says that one of the very things in our spirit which causes us to be prideful is given to us by God. How can this be? More importantly, why might this be?

This entire passage was significant to me because I’m often frustrated by the flaws in my character. It seems like I have the same struggles over and over again. I often say things I regret, or with a tone I regret, and have thoughts which are not pleasing to God. Why is it so difficult to live pure? And then I come to this verse which seems to say that the spirit which God caused to live within me contains flaws, which means these flaws are intentional. So is it possible that we are given a flawed spirit by God; and if so, why?

I believe the why may be answered in the next verse. Our spirit He gave us is flawed, “but He gives us more grace” (James 4:6). The recognition of our flaws brings us to God for more of His grace. Does anyone else see the beauty in this? God is drawing us to Himself though all things, even through our flaws. When we are proud and fail to recognize our flaws we are opposed by God; but when we will admit our flaws, which requires great humility, and draw near to the presence of God, He will give us more of His grace to live a life which brings Him glory.

Thank you God for loving me enough to draw me to Your side, even through my many flaws. This is my report from the nation of Tohono O’Odham – Day 4.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Tohono O’Odham – Day 3

By Steve T. on June 16, 2010

What is it about being hot, tired, and emotionally drained that allows us to hear from God? It’s not like you could market the process in a book – Seven Steps to Hearing From God; Step 1, Don’t Sleep Right; Step 2, Don’t Eat Right; Step 3, Continually Change Your Circumstances; Step 4, Be Frustrated and Challenged Beyond Your Abilities; etc… No, you may not find this in a book, but there is definitely something about being brought to the end of yourself which brings clarity to the plans of God. More on this later.

Today (Tuesday) was the third day on the Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservation in southern Arizona with our youth group. We had an incredible day and God used our youth to bring twelve children to faith in Jesus Christ. It’s always difficult to know the level of understanding or the sincerity of the belief, but these twelve children were clearly presented the gospel message and indicated they wanted to place their trust in Jesus for the forgiveness of their sin. All we can do now is trust God for their salvation and do our best to follow up through the rest of the week.

The real blessing of this story is that God used many different individuals in our youth group to lead these children to Christ. This was not a response to one message but individual responses to many different conversations. This means that God moved on the hearts of our youth to give them the desire to share the gospel; He gave them the words to share to properly communicate; and He gave them the boldness to step out and take the initiative when the opportunity was presented. The long term potential of all God did today is staggering.

Back to the clarity of God’s plans and being tired. Did I mention that it’s now two in the morning and I will wake up in four hours ready for another day of ministry? I’m tempted to stop here but I really want to share something of how God gave me direction during my quiet time today.

The fourth chapter of James begins with reasons why quarrels take place; “Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you?” (James 4:1). The chapter continues with an explanation of why these desires are wrong and harmful; “Don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God?” (James 4:4). This explanation if then used to establish the need for the grace of God…and for humility.

James 4:5-6
“The spirit He caused to live in us envies intensely. But He gives us much more grace. That is why Scripture says: God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

In this passage God showed me a great motivation to rid my life of pride. Do I really want to be opposed by God? That would indeed be foolish. Pride is set in opposition to humility – pride could even be defined by the lack of humility. So the best way to rid oneself of pride is to focus on that which makes us humble. And the best way to be brought to a posture of humility is to spend time in the presence of God where we are forced to realize who we truly are, and who we are not. I have nothing which God did not provide – and all I have is so very small compared to the majesty of God. How can I possibly be proud in the presence of God?

So what part of God’s plan was clarified? Remain in His presence and receive His grace. This is my report from the nation of Tohono O’Odham – Day 3.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Tohono O’Odham – Day 2

By Steve T. on June 16, 2010

Today (Monday) we traveled ninety minutes to the village of Menegers, located right on the US-Mexico border. This village contains about thirty-five homes, no stores, one small Catholic church, and a nice recreation center built with money from the Indian casinos near Tucson. It’s odd to see the quality of the recreation center in the middle of such otherwise poor conditions; but it was a huge blessing for us as it made for a natural gathering for ministering to the kids.

We had over thirty kids attend our morning and afternoon camps. We also had several parents who stayed and learned the Bible verse, sang songs about the amazing love of God, worked with a craft project about Jesus as the bread of life, and heard the gospel message presented in a simple yet complete manner. In another message this week I will highlight a family I met who demonstrated such a wonderful joy with life, but today I need to share a little about our youth. And what I need to share is, well…they smell.

2 Corinthians 2:15-16
“For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to the task?”

Youth are an interesting group to try and understand. You pray for them; you teach them; you try to lead by example; and literally years can go by without any significant indication that anything is penetrating to the heart. And then, God allows you to see something amazing, or maybe I should say to smell something wonderful.

I have been allowed to see things in our youth that I didn’t know were there. Our youth have been praying together, worshiping together, ministering together, and having special quiet times with the Lord. In the last few days, seeing this has been my biggest blessing. Sure, we are currently in a unique environment which allows for a better spiritual focus; but perhaps if we could find more ways to encourage this same focus, or to allow this focus to come to the surface, more of us would be allowed to see the awesome heart of youth all around the world.

Yes, I need to tell you that our youth smell. And that smell is a sweet aroma to God, and to me the fragrance of life! This is my report from the nation of Tohono O’Odham – Day 2.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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Tohono O’Odham – Day 1

By Steve T. on June 14, 2010

All this week I will be writing and sending messages from southern Arizona – the town of Sells in the heart of the Tohono O’Odham Indian reservation. I am helping lead a group of twenty-eight 7th to 12th grade kids from our church. We will be splitting into smaller groups and traveling each day to various villages on the reservation to do a children’s Bible camp in the morning and a sports camp in the afternoon. I pray that the sharing of some of my experiences will be a blessing.

Today (Sunday) was mostly involved with preparation for the week. Preparation involved things like traveling to the villages and inviting kids to the activities, and meeting parents so they are comfortable with allowing their kids to attend. But probably a more important part of the preparation was in preparing our hearts for the week – for what God will do in the villages and what He will do in our own lives. Please pray for our young people and my ability to lead.

This morning, in my own preparation time, I was reminded of the need to seek God each and every moment – even when I’m not sure of the destination. One of the key points of my study was, “The fully faithful relinquish the privilege of expecting answers.” The emphasis of our walk ought to be on the moment by moment love of God and praising Him with each step rather than requiring God to reveal the entire path of our journey. This was exactly what I needed to receive today!

I have a terrible tendency to want to know God’s long term plan – the specifics for my life. I’m ready to follow! But I desperately want to know where I’m going; or rather, where I will be going at some point down the road. Today, in the quiet of the Arizona desert, I was reminded that the only part of God’s plan that I really need to be concerned with is the one which is occurring right now – and that part of God’s plan always seems to be clear.

Colossians 3:2-3
“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.”

My life is now hidden with Christ in God. Jesus surely knows where we are going…and that ought to be good enough. I will trust Him to lead, focus on obediently following moment by moment by moment, and praise Him ALL along the way. I’m sure I will forget, but right now His message is clear. And that’s worth a good Praise God!

I look forward with great expectations to what God will do this week. This is my report from the nation of Tohono O’Odham – Day 1.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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An Unsearchable Love

By Steve T. on June 12, 2010

As I look back through the Scriptural account of history, I can see how God sent His Son to be born in a manger, grow and live among us, and die for our sins upon a cross. I can clearly see how the sacrifice of Jesus allows us, through faith, to enter into God’s presence. I can even see the purpose of His humble birth as a permanent example of humility and service. But what I don’t think I’ll ever fully understand is why. Oh, sure, I know the reason is love; “For God so loved the world that He gave…” (John 3:16), but I seriously doubt I’ll ever understand the amount of love required to sacrifice so much – the amount of love He had (and has)…for me!

Paul wrote his letter to the Romans with the intent of setting foundational beliefs for the church. In this letter, Paul presented the greatest amount of teaching found anywhere in the Bible. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote on topics ranging from sin and judgement, to faith and salvation; from the purpose of the Law and life through the Spirit, to the sovereignty of God and the future of Israel. But toward the end of the letter, Paul paused and wrote a short prayer of praise and glory.

Romans 11:33-36
“Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable His judgments, and His paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been His counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay Him? For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be the glory forever! Amen.”

We almost get the feeling that Paul had reviewed the first portion of his letter and just couldn’t continue writing without praising the Lord. Paul had wrestled through many difficult issues and learned a most valuable lesson: God is God…and sometimes this simple truth defies understanding.

God has a perfect plan where every piece fits neatly together; but there are MANY connections which our finite minds fail to comprehend. I almost never see the purpose of my trials until long after they have past. I get impatient and frustrated with God’s timing – I want to know His plan, now! And yet, I know His love for me gave everything; “He humbled Himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). I may not fully understand this love, but the little I know is enough to create a desire to live a life of devotion and faith. One day, I will stand before His throne and all His mysteries will be perfectly revealed. Until then I will simply continue to worship and trust.

We may never fully understand, but I pray we are all drawn a little closer today. If you have never experienced His love, I pray that you will release your heart into His care. If you’re feeling unloved by the world, I pray you will look to Him and see a Father who gave His Son so He could hold you for all eternity. He is an unsearchable God who has poured out, for you, an unsearchable love.

Have a Christ Centered Day!

Steve Troxel
God’s Daily Word Ministries

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