Matthew 16:26

Have you ever looked into your past, and wished you could have a do over? Maybe there was a terrible event you wish you could avoid or change. I am sure all of us carry scars, that we could probably live without. This life is full of painful experiences, but I have to wonder, would we be the same if we didn’t go through such times? Choices are important, decisions we make can have everlasting repercussions, and if changing the past would mean I would have a different present, I am not sure I would want to change the past. Those difficult experiences, tragedies that I can’t explain, all culminate in the person I am today. If changing the past meant I wouldn’t have Esther and my children beside me; No Thanks.

For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?

Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

Matthew 16:26

God has never promised a life without pain and sorrow. Actually, the opposite is true, God cursed the ground for Adam’s sake, and God made Eve’s life hard for “punishment”. Thinking about God’s actions after the fall has to make us wonder, why? God is neither trite or capricious, He does things with a loving purpose. Adam had allowed sin to come into this world, and in God’s wisdom, He had to get sin out of man. Through trials and tribulations, God wanted to show us there was more than just pain, but also a reminder of His presence. It has become so easy to forget God when times are going well, but isn’t it in our darkest times, we look for help? God does not wish ill for any human being, but He is willing to let humans suffer for our actions, enough to get our attention. God is in the business of changing lives. God’s greatest work in creating a brand new heart, one that is loving and kind. I can personally attest, that my most difficult times have made me a “better” person. I am happy with who I am today. God has brought me this far, and He has much further to go. I don’t want to be anybody else than the person God wants me to be today. We all have a past, but it doesn’t define us. God takes all our painful times, and creates a newer and brighter reality. This is our God, He can take the sin of the world, to create loving and happy people. Let God be Praised!

Connected to the Vine:

-Pastor Danny

Sermon Title: Daniel Chapter 4, Test: Confidence in Riches