6-5-2019

          Good Morning All,

      Judges 6:15; “Gideon said to him, “Excuse me, sir! How can I rescue Israel? Look at my whole family. It’s the weakest one in Manasseh. And me? I’m the least important member of my family.”

    “I am just not ______ enough!”  I hear that a lot especially from teenagers but not just them; from others, as well.  All you have to do is fill in the blank.  I’m not pretty, smart, tall, thin, popular, young, spiritual or any of a hundred other words but all of them say the same thing; I am just not good enough.  I have little, if any, value at all.  Deep down, nobody really likes me; if all the truth was told nobody would miss me if I was gone.

    Have you ever felt like that?  I think most people have at one time or another.  It is most common after some disappointment.  The date with the pretty girl that you hoped for that didn’t happen, the boy from your math class that never called, the job you didn’t get, the group of friends that have fun when you aren’t there, the time someone forgot about you; all work up to feeling not _______ enough.  It is those setbacks that the devil loves to see.  He is there before we can even react and he whispers in our ear, “you really aren’t ????!!!!enough.”

     This is one of the most painful things the devil does to us.  His best tool is always “doubt” and when we doubt it gives him a slight crack in the door to walk in.  If you have ever had the “not ______ enough” run through your mind you know it will quickly run through your mind, then your heart and then your spirit.  It can literally kill you with the pain and separation that it can cause.

     This is why it is so important to always remember who you are.  Remember “who you are” and not “what you are”.  You are a redeemed child of God.  That is who you are and there is nothing above that.  “What you are” is the situation that you are in and that will change frequently throughout our lives.  You might be not old enough now, you will be.  You might be out of s job now but you won’t be forever.  It might be too wet now but it won’t be forever.  Our life changes, sometimes it is not as pleasant as other times but it changes; what doesn’t change is God’s love for you.

    We often don’t think of it but God truly “double” loves you.  First, we are loved because he created us.  When we were created God declares us as “very good”.  Then after we sinned, God bought us back again.  There is no doubt of God’s love for us, we are enough for him to love because he loves us entirely.  No matter “what you are” the important thing is “who you are” you are a loved, redeemed child of God and that will never change!

Dearest Father, many times I feel that I am not enough and not worthy of love.  Yet through this all you continually to love and sustain me.  Give the faith to always trust in the certainty of your love.  Your grace and mercy give me the hope for tomorrow.  Reach out to those who particularly feel that they are not enough.  Use me to comfort and console them.  In Jesus’ precious name we pray, amen

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret