John 3:16> "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life."
I am blessed to work where I work. My co-worker's are like family. In fact, one of them is! My sister and I have worked together for about 5 or 6 years. She judges the years by how many winter's she's been there. Our job is very stressful in the winter. It is very demanding. We work for a propane company so you can imagine what it can be like in cold weather!
This is the beginning of our busy season. People are coming in or calling to pre-order propane for the winter at a very good rate. We get to see a lot of folks! Some are so friendly that they want to stay a while, and some just want to get in and get out! We have some that will come in and ask us to remember them or a loved one in prayer. Some will even come in and we'll ask them to remember us or a loved one in prayer. (Did I mention I am blessed to work where I work?)
On one particular day, a gentleman came in to pre-order his propane. As soon as he walked through the door you could feel joy in the room! Joy always comes with him, that part is really not new. We just needed his joy at that particular time. He always has a big smile on his face. I mean the kind that draws you in! It's like his very pores just ooze joy!
Several times he asked us to add up how many gallons he used last year and what the cost would be. And several times we got carried away talking and laughing! (Notice I said "several"?) This wonderful gentleman enjoys talking about the Lord. His smile gets even bigger and his joy oozes even more. It's what he said that grabbed hold of my heart; "Do you know why God sent His only Son to die for us?" Well, of course we knew it was to die for our sins. No one else could do it. But his answer is what I will never forget; "He wanted to send the very best that He had for the job. If you had an important job that had to be done, wouldn't you send the very best that you had to do it?" Suddenly, how much God loves us became completely different. It was a whole new level I had never thought of. "The very best that He had for the job." Then he said, "God couldn't send an angel to die for us because, Jesus, His only begotten Son, was His very best." (Do you see why we love for this man to come in?)
It was as if I had just eaten an entire plate of comfort food PLUS dessert. (You know the kind of food that makes you happy, content, satisfied, and full on the inside!!) My insides felt so much comfort. It was as if I had just eaten something new that my taste buds fell in-love with. It was better than meatloaf, fresh peas, rice and gravy, broccoli casserole, squash casserole, slice of cornbread, warm peach cobbler with a scoop of Blue Bell's Moo-llennium Crunch!
That's a lot of love that God has for us, for me. He knew exactly what it was going to require to get the job done. He even knew that some would never choose what He had to offer. Some would never believe that He was even real. Some would never believe that His blood could make the darkest heart clean. Yes, it is hard to comprehend that kind of love. However, He does send little morsels for us to taste it. God chose His very best to do what no one else could do. And then He raised His very best from the dead so that the job would be finished. Let that soak in............
What was the job? A sacrifice for our sins so that we could have eternal life with Him. God's plan was for us to live with Him forever. He sent His very best to be that sacrifice to get the job done!!
***Heavenly Father, what great love You have for us. As undeserving as we are, You chose to send Your ONLY Son to do what no one else could do. Thank You Lord for such great love. Open our hearts to receive Your love daily, Lord. Reveal the areas of disbelief so that we may repent. We praise You Lord for there is none like You. Thank You Lord for sending Your very best for such a job so that we could have eternal life with You. May we never take it for granted. It's in the name of Jesus, Your only Son, Your very best, that we pray ~ Amen.
