By Joy Le page Smith, MA, BCC

While Gary and I were having lunch with our friend, a retired military man, we talked about a book titled Why the Universe Is the Way It Is. Having just read Hugh Ross’ book, my enthusiasm is piqued by this scientist’s findings.

Our friend said, “What I wonder is why God went to so much trouble to create a place where human beings could live and breathe. Look at us now!” I took this to mean let’s get to the crux of what did God intend to gain from building this place so intricately timed and dynamically detailed—plus being beautiful?  

I was taken back a bit. It had been easy to believe God made the universe for our enjoyment . . . a place where we could live well—and love. The fact is that this arrangement opened an option for gaining an intimate relationship with our Creator. Or, not!

For us, when we decide to get to know our Heavenly Father and to  follow His plan for us through reading the words given to us in Scripture, it becomes clear what is right and what is wrong. God and His Words become forefront to our lives. We become partners with Him in the world—even to gain eternal life, meaning God takes us “home” to Himself when “it is over.”

This is a steadfast offering within the Scriptures for “the children of God.” In the Bible we learn who will be given eternal life after death:

“…as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).”

It is a blazon fact that after our time of being here, we die. Try as one might to pretend it isn’t true, that simply does not work.

Meanwhile, “while here.” We get to enjoy our lives in many, many ways. Having cognitive functions, we ponder and reflect while savoring nature, pets, friendships, foods of many flavors, and dreams—to mention a few of our countless blessings.

The greatest of all happenings in my life was when I found Jesus Christ as my Savior and Lord of my life as a child. Church experience caused me to grow in my faith. But the next greatest thing of my life came after marriage through birthing children. Having children brings marvels to our lives, as well as challenges and hardships. We have to share with them—and as parents we actually love doing so.

Scripture says we are “made in God’s image.” So, it seems likely all of the above are part of God’s nature . . . given to us as well. It seems powerfully evident that in “parenting” us God finds the same joys that we experience in providing, protecting and directing our children. We expect our children to obey the directives we extend to them—and this without a doubt is true of God.

So, in this way, we are creators like our Heavenly Father. Through the loving partnership of marriage, we embrace the opportunity of bearing and raising children.

Like it is with us, our children come because we want that loving relationship to be a part of our lives.  The universe is a place prepared so God’s great love of life could include us, His children. His plan is about our having a great experience while developing a relationship with Him. Growing into His sons and daughters who, given time, take on His nature.  So the more we love (live healthy, caring ways with others), the more we are like our Creator.

Of course, if He had made us robots we would have no choice in God’s plan. But, He gave free will. We get to choose Him or to go our own way deciding what is right and what is wrong!

The first two chapters of the Bible exemplify human free will and what happened to earth’s experience when the first people—God’s first children—decided disobeying God was an OK thing to do. The whole earth suffered—the plan God had in mind was nixed—based on human disobedience! So, we now have sickness, suffering and death. We have weeds and nature suffers; we have catastrophic weather patterns. The earth is no longer perfect. This was our doing, not God’s doing. But He, through His love, has a rescue plan. All who follow the story of the New Testament and Easter know the plan well. Some of us are aligning ourselves with it to the best we can. In doing so, we find peace and satisfaction—happy to be God’s children. Successively, we do what we can to help others, especially those in need, while enjoying a relationship with our Creator who made us out of love.

. . .  consider sharing my website with others as there are lots of “helps” at healing-with-Joy.com

 “We need to tighten the belt, here.” Belt? His words bring to mind the fact I have gained a few pounds—and I need to buy a new pair of jeans.

Always a writer, the following thoughts, recorded back then, were found today in my jammed-packed files:

“Making money stretch seems impossible. The car suddenly needs repairs, a wisdom tooth decides to raise its ugly head, and an insurance premium is due.  It feels like the bills rule, here. 

“I just yelled at my teenager for leaving the front door wide open, cooling the entire house. Dollar signs are seen in red. Then, when asked to drive nine miles out of my way to take a kid home who had stayed overnight, the needle on the gas gauge seems 10 foot tall.

“Good Friday finds me less than in a prayerful mood. Discouragement has come to spend the day. It’s best I stop everything, read some Scriptures and pray. But now, to pick up the phone to stop the ringing.

“It’s my friend, reminding me of this being Good Friday.

 ‘Listen to this,’ she says,’ I found three Scripture for starting this amazing day.’ (She sleeps late.)

“I didn’t hear the second passage or the third, as the first verse struck a bullseye: “The wages of sin are death, but the free gift of God is eternal life.” Yes, everything seems to cost. Expenses do win, sometimes, when push comes to shove. But here, in one short verse I see the Truth. The greatest of all gifts a believer ever receives is the gift of eternal life—and it’s free! Given without a single fee—and tax free! There, simply to be cherished and received.”

Yes. This day we call “Good Friday,” allows us to once again rejoice in what Jesus, our Lord, has done for us. His destiny was known to Him. In a brutal process of being questioned and “tried,” Jesus was given the opportunity to defend Himself before Herod Antipater, ruler of Galilee, and then by Pilate, procurator of Judea. With both, Jesus chose not to protect Himself. He knew by laying down His life for us He would become our Redeemer.

All who ask for forgiveness from sin receive His merciful touch on our lives. Restoration, lasting peace, joy and righteous living result.

Jesus said to look at the way the birds are cared for and to observe how beautifully the flowers are clothed. He promised to provide for us as we learn to trust. Sometimes, I think He looks at me and says, “Hey, you of little faith….” But, there is a smile on His face. Love is felt. When I truly seek to comprehend—it is God’s Holy Spirit living within. Following His lead will see every genuine need is met.

It is easy to become so filled with the temporal—what’s going on every day of our lives—that we cannot “see the Divine.” Yes, there will always be bills, maybe more than can be paid. But fear, frustration and anxiety need not rob us of the peace intended, once we realize how loved we are.

Surely all the little creature comforts and all the things I think are needed will continue to take their hits, but God help me to remember all that is free: sunshine’s warmth . . . a child’s smile .. . a good night’s sleep . . . the love of another . . . my very heartbeat. But the best is yet to come. Eternal life. All because one Good Friday, many lifetimes ago Jesus embraced the pain, the sorrow, the desolation and chose the cross. All because of us—and what we really need: peace and joy in the truth that the Lord Jesus has done so much for us. Undoubtedly, He is going to bring us through!  

I was a high school student the day I met Jaylyn, a young woman that I will remember forever. I only encountered this person on one occasion. The three of us who were visiting had less than an hour with Jaylyn that day, yet, she became an unforgettable person in my life. She survived a fire seven years before we met her. I admit being taken back inwardly at first glance. Her scaring was immense. Then I saw her Bible.

I have loved my Bible from childhood, but never before had I seen one so worn. How could the book be so enlarged and seemingly frayed? Obviously, from years of being her mainstay. She must have lived within those pages that were roughed up from being so very well read.

From the moment of seeing this book, it stood fast in my mind as having been a monumental force and strength in her life. Jaylyn had found God’s great love, His strength, comfort and solace.

Self-sufficiency can keep us from the Bible. Yet, for a person who recognizes their need of God and faith, the Bible becomes the greatest of all sources for courage, tenacity and strength. What made Jaylyn different, besides the scars? How could she exude such grace and peace to us, three teenagers who came to visit? Seeing Her Bible was enough. We knew she had found Christ.

That day while being in her home, I could not know how deep and wide her influence would become for me. In a very short time–in less than two years–I would be enduring emboli as they struck my heart and lungs. Hoping and praying to stay alive, the Bible became my fortress, day and night. I came to more fully lean on the One around which Scripture swirls. Here is what the Bible reveals as the crux of the cross:

Jesus is known to be “the true Light which gives light to every person who comes into this world,” (John 1:9). John, a disciple of our Lord reveals Jesus as “the Word.” At the beginning of his writing, in verse one, John helps us see what this means:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.” In verse 5, more is explained, “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

The Lord came to save us from our sins, but also to teach us how God wants us to live. While here on earth, His message was received exceedingly well at first, based too, on the miracles He performed. But because of Jesus’ growing influence, those who despised Him for His growing popularity with the people built a case against Him. They used their sway with the Romans, who were the governing principal in Jerusalem, calling for Jesus’ execution. This was a practice the Roman hierarchy frequently used in their thrust for political order.

He knew it was coming! He told his disciples what would happen. He told them that He would be killed and buried, yes, but rise again in the resurrection–and that He would come again to receive us to himself for eternity. Let’s be clear as to who gets this great gift.

In only a couple of sentences, John answers that question: “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own and His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God . . .”

Jesus knew what His work would be. And, He knew He would die for what He came to the earth to accomplish. He knew that the purpose would be to shed His blood to provide a covering for the sins we commit. He taught us how to live in a kingdom that is different from the kingdom of the world—one of “righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit,” (Romans 14:17). Here, we are children of God. “And, because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” Therefore you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son, then an heir of God through Christ,” (Galatians 4:6-7).

We gradually learn how to live into the freedom this spiritual kingdom provides. No longer slaves to our sins, we move forward into our potential of becoming more fully human, fully alive.

The purpose of Jesus’s sacrificial death is clear. It was a rescue mission! Open to all who want the light of Christ, which leads us to the Father, Creator God.