Ephesians 4:3-6 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-just as you were called to one hope when you were called- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, Who is over all and through all and in all.
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In this time of political unrest and division within parties, I see a distinct reflection of the state the body of Christ portrays. We are so busy aligning ourselves with one denomination or another, we aren’t focusing on the true work that we are called to do. Verse 12 tells us that Jesus called us to works of service so that the body of Christ may be built up until we reach unity.
             
Matthew 3:24-25 tells us that a house divided cannot stand. If we ask the Lord to take from us the divisive spirit and the belief that one denomination is better than another, He is faithful to fulfill our request. He desires that we are unified in His love and His plan for us. He worked with the apostles for three years to bring them to unity. Even at the last supper, they were busy focusing on who was the greatest and who would serve the rest. After He had risen, they were so focused on serving their risen Savior, they forgot all about being the greatest and desired only to fulfill the great commission.
             
Ephesians 5:1 Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
             
Jesus is so in love with us, He gave His all for us. He desires us to keep our eyes fixed firmly on Him and His will for our lives. He desires for us to take our eyes off of the things around us and seek Him alone. We are prone to allow minor differences in the way we do things take from us the things we can learn from each other. Whether we have a choir or band or follow a strict liturgy, we forgot the true reason we come together to worship. We are there to glorify the Lord, not our method of doing things.

​The song of praise to the Lord from Zechariah for his son, John the Baptist.
             
Luke 1:76-79  “And you, my child, will be called a prophet of the Most High; for you will go on before the Lord to prepare the way for Him, to give His people the knowledge of salvation through the forgiveness of their sins, because of the tender mercy of our God, by which the rising sun will come to us from heaven to shine on those living in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the path of peace.”   














When travelers in Israel would be caught on the road after dark, they were at high risk of thieves and, in our modern speech, getting mugged. There were no street lights to show the way and chase away shadows. They sometimes had no moonlight or stars to help. The roadways out of Jerusalem were in places very narrow with many caves and lots of places for thieves to hide. Waiting for the dawn to light the way could be a long scary experience.
             
Jesus was going to be that sun rising in a world filled with the darkness of sin. He would shine that light into the lives of the religious elite and the beggar in the streets and everyone in between. He would allow them to make their own choices whether to admit the sin in their lives or be offended and self-righteous. Jesus wept over Jerusalem when they rejected Him.
             
Jesus rejoiced, however, over us throughout the ages when we chose Him and were willing to be humbled by His gift of salvation. He is asking us to be that light to the world. He is asking us to go before Him and offer to the people in our lives the Light of the world. God’s word tells us that the angels rejoice when one sinner is brought to salvation. We will be given the crown of glory when we come into His presence at the final judgment. Whether we offer our daily lives as a witness to the mercy and grace of Jesus or if we verbally witness, whether we financially and prayerfully give to others who are in the midst of the battle, God honors our efforts. He sees our heart and motives and is blessed by our submission. He is joyfully waiting to tell us, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Ps 8:3-6  When I consider Your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that You are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him? You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of Your hands; You put everything under his feet:

Many times we will hear from people, including Christians, that God doesn’t really care about us and that He is an impersonal God. I have even heard a pastor say that God, the Father, cares more for the newly converted than His faithful followers who have served Him for many years. Some even feel that God isn’t involved in our lives.

I look at the evidence of our creation and wonder why people feel that way. Jesus breathed life into us. He spoke creation into being and saw that it was good. When it came to man, He formed man from the dust of the earth. It was an act of love for us. God formed us in His likeness. He gave us intelligence from the very beginning of our creation. If we are formed in His likeness, would we not have the wisdom and knowledge God wanted us to have?

God did not just say, “Breathe”. He, Himself, breathed life into us. He desired a living, breathing man to share a relationship. He wanted someone to share His creation. He allowed Adam freedom of choice and then provided a way to cover the sins that Adam, and his descendants, committed. God loves us enough to pay a very high price for a personal relationship with us.

We serve a very personal, hands on God. Jesus gave His life so that we can come into His presence and share our most intimate thoughts and times with Him. If God did not want a close relationship with us, He would not have told us to come unto Him when we are heavy laden. He would not offer to share the burden with us. Open your heart and mind to receive His reassurance that He is involved with us. He cares for our everyday needs and joys. Celebrate Who God is and how deeply He loves us.