Our big, smiting God

I wish that I could elaborate further on this thought, but because of 1,643 obligations in my life I am currently exhausted. So...I semi-hate posting these type of thoughts on here because 1) I feel that somewhere out there (cough...Michelle) there is someone who can paint these word pictures so much more elegantly and 2) I absolutely want to keep from preaching or talking down to anyone. I aspire to be ever-humble.

Think about this for a second (and I can't claim these thoughts as entirely my own, they are mostly ripped from Rob Bell; but I still want to make others aware of this)...we always talk about and hear sermons about and read scriptures about and drive by billboards about having faith in Jesus. This is awesome. There is no one, no thing that is capable in any capacity for carrying one ounce of our problems, our fears, or our humanity. Except for Jesus. Jesus...ohh man I could type pages and fill up journals writing His praise...what an incredible choice to put our faith in Him.

But what about this...how hard is the decision to accept the simple fact that Jesus--this same Ruler of the universe, Lord and God of all--puts His faith in us? (Ok, this is where the Rob Bell plagiarism begins...) In Matthew 14, when Jesus says to Peter, who has just been lifted from the stormy waters, revealed as a doubter (as a human), "Oh you of little faith, why did you doubt?" most of us assume that He is talking about faith and doubt in Jesus. Well, what about Jesus and the amazing faith He has in us ? We, as Christians have been handed this huge responsibility of taking the Gospel--not the gospel of hollow works or righteous deeds, but the Gospel of love and listening and accepting--to the ends of the earth, and you actually think God left it all in our hands hoping that it would get done?

Please stop living in fear of a smiting God and live with boldness--for truth--under a faithful and real God. He has a purpose for you and believes in you.

Why doubt yourself? God doesn't...