Category: There Are No Limits on God’s Love

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Reduced by $10,000, or Paid in Full?

It’s not the best example, and I’m not fond of the idea, but since it’s a current event, I’m using it.

Think about the number 10,000. If you had to count from 1 to 10,000 you could do it, but it would take long enough to be super annoying, so it’s definitely a substantial number.

Yesterday President Biden announced an initiative to forgive holders of federal student loans up to $10,000 worth of their debt if they met certain criteria. These days education can be ridiculously expensive, so it’s very easy to incur that much debt (many times over, in fact).

Still, though, imagine waking up one day to the reality of having that much of your agreed-to obligation wiped out. Then, when you inquire about it, you hear “Don’t worry about it, it’s gone from your ledger.” All you can do is express thanks.

While 10,000 dollars’ worth of debt is certainly nice to not worry about, it’s still a quantity that we can mentally grasp, and most students can eventually repay. What if the total amount of all your different types of debt numbered in the millions, or even in the billions? Having $10,000 forgiven would still be nice, but it would hardly make a dent in the bottom line figure of what you owe.

Now imagine a debt so large that you can’t even comprehend it because it’s so abstract. What if you personally owed debts totaling one hundred trillion dollars? That’s a one followed by 14 zeroes. Nobody on the planet right now could pay back a debt that large. Not even the U.S. Government could do that. You’d have no hope of putting that debt completely to bed in your lifetime. The constant phone calls and mail from debt collectors would be all-consuming; the debt would be the only thing on your mind. You wouldn’t be able to enjoy food, sleeping well is no longer a thing, and you wouldn’t even be able to take pleasure in the little things in life.

But if you had your debt totally wiped out and the balance restored to zero, how thankful do you think you’d be?

It would be the largest weight ever…lifted right off your shoulders. That’s what Christ offers to you, me, and everyone else. There are two ways to get to Heaven: 1. live a perfect and sinless life, and 2. ride the coattails of someone that’s done exactly that. If you slip up even once, route number one is no longer an option. No amount of money can buy back a single mistake. Since nobody reading this can claim eligibility for the first route, you’re left with the second route, and only Jesus Christ has lived a life without sin. God hates sin, and He will not tolerate it in Heaven. When Christ sacrificed Himself on the cross, He essentially gave Himself as an offering that satisfied God’s wrath. That was Him saying “my coattails are right here, waiting for you to grab them.” By claiming Christ as Lord of your life, you gain the status of being covered by what He’s given. It’s Christ saying “don’t worry about it, it’s gone from your ledger.” You’re standing at the pearly gates, trying to get in, and Christ says “yeah, open the gates, they’re with me.”

Placing your trust in Jesus Christ as your savior is the only way for you to go to Heaven. When you trust in Him, your spiritual debt has been wiped clean. It’s gone. Even if you had been living under its crushing weight, it no longer exists the instant you welcome Jesus into your heart.

You want to talk about having a major debt forgiven? There’s no greater example than that one.

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Of Course THAT’S When She Walked Through the Door!

Years ago I found myself bringing my toddler son out in our backyard to give him a change of scenery. He was a curious little guy, and sometimes even just bringing him to a different room or out in the backyard kept him busy for a little while.

Our yard at the time was very small, but it had plenty of stuff for my little guy to explore. It was fenced in, had an HVAC condenser unit, a shed, and a little sandbox. There was always something to clean up back there, so I busied myself doing that while my son set about exploring his environment.

I think I noticed a strange look on his face right around the same time my wife came outside to join us. Having “Mom Radar,” she spotted his expression right away and hurried over to him and opened up his mouth. To her disgust, my son had picked up a little Roly-Poly (a pillbug) and put it in his mouth. She fished it out while half laughing and half scolding her husband. If only she were married to someone responsible, he could be trusted to care for the well being of this little boy out in the backyard!

Man, I blew it. Daddy fail. There are other fails, but this is probably one of the more mild ones. I still have the teenage years ahead of me, so I’m probably going to blow it on multiple occasions when the stakes are higher.

This Sunday is Father’s Day. Everyone out there has a father. Maybe you have a fabulous relationship with your dad. You may have had a terrible father. You may not have ever met your dad. Whatever the case may be, I’m going to go out on a limb and guess that if he hasn’t already, your dad is probably going to let you down at least once (I’m certainly no exception). Even if he loves you, he’s human, and humans make lots of mistakes. (It’s not a dig at you, Dad!)

I can also guarantee you, though, that not only does your Heavenly Father love you, but He does NOT make mistakes. He loves you enough to rebuke you, to discipline you, and to steer you in the direction He wants you to go in, even if it’s not the direction you’re trying to go. Whereas I try to let my kids be kids and encourage them in some of their interests without knowing what they’ll someday become, the Lord controls different aspects of your life to get you to arrive exactly where He wants you to be, right when He wants you to be there, with the right experience already under your belt.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. –Proverbs 19:21

“And I will be a father to you, and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” Says the Lord Almighty. -2 Corinthians 6:18

Happy Father’s Day to the dads out there!

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They All Went Back for the One That was Left

I recently read an amazing account of a military situation that took place 10 years ago in Afghanistan.

I’m not totally clear on why this happened (I suspect it was ground fire from enemy forces), but a U.S. Army helicopter with two pilots crashed in the mountains, killing one of the two. The other pilot survived and started moving away from the crash site as enemy troops closed in.

Two Air Force rescue helicopters came and dropped off some highly trained combat medics called Pararescuemen (PJs) to try to help out. One helo dropped three PJs near the live pilot, who had by this time moved several hundred feet from the crash site. The other helo dropped two PJs near the crash site to see if they could still save the other pilot, and if nothing else, to bring him home.

Pararescuemen (PJs) training

Enemy fire started getting intense. As the rescue helicopters circled around to come back in and pick everyone up again, they took too much fire to get close. One of the crew on one of the choppers got hit bad enough that they had to return to base so that crew member could get medical attention. The two PJs at the crash site took cover from incoming enemy fire, but the hail of gunfire was so intense that it started setting off munitions in the wreckage itself, so they had to move out and find cover somewhere else.

By this point the call for assistance went out to other aircraft in the general area. Both fixed-wing and helicopters answered the call, with multiple aircraft using their weapons to try to push back the attackers to give the U.S. troops time and space to evacuate. On top of that, two groups of 16 soldiers landed in the area to provide assistance, engaging in tenacious firefights with the enemy that resulted in the death of at least one U.S. Army soldier.

Rescue helicopters, accompanied by attack helos and A-10s (aircraft that are great for attacking ground targets at low level) kept trying to fly in to get close enough to pick up the guys on the ground, but the enemy fire was so intense that they still had to back off. In order to take some of the heat off those rescue aircraft, one of the A-10 pilots intentionally flew his aircraft dangerously close to the enemy so they’d shoot at him instead of the rescue helos.

An Air Force A-10

Over time the group was able to evacuate all five PJs, the pilot that survived, and the body of the fallen pilot. For those that were involved, I’m sure it was an experience that will stay with them for the rest of their lives. They could make a movie out of that day’s events.

Now pause for just a moment and imagine you’re that one pilot that survived the crash. Think about everything that occurred that day to enable you to survive. You’re on the ground and have three special operations forces fighters right there in danger with you, simultaneously patching your wounds and returning fire. You’ve got over 30 troops dropped on the ground on your behalf, and every time you look up in the sky there’s some kind of aircraft screaming toward you, firing over your head at the people closing in on you and trying to kill you. It’s truly an inspiring story of human bravery and determination.

As inspiring as the story is, though, if you think that this situation can hold a candle to how much your Heavenly Father loves you and would fight for you, you’re missing out on how much He cares for you.

THIS is what you should be thankful for this Thanksgiving: you’re cherished, you’re pursued, and you’re defended by the Creator of the universe and the Savior of humanity. Follow your calling, honor Him with your life, and He’ll support you in ways you can’t even predict. Trials will come and things will at times look bleak. Despite that, you will never be alone. Walk confidently in the knowledge of whose you are, and you’ll walk every day in thankfulness.

Lord Jesus, thank you SO much for how You love us relentlessly! Thank you for this example of selfless love and of how it highlights the sacrifice You’ve already given for us. I ask that You’d help us all live in light of the miracle of your salvation, and to help us share that miracle with those that don’t yet know about it. Please help this Thanksgiving to be full of joy, uplifting fellowship (and in some cases, reunions), and safe travels. These things I ask in your name, Amen.