But God #10

But God #10

...but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. -- Romans 5:8; English Standard Version

I just watched End of the Spear. I recommend it. It is the story of Nate Saint's family and their attempt to show God's love to the Waodani people in Ecuador in the 1950's. For their efforts, Nate Saint and three other missionaries were murdered by the people they sought to reach.

In the movie Nate Saint, as he lay dying, to one of the Waodani people said (in the Waodani tongue), "I want to be your sincere friend." As near as anyone knows those were Nate Saint's dying words.

Before leaving on one of his attempts to reach those people Nate Saint's son urged him to defend himself with guns should they be attacked by the Waodani peoples. Nate Saint refused noting that he and his fellow missionaries were prepared to meet God, but the Waodani peoples were not. They did have firearms when they were killed at the ends of spears, but the missionaries did not use them.

Amazing.

What love!

Later on Nate Saint's sister, wife and Jim Elliot's family lead some of the Waodani people to Christ. In 1995 Nate Saint's son moves to Ecuador to continue ministering to the Waodani people, continuing his father's work and his recently deceased Aunt Rachel's work. Nate Saint's son actually forgives and ministers to the very man who murdered his father.

This is the most beautiful of all "But God" devotional thoughts. While we in rebellion against God; while we turned our backs to Him; while we sinned against His holiness...HE LOVED US!

It was not empty talk of love that, but GOD ACTED, giving us Christ's life and paying for our sin. He showed us His love while we were at war with Him.

He didn't wait for us to "straighten up". He didn't wait for us to turn to Him. He didn't wait until we deserved it (we never would).

In the grandest, most tender demonstrations of love the world has ever known, God proved His love to people who could care less; worse, to people who were His enemies.

We, who deserved the end of the spear or the cross' nails, were shown love through Christ Jesus.

We war. We hate. We rebel. We sin. We ignore.

But God...