MAY 10, 2013
Waiting To Cheer
Read: Ephesians 3:14-21
. . . to know the love
of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be
filled with all the fullness
of God. —Ephesians 3:19
In
his very first Little League baseball game, a young player on the team I was
coaching got hit in the face with a ball. He was not hurt but was
understandably
shaken. For the rest of the season, he was afraid of the ball.
Game after game,
he bravely tried, but he just couldn’t seem to hit the ball.
In
our final game, we were hopelessly behind, with nothing to cheer about. Then
that young man stepped up to take his turn. Thwack! To everyone’s surprise, he
hit the ball sharply! His teammates went wild; his parents and his teammates’
parents cheered loudly. Even though we were still losing the game, I was
jumping
up and down! We all loved this kid and cheered him on.
I
imagine that the Lord cheers us on in our lives as well. He loves us deeply and
desires that we “may be able to comprehend . . . what is the width and length
and
depth and height—to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge” (Eph.
3:18-19).
Some
think of the Lord as unloving and waiting for us to slip up so He can punish
us.
So we have the privilege of telling them of His deep love for them. Imagine
their joy
when they hear about the God who loves them so much that He sent His
only Son to
die on the cross for their sin and who wants to cheer them on!
Help
us, heavenly Father, to see the many
ways
You love and encourage us; then help
us
to love and encourage those around
us
so that they can see You in us.
The
nail-pierced hands of Jesus reveal the love-filled heart of God.
Source:
Our Daily Bread 2012
