Psalm 146, 147; Isa. 43:8-13; 1 Pet. 2:2-10; John 14:1-7
It seems so clear to us and yet others cannot see or hear. The Lord challenges those to come forth and prove themselves, prove their gods. We know the truth is exactly as He proclaims here, that there is no god before Him or after Him. He created all things, nothing was made that was not made by Him. Nothing was before Him and at a word from Him all things would cease being, there is no life outside Him. When I say and write these things I realize that not all people know or believe them. These affirmations are central to the way we think about the world, our place in the world and the future of all things. Believing these things should mean that we think differently than those who do not believe them. Even if they believe in a creator, do they believe that this creator has revealed Himself as savior? We should know that this life isn’t all there is, and that should change the way we think about life and our willingness to live for Him.
The place that is prepared for us is permanent. It is the only place we will ever be that can be described that way. There is only one way to get to that place, believing in God and believing in His Son who is The Way, The Truth and The Life. How incredible that must have seemed to Thomas and, probably, the other disciples when they heard this. How could they possibly have understood what He meant? Unless we have the Holy Spirit there is no hope for us to understand Jesus at all, there is no hope for us to understand life at all, no hope of eternal life with God at all. Unaided intellect cannot understand the things of God, His ways are indeed higher than ours and His thoughts higher than ours.
We, the Gentiles, are like the people of God as described by the prophet Hosea, a people once not a people, a people once not loved, but we have been made a people by Jesus and the election of God. His sovereign choice of us to life makes us a peculiar people and should fill our hearts with longing to crave spiritual food and to proclaim Him to the world. Our eyes have been opened and our ears unstopped, we have lips to praise Him and eyes to see Him at work, ears to hear His voice. We are indeed a royal priesthood through God’s work of election and revelation. Alleluia!
Rejoice, the Lord is King! Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals give thanks and sing, and triumph evermore;
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, again I say, rejoice!
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