2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.
Philippians 3:13-14 forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.
Beloved, we are redeemed by the Blood of Jesus therefore though we aren’t perfect we can still be used by a perfect God. Amen to that! Many of us bible-quoting, tongue-speaking disciples of God sometimes need to get off our high horses and begin to see people the way God sees them. It is established that God is the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Abraham was a role model except for when he acted like a wimp because of fear and wouldn’t say Sarah was his wife causing Abimelech to take her until God intervened. I believe Isaac was also a role model and one of the reasons being that he kept his cool when the Philistines kept striving with him covering his wells. But on this glorious day that the Lord has made, I’d like to focus on the God of Jacob the supplanter.
Friends, the God of Jacob is the God of imperfect people like many of us. He is the God of the woman at the well who had had many husbands and was now cohabiting with her boyfriend! Because of Jesus’ approach to her, she became an Evangelist! The God of Jacob is the God who gave Prophet Hosea the go ahead to marry a harlot! The God of Jacob is the God who used Rahab (a celebrated harlot) mightily and she became an ancestor in the lineage of Jesus our savior. The God of Jacob is the God of Zaccheus – a tax collector who was ostrasized and much hated (I’m sure by very religious people). Beloved, the love Jesus showed to Zaccheus made him restitute and return the money he had swindled from everyone in multiplefold.
Don’t get me wrong; it’s best to be in the perfect will of God, however, some are in the permissive will of God and are still being mightily used of God because they have put away their evil doings and have made themselves available to God.
What am I saying???? Friends, we need to push the delete button. When the devil and his cohorts (sometimes humans) reminds us of our past, let’s remind him of his future. God does not wish to write us off. He doesn’t judge us the way others do. He (God) bypassed David’s legitimate brothers and anointed him king! Adonijah was called “Beautiful” but God chose Solomon – a product of adultery to be king. Let’s get rid of negative labels and not let that be our identities. Our identities in Christ is not determined by our performances, where we are from, how much we can pray, how much we can fast, how much we can bind and loose, cast out demons, etc. In the eyes of God, there is neither Jew nor Greek. Male and female He created them in His image.
People of God, we have treasure in earthen vessels. May God give us beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that we may be called the trees of righteousness and the planting of the Lord. In the majestic name of Jesus, we shall no more be termed forsaken nor desolate because the Lord delights in us. May we be called Hephzibah and Beulah. May the Almighty make our wilderness to be like Eden and our desert like the garden of the Lord. Be encouraged. Remain blessed in the victorious name of Jesus.
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