The Big Picture
More Than Meets the Eye
Every morning, a beautiful hummingbird appears outside my office window.
It took us several days to get his picture because he won’t slow down to pose. 🙂
Our hummingbird friend may be tiny, but his mighty wings are strong.
I love to watch him as he darts through our garden to check out every colorful flower and eagerly sample the nectar from each one.
That’s the kind of picture that I love to see.
What I hate to see, and wish was just a bad dream, is the accelerated downslide of America demonstrated by current events. What a sad picture this is for all of us and for generations to come.
Kinda seems like things are falling apart, right?
But, as we read the Bible and consider its prophecies, events are actually falling into place.
There’s a big picture at work here, beyond the small details of each day.
There’s so much to say, but suffice it to say, as Christians we have to be watchful, pray every day for God’s grace and mercy, and stay in His Word.
The Big Picture in the Bible
As you study Scripture, over and over again you read about God’s people turning their backs on Him and plunging instead into idolatry.
An idol is anything we value more than God.
Just as in the ancient days, we still have idols today.
Consider the foolish obsession some people have with celebrities and you’ll see what I mean.
Some other modern-day idols can include . . .
The love of money
The love of things
Political causes
Substance abuse
Other people
Ourselves
God takes idolatry very seriously.
Your salvation and recognition of Jesus alone as Savior is that important.
The alternative to Jesus, let’s not sugarcoat it, is hell.
Since you know the true God, and are in him, let your light and love guard you against all that is advanced in opposition to him, or competition with him. Flee from the false gods of the heathen world. They are not comparable to the God whose you are and whom you serve. Adore not your God by statues and images, which share in his worship. Your God is an incomprehensible Spirit, and is disgraced by such sordid representations.- Matthew Henry, Christian minister and author.2
We must examine our hearts and tear down the idols that we have.
There’s another big issue that God takes seriously.
Repentance.
Why do we have to repent if our sins are already forgiven?
That’s a great question.
We are sinners saved by grace, but that doesn’t mean we keep on sinning without a care and in blatant rebellion against God.
This is not a works-based issue. Salvation is reflected by a changed heart, remorse when we do wrong, and continual gratitude for God’s grace.
The Christian life is a life of continued repentance, humiliation for and mortification of sin, of continual faith in, thankfulness for, and love to the Redeemer, and hopeful joyful expectation of a day of glorious redemption, in which the believer shall be fully and finally acquitted, and sin abolished for ever. – Matthew Henry, Christian minister and author.3
Let’s be thankful for a loving and righteous God who forgives those who repent and believe.
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1 Scripture quotation is from New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.
2 Matthew Henry quotation, courtesy of Bible Study Tools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/1-john/1.html., n.d., para. 6. Web. Accessed 15 July, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/1-john/5.html
3 Matthew Henry quotation, courtesy of Bible Study Tools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/1-john/1.html., n.d., para. 4. Web. Accessed 15 July, 2020. Retrieved from https://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/matthew-henry-complete/1-john/1.html
