Isaiah 64:6 (New International
Version)
All of us have become like one who is unclean,
and all our
righteous acts are like filthy rags;
we all shrivel up like a leaf,
and like the
wind our sins sweep us away.
This is clearly seen in New Zealand, in particular in the
kiwi orchards. Although they produce delicious, world-renown fruit, the kiwi
vines can fall into "temptation". Cold can cause them to split in
two, rendering them completely useless.
Do you know how they can victoriously withstand their
"temptation" to split in two from the cold? Not by their own efforts!
They would be doomed!
Helicopters are used to hover over the orchards, forcing
warmer air down on the vines. The kiwi fruit is saved, not by their own
efforts, but by the courageous helicopter pilots who willingly wake up before
sunrise and with eyes held open by toothpicks, take the time to protect the
precious orchards from the "tempting" cold.
People, too, have succumbed to cold. As soon as the cold
invades their inner core, they are tempted to fall asleep, never to wake up
again! However there is a more noxious cold that has invaded our whole world,
one that leaves each of us wanting and in despair. The "cold", better
known as "sin", is devastating and it has contaminated each one of
us.
We may fill ourselves with delusions, thinking we are
better than people like Hitler and Nero. And we are, to some extent. And this
idea somehow makes us feel better! But in all reality, how many people around
us have we not disappointed by our own actions? And what about ourselves?
Haven't we also disappointed ourselves with our actions?
Only One can set us free from condemnation, and He paid a
hefty price for it. There is a catch. To be truly free we have to get to know
Him personally and we must accept His offer to let Him rescue us totally and
unequivocally. He is the only One who can fill us with the warm air from above
that will keep us from freezing to death from the ravages of sin! He is there
for us, not only early in the morning, but all the time, 24 hours a day, with
no annoying "please call me back later" messages. He is truly the
only "warm air" we need to breathe!
"Saving is all his idea, and all his work. All we do
is trust him enough to let him do it. It's God's gift from start to finish! We
don't play the major role. If we did, we'd probably go around bragging that
we'd done the whole thing! No, we neither make nor save ourselves. God does
both the making and saving." (Eph 2:8-10 The Message)
Only when we truly appreciate the price He paid for us
will we be able to worship Him from the deepest recesses of our heart. We will
be able to truthfully sing: "You are worthy to take the scroll and to open
its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for
God from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to
be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the
earth." (Rev 5:9-10 NIV)
Dear Lord we thank You that You are there start to
finish, no matter the circumstances we find our self in. Lord We pray that we
would be able to share that with somebody today. In Jesus’s Name, Amen.
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