God's Ultimate YES

 

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Since I was so sure of your understanding and trust, I wanted to give you a double blessing by visiting you twice—first on my way to Macedonia and again when I returned from Macedonia.  Then you could send me on my way to Judea.  You may be asking why I changed my plan.  Do you think I make my plans carelessly?  Do you think I am like people of the world who say “Yes” when they really mean “No”?  As surely as God is faithful, our word to you does not waver between “Yes” and “No.”  For Jesus Christ, the Son of God, does not waver between “Yes” and “No.”  He is the one whom Silas, Timothy, and I preached to you, and as God’s ultimate “Yes,” he always does what he says.                         2 Corinthians 2:15-19

It doesn’t take long for a misunderstanding to change the way you say things, or the way you do things.  The higher the stakes the more careful one must be in communicating with people; especially people with whom you share a mission, or goal.  The mission can become “toast” in a hurry when hurt feelings get in the way.

The apostle, Paul, was committed to the young church at Corinth.  They’d been idol worshippers, and hedonistic, simply party-people with no sense of direction.  Paul founded a church there, and God’s Holy Spirit blessed them with a great outpouring of love and giftedness.  Paul was proud of them.  However, in Paul’s absence, they reverted to some of their pagan ways.  They were in danger of becoming a stain on Jesus’ name, the One they’d committed to serve.

In Paul’s first letter to them he named names and the sins that were threatening to blow that church apart.  This second letter was more than just damage control, he was putting cement around the foundation of their relationship, assuring them that his actions, words, and intentions were always going to be unwavering, uncalculating, and from the heart.  That’s good advice for any pastor and people…get it straight, with humility, and trust.

To put an exclamation point at the end of his letter, Paul points to the One Whom God gave as the ultimate YES, Jesus.  That was not a bad simile for speaking plainly, forcefully, and with little chance of obscuring the target.  Certainly the clear message of Christ’s gift of his life on the cross was unmistakeable; that was God’s communication of love for all humanity.

For You Today

Yesterday was Valentine's Day.  We get caught up in gifts of chocolate, special gifts from the jewelry shops, and the Hallmark moments.  All of the well-intentioned communication of joy and devotion to our “loved ones” is good and right.  But, in all of your celebrating, remember Who started it all!  It was the Lord Jesus Christ who gave us the meaning for Valentine’s Day:

“For this is how God loved the world:  He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  John 3:16

You chew on that as you hit the Rocky Road; have a blessed day!  

[1] Title:  Pixabay.com    Unless noted, Scripture quoted from The New Living Translation^©