(Christ Jesus) Made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:7)

The Maker of all things is the Maker of all human beings, and each of us is deemed worthy of His individual attention and love. God demonstrated that love in person on the gnarly hills of Israel and ultimately on the cross.

When Jesus visited earth in the form of a servant, He showed that the hand of God is not too big for the smallest person in the world. It is a hand engraved with our individual names and engraved also with wounds, the cost to God of loving us so much.

Now, when I find myself wallowing in self-pity, overwhelmed by the ache of loneliness that is articulated so well in books like Job and Ecclesiastes, I turn to the Gospel accounts of Jesus’s stories and deeds. If I conclude that my existence “under the sun” (Eccl. 1:3) makes no difference to God, I contradict one of the main reasons God came to earth. To the question Do I matter? Jesus is indeed the answer.

Father, when we are overwhelmed by the ache of loneliness and pain, we can run only to You. Jesus showed us how much we matter to You, and we thank You! Amen.

What a Friend we have in Jesus,
All our sins and griefs to bear!
What a privilege to carry
Everything to God in prayer.
O, what peace we often forfeit
O, what needless pain we bear–
All because we do not carry
Everything to God in prayer.
–Joseph Scriven

 

When I woke this morning my husband was singing this hymn quietly to himself and I couldn’t help but think how fitting it was to the devotion The Lord had led me to early this morning. I felt I needed to include it in today’s devotion. I pray it blesses you today as much as it did me. I’m going to be singing this to myself all day, reminding myself, what a friend I have in Jesus, all my sins and griefs to bear, what a privilege to carry, everything to God in prayer. 

 

 

Have a wonderful day in The Lord!

Today’s Reading is Ecclesiastes 1:1-11