"The Lord brings death and makes alive; He brings down to the grave and raises up. The Lord sends poverty and wealth; He humbles and He exalts. He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap; He seats them with princes and has them inherit a throne of honor. For the foundations of the earth are the Lord’s; on them He has set the world." 1 Samuel 2:6-8
So God is in complete control. How many times I have heard this and understood that God is in control. Or did I? Did I really understand and comprehend? Or did I get arrogant and say, "I already know this stuff. Why do I have to read this again?" Deep down, I assumed that I knew all that this verse had to say. Oh how wrong I was. Now let's fill in the highlights of the elaborate painting set before us shall we?
Jesus was born of a virgin. He was raised as an apprentice to his father, a carpenter. He then was baptized and called by his Father in heaven. He went out and preached to the poor and hungry. Healed the sick and the blind. Fed His people both physically and spiritually. Then the pharisees got upset, condemned him to death, and had him crucified. A story that most are familiar with. Now the hardest part of a painting, making the highlights match the background.
God makes alive, right? So every time a child is born, it is only thanks to God for doing it. Not allowing it, but Himself doing it. Jesus was born of a virgin. This is God's decision to come to earth Himself. He birthed himself without sinning against himself (virgin birth), then God showed patience in His own creation by allowing Himself to grow up as an apprentice. Now, it's important to notice that God is capable of being everywhere at once here, because if you don't understand all powerful, then you humanize Him and say that He can't be in the heavens taking care of the earth AND fully in human form because you couldn't do it, which is absurd. So God is still fully in heaven and fully on earth. Again, He practices patience with his own creation, then he speaks to himself in his own creation saying "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:17. So He is pleased with the way He has constructed His earthly body. He is still a son on earth because He birthed himself through Mary. If we think back, he was also pleased with our creation at one point. That was when He made Adam. Continuing, He exalts His bodily incarnation through the baptism and then humbles Himself immediately by sharing with the poor and needy. No surprise what Jesus (God) does when "He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap." It's nothing new! God basically just gave himself another name and revealed Himself in human form while continuing to do what He has always done. No wonder people were astonished when Jesus did things. It's because they were witnessing God himself do things.
People say you have to see it to believe it. Well, keeping Jesus' crucifiction in mind, most people still don't believe it when they see it. How do we not see the things that are right in front of our faces: And when we do see things, why do we question it beyond all reason? What stupid sheep we are. I'm glad God is my shepherd.
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23
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