Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.
Jonah 2:8 NIV
Forfeit Grace
Julie Payette is the only Governor General in Canada’s history who resigned before the end of her term. What led to her fall from grace? When the Queen appointed Julie Payette Governor General in 2017, she was permitted to bring in her own chief of staff. The result: both Payette and her former principal adviser presided over what an independent investigation called a toxic workplace replete with harassment of employees. According to Bryn MacPherson, private secretary to three Ontario Lieutenant-Governors, “It’s shocking it was allowed to progress this far.”
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The heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is grace – God’s riches at Christ’s expense. God offers forgiveness, redemption, salvation, purity, victory, spiritual power, a new heart, and total transformation of our nature as a gift. A gift purchased by the death of Jesus Christ on a Roman cross, and by His resurrection from the dead. The Bible teaches that every good and perfect gift comes from God. We receive all of this by faith in Jesus Christ. It boggles the mind why anybody would refuse this gift or turn their backs on it. But they do. The prophet says this in Jonah 2:8: “Those who cling to worthless idols turn away from God’s love for them.” Idolatry comes in many forms. It isn’t just the worship of a physical object molded by human hands. An idol is anything we put before our relationship with Jesus Christ. In our world, it can be such things as our job, our bank account, sports, entertainment and myriad of other things. They pull us away from our faith in Christ, and from experiencing God’s love for us. Take time today to examine your life and set any idols aside to return to Jesus.
These have been words from the heart.
Bob Beasley