You Are of Considerable Value in God's Eyes

Titus 3:7

So that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

William the Conqueror was born in 1027, in a town called Falaise, Normandy, which is now a part of France. He was the son of Herleva, the daughter of a local trader, and Robert, the Duke of Normandy. Everything seemed good. Except for the tiny fact that Herleva was not actually Robert's wife. William was an illegitimate child, and this fact didn't go unnoticed by the public.

From very early on, William was teased by seemingly everyone in town, and the nickname, "the Bastard" soon stuck. Though he was rejected and ridiculed, however, he was not without hope. Despite his illegitimate lineage, his father insisted William would be his heir. It's true that William was Robert's only son, but that didn't faze William in the least.

To make matters worse, attempts were made on William's life on two different occasions. At one time, Robert, probably feeling guilty, decided to go on a pilgrimage. While he was away, local Norman lords attacked William's kinsmen. It was bad, so bad that William had to run away to save his life. And he was only eight years old!

The second attempt happened when he was twenty. "The rebelling barons" conspired against him, and if a faithful servant hadn't warned him, he would have been six feet under.

As it turned out, everyone except his own father rejected him, but he never gave up. He kept holding on, for he knew his dad was on his side.

To make a long story short, William eventually became the King of England, a position far higher than what his own father had held. There is hope for the rejected ones!

Most of us can relate to William. We too have been mocked and ridiculed and rejected for various reasons.

Our brothers and sisters in faith in countries where Christianity is taboo have it a thousand times worse, for mockery turns into persecution, and persecution turns into martyrdom.

Take a minute to pray for them today.

It's not an easy world we live in, but one thing we can count on: Jesus is on our side! He boldly declares: "He is mine!" Although we may feel unworthy and undeserving of such a love, He stands by us. "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Jesus did the unthinkable. He died for our sins, our rebellion against God. He died so that we wouldn't have to die. He died so that we could have hope for a brighter future, a future with the resurrected one. He died so that we could spend eternity with Him as our big brother. Jesus has made the unworthy worthy!

If a king or president would sacrifice himself for someone considered unworthy, it would mean the unworthy one was worthy after all, otherwise why would the king or the president have sacrificed himself?

So, my friend, you are of considerable value in God's eyes.

Dear Lord, thank You for showing us that we are worthy by dying for us. Help us share that good news with someone today.  We also pray for those that are persecuted for their faith in You, protect them from harm and give them the courage they need. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.