When is the last time you heard someone tell you their life was like a prize they received? We often hear complaints of how life could be going better. If we do hear of good in the life of another we wonder if it is legitimate joy or something they manufactured.
Jeremiah 39:17-18 (NKJV)
17 But I will deliver you in that day,” says the Lord, “and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely deliver you, and you shall not fall by the sword; but your life shall be as a prize to you, because you have put your trust in Me,” says the Lord.’”
There are obvious gifts that God has given me, such as my wife and my children. I know that God has blessed me beyond what I deserve because I am well aware of my sin and my sinful nature. What I have a hard time seeing is how God will restore me to the point I will see my life is a prize. I can understand my life as being a gift from God, but a prize? A prize sounds extravagant. A prize sounds like something to enjoy. Am I enjoying my life?
It is easy to get crippled by fear. There are many things in this world to be afraid of. We carry regret and shame for the damage we have caused to ourselves and others. We fear failure. We fear that if people truly knew us, that they wouldn’t want anything to do with us. It sounds a lot like we hope to find our prize in others rather than from within ourselves.
God has a different message. Jesus brought a message of hope clothed in forgiveness. His death on the cross assured that we would get our prize through faith in Him. Our life on Earth can be a prize to us if we just relinquish the strongholds life has on us to Christ Jesus. We must forgive and be forgiven. That can only be accomplished through a provision of His strength.
What is holding you back from seeing life as a prize from God?
