November is a great month because there is always a real sense of thankfulness inspired by the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. Today I am thankful for John 3:16 (NIV), “For God so loved the world that he gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
My first memory of this scripture is seeing people holding up John 3:16 signs at sporting events. I must admit there was a time in my life where I had no idea that it was even a bible verse. In time, I figured out that it was scripture and even I recall looking it up in the Bible. At that time to me, the Bible was just a dusty-old-outdated-lengthy-book about God that was a boring read written in some archaic language that only King James could understand. Having no idea where John 3:16 even was, I began to fumble through the pages, and then decided to look back at the table of contents. Eventually, I found it…and read it… and closed the book. I had kind of a “hmmm, well, whatever” reaction to it. I think I was expecting some kind of miraculous message to overwhelm me when I finally read this mysterious, well-advertised verse.
Seriously, why would someone go through the trouble of holding up a John 3:16 poster at a game if the words weren’t something amazing? My problem was that I was reading this scripture (and others) as though the Bible was written as a novel or a textbook. If you read scripture with this kind of mindset (absent of spiritual guidance), you just won’t get it. And I didn’t get it. Why was John 3:16 important enough for someone to take the time to write it on a poster board, buy tickets to a game and hold it up for fans at the game and on TV to read it?
Seriously, why would someone go through the trouble of holding up a John 3:16 poster at a game if the words weren’t something amazing? My problem was that I was reading this scripture (and others) as though the Bible was written as a novel or a textbook. If you read scripture with this kind of mindset (absent of spiritual guidance), you just won’t get it. And I didn’t get it. Why was John 3:16 important enough for someone to take the time to write it on a poster board, buy tickets to a game and hold it up for fans at the game and on TV to read it?
Having made an incredible spiritual journey since dusting off a Bible years ago in order to read John 3:16 for the first time, I now know exactly why those people take the time to write it out on a poster board, buy tickets to a game and hold it up for all to see. This verse is a key message of salvation. I get that now and it’s extremely powerful…just like I get that old-outdated-lengthy boring Bible now, and it’s extremely powerful. John 3:16 contains so much in that one verse. God gives us a free gift that can’t be earned, it only needs to be accepted and you live for eternity with God. He loves His creation so much, He wants to be with us forever!
Simple, yet so complex.
The simplicity is in its concept, “here’s a gift, take it.”
The complexity is in the acceptance, “this gift is free, you did not earn it, enjoy it...it will change everything about you forever.”
It’s amazing and difficult.
It’s beautiful and challenging.
It’s wonderful and a struggle.
It's peaceful, it's restful...
I am thankful for this gift from my God.
Ephesians 5:20 "always giving thanks to God the Father for
everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ"
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