Once again, I was working on the ABC’s with a child. Oh,the joys (and the pain) of teaching a child to read! But, the ABC‘s are valuable pieces of information in the literacy puzzle. In order to read, a child must know the alphabet and each letter sound like the back of his hand. Anyone who has ever taught a child to read knows the value of teaching all the letter sounds and blends before picking up Moby Dick or Great Expectations. Nothing can be accomplished without this basic foundation set in place.
For Christians, we need to know our basic foundation. Jesus is our foundation. He is the Alpha and Omega. The Alpha and Omega are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet. Jesus was at the beginning of creation and will be there to the end. He is the author and the finisher of all time. He begins our faith and carries it out to completion. He is the sum and substance of the Scriptures, both the Law and the Gospel. For me, this means viewing all of what I see, do and say in light of eternity. If Christ is the beginning and the end and all that is in between, then I should celebrate this daily and live for Christ in my day to day life.
One way I try to keep this foundational truth at the foremost of my mind is confession. When I am confessing my sin consistently and often to the Lord, I am reminded of my place in reference to Christ. He is the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and End. And I am really nothing. It is only through Christ’s righteousness and His forgiveness of my sins that I can stand. This drives my heart to leap with joy for God’s blessing of forgiveness, eternity, and His authorship over all of time, and even over my heart.
How often are you confessing your sin? How about thinking about areas of your body? I might ask myself: What did I say today that was unkind or hurtful with my words? Did I decide to spend more time working a hobby or keeping busy rather than reading God’s word? Am I thinking the best of others? Did I gossip under the guise of concern? These are questions I ask myself often. I usually find areas I need to confess. Try truthfully asking these to yourself today and see God reveal Himself to you.
Love, Julie
