Sunday, December 16, 2012

SO not worthy

My husband and my youngest son play a game. They tell each other how much they love one another in a creative way. My husband started this with me years ago and when Daniel was old enough to understand, he started playing with him. Bob starts with, "I love you."
"I love you, too." Daniel tells him.
"I love you more."
"I love you more."
"I love you more than an ant." See, this is where the game gets a little Bob-ish. "I love you more than a squished ant."
For years Bob alone would come up with these. But a few years ago Daniel started using his imagination and joined in with his own comparisons. Things like, "I love you more than dirt."
Usually the progression is from bad to worse. "I love you more than a worm." "I love you more than a stinky worm."  "I love you more than a tiny worm." The other night I heard Bob ask Daniel, "Do you remember how when it rains the night before and then the next day there are worms on the sidewalk? And they get all dried up and wrinkly? And then they get stepped on? I love you more than that."
Our poor children are going to grow up weird.
I have YouVersion on one of our i-pads. It's a Bible app that you can use on the computer, i-phones, i-pads, tablets, etc. One of the great things about it is that you can pick a reading plan. You open up the app and it has your day's reading schedule. One of my plans is "Read the Bible in a Year" in chronological order. If you skip a day or two, all you have to do is push the "catch up" button and it adjusts your calendar so that you are never behind.
This morning I read Revelation chapter four about the 24 elders bowing before God on His throne and worshiping him, declaring,
“Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
    to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
    and by your will they existed and were created.”

I was reminded of just how UNworthy I am. The fact that I am even blessed with being able to read God's Word, is astounding to me. I am like the dried up, stinky worm on the bottom of someone's shoe in my husband and son's "love you more" game. Yet God loves me so much that He sent His Son to die in my place.
When I was a Catholic, just before communion, we would recite together, "Lord, I am not worthy to receive you. But only say the word, and I shall be healed." Jesus did say the word. He wrote The Word. He is the Word. And with His last words while he died on the cross, he said, "It is finished." He paid the price for my sin. He paid the price for your sin, too. Will you accept that?

Romans 10:13 says, "For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Christmas is just a week away. While you shop, eat goodies, wrap presents, sing songs, enjoy family and friends, etc., will you consider what Jesus' birth means to you? Will you consider just how much He loves you?