Value Life - It's A Precious Gift From God

"Today's Devotion" For March 27, 2006

Read: I Thessalonians 4:1-12; Genesis 2:4-7,18-23

VALUE LIFE - IT'S A PRECIOUS GIFT FROM GOD

"--the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and the man became a living being." (Gen.2:7)

This past week a fifteen year old boy, waiting at the bus stop for a bus, was beaten to death by four or five attackers on a north side Milwaukee street corner. Over a week ago, two young boys left one's grandfather's house to go play basketball at the local playground and have disappeared from the face of the earth. After a week of fruitless searching the police and FBI are convinced that someone knows something but isn't telling. On the news last night a police spokeswoman noted that there is an increasingly pervasive culture of "No Snitching" going on which is hindering essential police work in behalf of these boys. At the same time as these things are occurring the question of whether the state should reinstate the death penalty for those who take the lives of others. After 153 years of absence this has engendered heated debate in the legislature, in the news, on the streets, and in our institutions.

What these events and circumstances have in common is that they all pertain to how we, as a society, view the sanctity of life. I'm not going to debate the relative pros and cons of the death penalty. That's for another forum. However, as we look at our newspapers every day, the fact that life seems to be cheap for many parts of our culture appears quite apparent. When children can be taken off the streets in broad daylight and no one has any information or sees anything happen, life is cheap. When a teenager can be brutally beaten in broad daylight with no one observing, coming to his aid, or intervening in some way, life is cheap. When the question of whether to reinstate the death penalty for heinous crimes leads to acrimony and hateful speech, our disregard and disdain for each other and honest, differing opinions and perspectives becomes obvious.

Life is not something cheap to be snuffed out without a whimper. It's a precious gift of God, who never views life as cheap or expendable. Without Him there would be no life. While some might opt to believe that human beings evolved from lower life forms (which of course somehow came into existence by chance), I believe what Genesis says: God is the creator of all things. As such He is the source of human life and the only one with the right to take it away. In fact life is so precious to Him that He sent His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, to redeem us from our sins so that we might live lives filled with the joy of forgiveness and have the hope of eternal life and the resurrection from the dead.

By faith in Jesus, then, we view life as sacred and holy and not to be taken lightly or squandered foolishly. It's a valuable gift from God and worthy of our best efforts to preserve it and hold it sacred. We are our "brother's keeper," for God calls us in Christ to live a life of love and compassion toward others. As we face the daily ravages of crime in the streets, illness and disease, war and pestilence, or any other factor that contributes to the loss of human life, we have hope and comfort in Christ that nothing can separate us from His love.

Prayer: Father, too many people are dying because people have a disregard for the lives of others. Too often life is considered expendable by those who would try to control others. In the name of science life is often cheapened. Father, You have blessed me with my life so that I might experience the wonders of Your creation and share in Your blessings. Help me to live a life that is full of gratitude for Your love and blessings, and show me how I might share the value of life with others. Above all, lead me to realize that the greatest gift of life is the one Jesus paid for on the Cross, and that You have called me to share that gift with others each day. In Christ's name I pray. Amen
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--Pastor Boeck

Copyright © 2006 Rev. Richard J. Boeck, Jr. All rights reserved.