Now I am one who believes that we are all responsible for our own actions and the problems that may come as a result, but I think it's hard to ignore the effects that Satan has on our lives. It's important to be able to recognize his work in our lives and not to discredit the power that he has. We should have a respect for the chaos he can visit on us.
I've heard it said that Satan's lies are the most dangerous of all, and I find myself agreeing more and more the more I hear them. Those are a lot of mores...In any case, the greatest lie he could he ever say to us is telling us that God doesn't love us. It makes perfect sense. Convincing us that God wants nothing to do with us is the worst thing that could ever happen to us. Think about it. That's Satan effectively separating us from our Creator. He's blinding us to the constant yearnings of our Father to have a lasting relationship with us. That's not something we make him do by our own actions, it's something he just does. He does it because he loves us, and we are his. We are his.
One of my favorite books in the Chronicles of Narnia series by C.S. Lewis has always been the Voyage of the Dawn Treader. I've always liked it because of the journeys to the different islands that the crew of the Dawn Treader took. I always thought that was neat. I had the pleasure of rereading the book before watching the movie quite recently. I enjoyed the movie, but they kept out some of the best parts, with the exception of the end. At the end of the movie and the book, When Lucy and Edmund are told that they can't return to Narnia again, they are confused as to why. Aslan expresses to them that the reason why he brought them to Narnia in the first place was so that they would come to know him, and that they would never stop knowing him. He tells them they came to Narnia so that they would know him there for a little while, but know him in their own world for longer.
At that same time, there, standing at the edge of Aslan's country they ask him if they'll be able to reach his country from their world and if Aslan will tell them how. Aslan's answer is just so awesome. "I shall be telling you all the time," said Aslan. "But I will not tell you how long or short the way will be; only that it lies across a river. But do not fear that, for I am the great Bridge Builder." C.S. Lewis is a genius. The great lengths Aslan takes to know these children, even Edmund who betrayed him, was awesome. Going as far making them Kings and Queens of Narnia, his realm. The Great Bridge Builder. That's just so awesome. Regardless of what separates us, Aslan, or should I say JESUS will lead us to overcome. He doesn't tell us or show us how to do it once, but ALL THE TIME! I Shall Be Telling you All the Time! One of the greatest things I've ever seen written in ages.
Looking at it now, Satan's lies are obvious nonsense. Why would Christ go to such great lengths if he were to discard us at the sight of any of our faults? He brought us into this world, so he knows full well what we are capable of, but he loves us regardless. One of my favorite verses is Romans 8:37-39 which says, " No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth no anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." That is a sizable list of things that can't separate us from God's love. Our sin is nothing compared to what's on that list. How could Satan's lies possibly be true?
I think it's important to realize, even in our periods of despair when we think so little of ourselves that Christ does not. He finds us worthy of his sacrifice always and forever. Nothing we can possibly do will ever change that. It's the most beautiful thought ever realized by the minds of man, that our Creator would never quit us as the things of this world often do. That there is no preconceived notion regarding his unfailing love. It's completely illogical to us, but also completely beautiful. It's dreadfully hard, but oh so important to realize that Christ's love penetrates even the thickest clouds of doubt. We are not alone in our suffering. We must remember to train our ears for the booming roar of the Lion of Judah.
3 comments:
I love that, Cory!!! It is beautiful!
I think you're right about it all, and I think another one of those very, very dangerous lies that we sometimes believe is that we are alone in what we think or feel. Satan tries, not only to get us to think that Jesus doesn't love us anymore or enough, but also to get us to believe that no one could ever possibly understand how we feel or what we think. If we believe that lie, then he wins in isolating us from the help and encouragement of our brothers and sisters who DO, in fact, know what we feel because generally we all go through the same places in life...just different circumstances.
I love what you wrote! And I love these blogs because they're one way we have of being in community with each other and not being isolated in what we feel and think.
Honestly, I think it's pretty amazing that we do have a blogger community like this. I would be a way different person without my blog. The only blessing the internet has given me that I could express that with certainty! Thanks for reading, Amy. You're totally right. Satan's biggest move against us is separating us from Christ and from each other. It's tough stuff, but it's important to understand that we're never alone.
Beautiful. The Lord's grace is unmeasurable. I think the fact that His nature goes against everything natural to us is what makes Him so marvelous.
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