He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together- Colossians
I could (and probably should) name the laundry-list of blessings from God that I am thankful for. But, it is easy for me to get lost is the blessings of God...blessings of stuff and people...and omit the Ultimate Blessing.
Jesus Christ.
If it were not for Christ--fully-God and fully-man, yet slain for me--everything in my life would be utterly meaningless...completely devoid of any purpose or value. Though I was once spiritually dead to God, I am now alive in Christ. I am a new creation in Jesus. And I am being liberated from the deceptive desires of my selfish flesh, and am now able to know God...rest is His grace...and walk in freedom!
And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the bodya and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them- Ephesians
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed- 1 Peter
But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption.
Therefore, as it is written: “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord"- 1 Corinthians
So tomorrow (and everyday for that matter), I will sing from the mountain tops what my God has done for me in Christ Jesus. And I will declare that His love is better than life!
