WHAT IS YOUR WORTH? - TO GOD, I MEAN....

A short message I did at a retirement home this past weekend shocked several people. I mentioned that the highest US dollar denomination out there today - a $10,000 bill - was still around but then I took out a crisp $1 bill and proceeded to illustrate.

The thing about US tender, or most other currencies, is no matter what physical shape the item is in, that is what it is worth.  I crumpled up the dollar bill. It was still worth - a dollar. I stomped on the crumpled bill. It was still worth - a dollar. Then I shocked some and ripped it loudly and boldly in half. Even so, it was still worth - a dollar....because I can tape those two half a dollar together with masking tape, even duct tape and/or clear scotch tape - and still use it to buy me a cup of coffee off the McDonald's value menu!

Any and ALL of these acts were a metaphor for our own lives.  Father...our Heavenly Father, Abba, does not see view our worth in our present condition. He sees us as having value - the same value He imputed to us when He breathed life into us at birth. We are worth so much to Him. 

Life can beat us up. 

Life can throw us down.

Life can tear us apart.

People can trample all over us.

Circumstances can do us in.

We can inflict all kinds of damage unto ourselves.....and on and on...., YET, the moment we get to the end of all of that....the moment we get to the end of ourselves, come to our senses and cry out to Him....THAT VERY MOMENT - He takes some supernatural Scotch tape and puts our lives back together. He takes the stomped on; beat up; burnt out; crumpled up mess of our lives and holds us in His Almighty, Loving, Compassionate, Wonderful, Healing Hands.

Our God - the ONLY True, Existent and REAL God - is such a God. The pagan religions of the east and middle east, as well as the newer contrived cults of the West, have one thing in common - their "gods" are demanding; harsh and full of hate and no love. Their "gods" require impossible "good works" and even the lives of "infidels" or 5500 different "reincarnations" so they can "reach nirvana". The Lord you God - the Holy One of Israel - sees us as we are, puts out an invitation ("Come unto Me all who are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest) - and waits for us to respond. The Father of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is that God.

In Matthew 6:26, Jesus says "Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  There it is! He even uses the word "Value"! We have so much worth to the Risen Savior.

The Bible says "precious in the Sight of the Lord, is the death of His Saints". We have so much worth in the grave, even though we go to be in His Presence if we are born-again.

Even those who reject Him, sadden Him. When the rich young ruler rejected following Jesus, it saddened the Master, because the Bible said Jesus "loved him". God takes no delight in sending people to hell. 

So today...and tomorrow and for the near future and for the rest of our lives, when the world goes after you; when even loved ones hurt you and when pain, ill-health or any circumstance brings you down, remember this - just like that torn up dollar bill, there is a Redeemer and One Who restores. There is this One, Who never made junk in the first place. There is this One, Who when He puts us back together and if we are truly His, the Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 "we are a new creation".,.. and that LITERALLY means NEW! It is the same word that is used for CREATION in Genesis - 'ktesis'. He makes something new out of the nothing we  have made our lives. 

This is our value. This is our worth. Not the lies of the enemy - the devil.
This offer and His promises are all your - AND FREE with no guilt - all you and I have to do is - ask!