Devotions with Lecrae: Don't Waste Your Life

This morning for devotions I was reading 1 Corinthians 15, specifically verses 12-34. This passage, especially the first few verses, is one of my favorites, and perhaps one of the most fundamental in the New Testament. In verses 12- 14, Paul writes:

But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith.

After devotions, I turned on some music as I made breakfast and got ready for church.  The first song to come on was Lecrae's "Don't Waste Your Life", which you can listen to at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbQyQavqqMI

In the first verse Lecrae says: 

Paul said if Christ ain't resurrect then we wasted our lives       Well that implies that our life's built around Jesus being alive Everyday I'm trying to show the world why Christ is more than everything you'll ever try 

Basically he sums up what Paul says in 1 Corinthians, if there is no resurrection, then our preaching and our faith is utterly useless. Paul goes on later to say that if Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile, we are still in our sins. Then he builds to say that Christ has indeed been raised and we are made alive in him.

It was for me a great reminder of why we live and what we live for. Nothing can compare to the love of Christ, who died, and was resurrected for our sins. We often talk about Christ's sacrifice of dying on the cross for us, but at least for me, it's far less often that I celebrate his resurrection, which is the foundation of our faith. 

Return...for I am merciful

In my daily scripture reading the other day, as I work through the Bible in a year with the rest of Madison Square Church, I was reading in the book of Jeremiah. One thing struck me as I read this; we are so like Israel (or at least I know I am). Reading through the Old Testament I've read countless stories of Israel's unfaithfulness. God always provides for Israel, and time and again Israel turns their back on God. He brings them out of Egypt and they make an idol. He brings them to the Promised Land and they disobey, taking the idols of others. The first part of Jeremiah is almost a cry from God saying "you keep turning away from me...why?"
It strikes me that this is exactly what we do all the time. In spiritual moments in Church we promise to give our all to God. We get all fired up and "committed." Then we go home and quickly forget all that passion we only recently felt. God brings us to Him, we turn our backs.
But here comes the good part. In Jeremiah 3, God says "Return, faithless Israel, I will frown on you no longer, for I am merciful..." He continues on (speaking through Jeremiah) to call Israel back to Him over and over, if only they would turn away from their unfaithfulness and idolatry.
Thankfully, that is what God has done with us. He has seen our sin, and yet He provides for us, leading us, guiding us, protecting us. God saw our sin, and sent His SON to die on the cross for our sins.
Only a truly loving God would put up with all the sin and faithlessness we live in. Thank God that our God is a loving God.

Amen.