First Baptist Church ť Pastor's Corner

Pastor's Corner

Those of us who have grown up in church have sang the song “Jesus loves me this I Know; for the Bible tells me so”. So often when we grow up we tend to “outgrow” certain things. But in the case of this song we should never outgrow but rather grow into it. The simple truth that is stated here is true for all ages. This isn’t a child’s song but rather a proclamation of a truth that has been stated by God from the creation of Adam and Eve. I read a verse this morning that emphasizes this point: The Lord your God in your midst, The Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17) The first part of this verse is “The Lord God is in Your Midst”. For many the realization of God being in their midst is an overwhelming concept. Over the years I have heard people refer to God as being as far the backside of the farthest star from them. They are absolute convinced that God wants nothing to do with them. They may be able to define why they believe this but they are still absolute in their convictions it is true. Satan is a master of blindness to the truth. He uses every available scheme at his disposal to convince people God doesn’t love them. But God is love and is always present to everyone who seeks Him. Jesus’ words were seek God. The word “seek” is a heartfelt, headstrong desire to experience God’s presence. The second phrase is God wants to save you. Jesus’ words again emphasize His desire when He states: “I have come to seek and to save those who are lost”. (Luke 19:10) God’s desire is that no one will spend eternity is hell; therefore He wants to redeem us. He then wants to rejoice over us with gladness. God’s greatest creation is you and me. He created us for communion with Him. His greatest delight is to be in our presence. He truly rejoices over each of us. Because of His Presence our spirits will be quieted. The simple phrase is “peace within our souls”. This peace is beyond our greatest understanding. This peace cannot be bought or earned but only given by God. God truly rejoices over us therefore blesses us with blessings beyond our greatest understanding. We should all be able to sing: Jesus loves me this I know; for the Bible tells me so”. We should do more than sing it we need to live it.