How Low Will He Go?
Many of us think that if we can just live good enough, get rid of a bad habit, and not fail anymore, God will bless us and show us His favor. The problem is that we can't live that way. We all make mistakes, give in to temptations, and let our emotions take over. The condemning voices come, saying, "You blew it. God's never going to help you." But that's not the way our God is. When you can't come up to His level, He says, "I'll come down to yours." He's not so high and holy that He won't come low. The Scripture says, "He stoops to look down on heaven and on earth. He lifts the poor from the dirt and the needy from the garbage dump. He sets them among princes" (Psalm 113:6--8). He'll stoop all the way to a garbage dump, all the way to the dirt. Notice that He doesn't just bring you out, but He honors you and sets you among princes.
This is what Jesus did two thousand years ago. He stooped down from the glory of heaven and came to be born in a lowly manger on earth. He stooped to be betrayed, mocked, beaten, and crucified on the cross for our sins. He didn't have to, but He said, "I'll stoop down. I'll go low, so low I'll be buried in a grave." But He didn't stay there. He defeated sin, death, and hell for you and me. That's how He is the God who stoops. He comes to your messy places, meets you where you are, restores you when it was your fault, defends you when you knew better, drowns out the accusing voices all around you, and sets you in a place of honor as His child.
I love the fact that you can never fall so low that God won't come down and pick you up. He doesn't hold your mistakes against you. You're not too far off course, and you haven't failed too many times. God is coming after you right now. He's breathing on your life in a new way with fresh vision and fresh passion. New doors are about to open. What He's destined for you to accomplish will come to pass. Now don't write yourself off, and don't write anyone else off. Don't give up on or quit praying for your loved ones. The psalmist says, "God, wherever I go, I can't get away from Your presence. If I go up to heaven, You are there. If I go to the depths of the ocean, You're still there." There's no depth to which God won't stoop in order to free you, to restore a family member, or to bring your child back home.
This is what Jesus did two thousand years ago. He stooped down from the glory of heaven and came to be born in a lowly manger on earth. He stooped to be betrayed, mocked, beaten, and crucified on the cross for our sins. He didn't have to, but He said, "I'll stoop down. I'll go low, so low I'll be buried in a grave." But He didn't stay there. He defeated sin, death, and hell for you and me. That's how He is the God who stoops. He comes to your messy places, meets you where you are, restores you when it was your fault, defends you when you knew better, drowns out the accusing voices all around you, and sets you in a place of honor as His child.
I love the fact that you can never fall so low that God won't come down and pick you up. He doesn't hold your mistakes against you. You're not too far off course, and you haven't failed too many times. God is coming after you right now. He's breathing on your life in a new way with fresh vision and fresh passion. New doors are about to open. What He's destined for you to accomplish will come to pass. Now don't write yourself off, and don't write anyone else off. Don't give up on or quit praying for your loved ones. The psalmist says, "God, wherever I go, I can't get away from Your presence. If I go up to heaven, You are there. If I go to the depths of the ocean, You're still there." There's no depth to which God won't stoop in order to free you, to restore a family member, or to bring your child back home.