Only One

How many kings would step down from their thrones--how many lords would abandon their homes--how many "greats" would become the "least of these"--how many gods would pour out their hearts (to romance a world that is torn all apart)--how many fathers would give up their sons.. for me?
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Only One did that for me!
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--Our God is not a stand-back, in-the-shadows, sedentary God. He is not a standoffish God or an unsmiling God or a snooty God. Our God is a down-and-personal, down-and-dirty kind of God.
--He is the kind of God Who gives up His comfort, His stature, His high standing, and His dignity--for us.
--He is the kind of God Who willingly becomes a fragile mortal and then extends His newly-human hand to our own dirty, hammer-and-nail-wielding ones.
--He is the kind of God Who steps out of His perfect light to enter into our frothing darkness, soothe our weary souls, and gently lead us back into the light with Him.
--He is the kind of God Who humbles Himself, Who closes the door on His trophy room, sweeps His gold-plated name placard off His gilt-edged desk, and takes off His Rolex watch and designer suits to dress in simple rags just like the ones we're wearing.
--He is the kind of God Who sits down in the tear-soaked ashes with us and simply holds us, simply listens, simply loves.
--He is the kind of God Who becomes voluntarily vulnerable so that He feels all the same pains we do and knows all the hardships we bemoan.
--He is the kind of God Who looks far past our stains and our splotches and our sins and takes our hearts, our filthy, filthy hearts, and loves us anyway.
--He is the kind of God--the ONLY kind of God--Who simply welcomes us in with wide open arms and nail-scarred hands and reminds us that we--yes, we--with the unforgivable sins and the unbelievable transgressions--that we are His own dearly beloved children, His own precious creations.
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Our God is the God Who loved us--Who LOVES us--so much that He would sacrifice His Son, that He would give up his dignity, His comfort, and His life, all for us. All because He loves us.
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"Only One did that... for me." ~Marc Martel
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Our God is a great, great, great God.
Merry almost-almost-Christmas season. 💚