[Vertical Series] Look Up预览

The Weakness of God is Stronger than Human Strength

Is there anything more fragile than a baby? A baby is entirely dependent. The baby’s survival is utterly and ultimately in his or her parent’s hands. Parents have the strength and might needed for that baby to grow and reach its potential. Without them, the baby’s survival is in jeopardy. 

When a baby comes, hopes and dreams are ignited in our hearts, which in turn fills us with joy. This kind of joy and hopeful feeling is what the shepherds and Magi experienced two thousand years ago when the Creator of the universe, the One who sustains the world by the power of His words, was born and put in a manger. 

Jesus showed us that true humility and surrender are signs of strength. Though He was God, He did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, Jesus gave up His divine privileges and was born as a fragile human being. He humbled Himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. 

Jesus was looked down on so we could look up, for our salvation comes from above. The King of the world became weak and was entrusted into the hands of two caring human beings. Jesus’s humility and surrender to the Father’s will at the cross show us what real strength is all about. 

God’s values are not from this world because His kingdom is not from this world. Jesus’s weakness, according to the world’s standards, is what made us rich and full of strength in Him. 

We tend to fix our eyes on how we feel, on our weaknesses and problems, when we should be fixing our eyes on Jesus—the Pioneer and Perfecter of faith. True humility recognizes how magnificent God is; it does not focus on our weakness but on His strength. When we face opposition, struggles, and problems, let us consider Jesus, who endured opposition from sinners, so that we do not grow weary and lose heart. 

May we find strength in Him. I pray that the realization of His sacrifice and love for you will ignite a powerful sense of awe that will lead you to true worship–in spirit and truth. Let us always, in every situation, look up!

This devotional plan is based on the Series Vertical “Look up”, preached by Pastor Gregg Matte. To watch the whole sermon, please follow this link: https://houstonsfirst.org/message/look-up