Advent 2016 Day 15

PRIDE

A couple of years ago while visiting Havana with some leaders from the Florida Baptist Convention, we were “invited” to the Communist Party Headquarters to be “interviewed” as to the purpose of our visit. Our intention was to help rebuild some local homes near Havana that had been devastated by a recent hurricane. The leaders of the party in Havana wanted to know why.

We sat at a long, marble table looking a couple of characters shy of Michelangelo’s depiction of the Last Supper as we stared at our reflection in the two-way mirror in front of us. A representative of the government sat across from us, while the entire episode was being filmed from behind the glass.

“Why do you wish to help us?” was the refrain from the official. “We do not need America’s help. We do not need anything from America,” and the propaganda of the Castro’s communist agenda kept rolling out. After leaving the room and coming back in a couple of times, the official finally asked, “What can you do for us?”

So representative of human nature. We sometimes turn those questions into spiritual ones. “Why do we need a Savior? We do not need God’s help.” And so the Enemy’s propaganda machine rolls out the party line. “We are rich, increased with goods, and have need of nothing,” said the Laodicean church in the Book of Revelation. And if we’re not careful, we will believe the party line.

We do need. God knows that. We must receive. He knows that too. Only He has what we ultimately need… an answer to our sin, our hopelessness and our despair. He knew we didn’t need knowledge, or He would have sent a teacher. We didn’t need counseling, or He would have sent a psychologist. We didn’t need stuff, or He would have sent a philanthropist.

No, we needed a savior. And in Jesus,

… He sent just what we needed.


FOR MEDITATION: “…you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins.”    Matthew 1:21

FOR REFLECTION: Have you humbly received the gift of salvation that Jesus came to offer?

 

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