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Sunday, April 27, 2025

God's Intentions

All of us must die eventually. Our lives are like water spilled out on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. But God does not just sweep life away; instead, he devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him. [2 Samuel 14.14] 

The woman from Tekoa, who made the statement about God's intentions above, was indeed a woman of wisdom.

Jesus was very clear about God's intentions.

“For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. [John 3.16-17]

We too are to be just as forthright with God's intentions. 

It was also written that this message would be proclaimed in the authority of his name to all the nations, beginning in Jerusalem: ‘There is forgiveness of sins for all who repent.’ [Luke 24.47]

 However, there is a realization that is necessary...
Joab realized how much the king longed to see Absalom. [2 Samuel 14.1]

Unless we first realize how much God desires to be in fellowship with mankind, we cannot effectively have His compassion to see their confusion and helplessness (their need for Him). 

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, “The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields.” [Matthew 9.35-38]

We must therefore concentrate on God's intentions! We must concentrate on the fact that God loves the world. Jesus showed us the magnitude of this love and, as He lives in us (by our obedience of faith), we are compelled to express that love.

This means that anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun! And all of this is a gift from God, who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ’s ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, “Come back to God!” For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ. [2 Corinthians 5.17-21]

The absence of this compulsion to reconcile people with God tells us we have not yet realized God's longing for fellowship with us and all mankind. We need to make whatever necessary effort to realize that God devises ways to bring us back when we have been separated from him. The only way we will realize God's intentions is to know God through His Word (Jesus) and in prayer. And, this is all done in faith.

And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. [Hebrews 11.6]

Father, as we learn Your intentions, may we come to the accurate realization of Your desire for reconciliation with man and be found busy at that task. Like Joab, may our realization lead to our action of reconciling others to You. So be it.

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