Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ’s sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It’s because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God. 1 Peter 1:18-19 MSG
Sometimes, even in the church or our roles in ministry, we tend to focus on what we need to be doing and begin to forget what He already did.
“And this was no afterthought.”
Wow. That resonates so loudly with me.
Neither I, nor you, are an afterthought.
Do I though, in my day-to-day, live in the victory that his death, burial and resurrection purchased for me?
“We are an Easter people living in a Good Friday world, not Good Friday people living in an Easter world. That means we are destined for joy no matter how difficult our daily life.” ~Barbara Johnson
I am not an afterthought.
To my parents, I was a surprise, a huge surprise. According to their plans, I was not supposed to be.
But according to His plan, his precious, life-changing plans, I was a forethought.
And so were you.
God always knew. He always knew that I would be cloaked in a garment of sin. That I as a person, wife and mother would not always choose His way. That I would be born into the sin of Adam and Eve and would continue in the legacy they left.
That I too, would have eaten the forbidden fruit.
And yet . . .
It’s because of him I trust God. It’s because of him I have a future.
Yet somewhere between the wiping of the noses, the pile of laundry that never ceases to taunt me or even the internal struggle for doing the right thing, I forget.
I forget that my husband and I growing and thriving in our marriage is not an afterthought to Him. I forget that he cares that my post-baby body causes a tear or two at times. I forget that it’s only through Him that I can joyfully wipe the noses, overcome the laundry and do the right thing at the right time.
What is it that He has been reminding you of lately? What issue do you struggle with remembering God cares greatly about? What is your “not an afterthought” issue? Would you be willing to share your heart here?
Praying for us all,
Barb
image via pinterest
