Today is my birthday! Whoot! Whoot!
I just love celebrating my birthday! It’s the one day of the year when it seems acceptable for people to make a huge fuss over me…to spoil me and treat me like a princess {or Queen for that matter}. I appreciate every minute of it!
What about you? Do you love celebrating your birthday? I’m always surprised that some people don’t get very excited when their birthday comes around each year. I’m the type that begins the ‘countdown to my birthday’ about 30 days prior. Some laugh because of my excitement over my birthday. I personally believe that it is something that all of us should celebrate in a special way. I believe that birthdays are God’s way of saying, “I still have a purpose for you on Earth.” And doesn’t God say that long life is a blessing from Him? (Psalm 91:16, Proverbs 3:2)
I don’t know about you, but I am thankful for my blessing!
This morning as I was sitting quietly with the Lord, I began to ponder my life (my 30-something years here on Earth). All of a sudden I felt an overwhelming sense of gratitude towards God. Why me O Lord? Why am I deserving of this? I thought about the years that I spent searching for satisfaction and meaning through people and empty things in this world. I thought about all of years that I ignored God. I thought about the time that I wasted on being selfish and seeking temporal things. I thought about the times that I made really poor choices that could have ended my life. I considered what I deserve vs. what I have been given…and thought…I shouldn’t be here. BUT GOD!!! But God had another plan. But God in His love and mercy chose to spare my life. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). But God saw something in me that I didn’t see in myself. But God had a purpose for my life – a plan to use me for His glory! Why me O Lord?
Then the Lord whispered, “It has nothing to do with you, but everything to do with Me.” God doesn’t deal with us according to what we deserve, but according to His loving-kindness; His goodness. His word says that He does these things for “His Name’s Sake.”
God also reminded me of how He loves to use the weak things of this world to shame the wise; the useless things to reveal His power. It’s all about Him! I am so amazed at the way He takes the despised things of this world and makes them into something great.
1 Corinthians 1:28 ~ the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are…
This is my story! God took me with all of my flaws, failures and shortcomings and called me HIS. Most importantly, He gave me a new heart and a new life.
It all began with one simple decision to invite God to live on the inside of me, through accepting His Son Jesus. It all started with me coming to my whit’s end and realizing that there is no way that I could ever truly be fulfilled {alive} apart from Jesus Christ.
Today, more than celebrating my physical birth, I celebrate my spiritual birth. I celebrate the new life that I have been given through Jesus Christ. God chose to redeem me; to save me. He chose to place His Spirit inside of me, clean out all of the junk (an ongoing process) and fill me with His goodness. I celebrate these things! I celebrate my new life!
While our physical birthdays are fun, the most important birthday is the one where WE BECOME BORN AGAIN SPIRITUALLY! In John 3:3, Jesus says to Nicodemus, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.” THIS IS A REAL BIRTH DAY!
The Bible also tells us that the angels actually celebrate with us when we have a spiritual birthday. Luke 15:10 ~ “In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”
If you have NOT had a spiritual birthday, you are {like a} zombie, aimlessly walking around Earth; dead.
Ephesians 2:4-5 ~ But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ. We ALL need to be born again!
Would you like to join me in celebrating your birthday today? If you have not already made Jesus LORD of your life and accepted Him as your personal SAVIOR, I’d like to invite you to do so today. It’s quite simple. God requires only two things (Romans 10:9-10):
1) That you {honestly and genuinely} believe in your heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, whose holy blood was shed for the sins of humanity (for YOUR sins), and that He raised from the dead.
2) That you confess with your mouth (the things that you already believe in your heart) that Jesus is Lord!
If you have done this, then I’d like to be the first to say – HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! I celebrate with you, and pray that you have a wonderful day as this TRULY is the beginning of a whole new life!
Love,
Melissa
Honeybee's Hive 