Good morning, everyone.
Our verse for today comes from Acts 3:26, “When God raised up His Servant Jesus, He sent Him first to you to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways.”
When was the last time you called something? I’m not talking about using your phone as an actual phone, which is the rarest of occurrences. I’m talking about the common practice among the younger generation of staking your claim on something as yours, like the front seat of the car or the tv remote. Whoever “calls shotgun” as the family heads to the car secures the right to sit up front with the driver. Whoever “calls the remote” garners control of what will be watched on tv. Another version of this claim of ownership is to call dibs. For example, whoever calls dibs on the last slice of pizza expects all others to save that piece for him. Whoever has dibs on the shower gets the use of the bathroom without having to wait on their siblings. The workings of this system are quite simple, yet extremely powerful. Few have been stripped of their claim when they explain to an outsider that they “called it.” To have dibs on something is the ultimate backstage pass, front row seat, or sneak preview for whatever is up for grabs. Someone with no other hope of being first can bypass all others simply by having dibs.
And if being first or having first rights to something is the capstone of claims, then you would think the crème de la crème would be having the first rights to Jesus. If God chose you from among all He could have to first receive the gift of His Son, what more could you want? What else would you ever need to “call” if you were delivered the One who would deliver you from your wicked ways? What sort of dibs could ever rival the exchange of our guilt and shame for the forgiveness and hope of eternal life with the Creator Redeemer? But, despite our position before God through the work of Jesus, we still scurry and fret to stake our claims, call our dibs, and try to make sure we can get what we can get. What we are blessed with to enjoy becomes far more than what God intended, and thus, becomes nothing like it’s supposed to be. His good becomes our god, and what’s first is not what should be first. So if you’re calling something today, call on Jesus to be the first of firsts.
As we seek Him today, let your redemption and salvation be enough for you to rest on.
Have an incredible Tuesday.
#4 Rich Holt
Dad of Ripken, Koy, TrishaJean, Samantha, Kakie Holiday and Raleigh
Happy is the man who has his quiver full of them.
