By Lyn Ventura
It was a typical New England day, raining lightly as we went on our first whale watching trip. The ocean was a drab dark green color with little specks implicating where tender droplets of rain had fallen. The water had the oddly comforting scent of seaweed, brine and fish. The kids were so excited as the loud engine of the boat chugged us far from the shoreline, into the open seas. I didn’t know what to expect on this trip, but what I got went above and beyond anything I even remotely expected!
We went so far out into the ocean that we knew we were far from land. We saw the blackish backs of a few right whales. It was neat to see how large they were next to our little tug boat. But the clouds and light rain made for a damper of a trip for most of our time out. After seeing a few whales, we headed back to shore.
On the way, I noticed some dolphins playfully racing with our boat. Then I noticed the sun peeking through the late afternoon clouds. When I lifted my head, I saw the mist of a whale spouting in the distance while (what seemed like) a million seagulls flew above it! I even saw a rainbow! It was magnificent! One moment everything was drab, ugly and cold, the next there was light and color, such beauty and LIFE! The likes of which I had never seen!
I think of what God does when He performs the miracle of bringing about new life in us. God takes us who were, dead in our sins and makes us alive in Christ! Col 2:18 says, “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins,” This is a miracle of God! Our rebirth is all orchestrated by Him. He draws us. He reveals Himself to us. He teaches us. He redeems us. He does it all!
God’s word says, “He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first fruits of all He created.” James 1:18 “We have been made spiritually alive in Christ, who is the first fruit of all creation!
Now our lives take on new meaning and purpose! Because of God’s great love for us, in Christ, we now have abundant life! “ John 10:10 says, “A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy. I have come so that they may have life and have it in abundance.” That doesn’t mean we will accumulate an abundance of money or things as some teach today. It means Jesus came so that we may love and enjoy God having communion with Him.
Now our lives which were once filled with darkness is, in a moment, filled with God’s marvelous light!
We experience life in a whole different way. “And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding so that we may know the true one. We are in the true One--that is, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. 1John 5:20 In Christ, we are one with God! Lets wrap our heads around that! It's barely comprehendable when we think about it!
Our salvation isn’t something we did. It isn’t about our decision, our faith, our anything! We are called and chosen. Salvation is God’s greatest gift to man. Recognize it for what it is and give God the glory, for He is worthy! What we expect for our sin is death, but what we get goes far and above all we can think or imagine! We are gifted with life in Christ! So as God’s word implores us, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God--this is your true and proper worship.” Romans 12:1
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