Plain and Simple

I’m not stepping behind a pulpit or climbing atop some kind of soapbox to preach a sermon.  I’m simply sharing a few thoughts for today—thoughts that I hope, in some small way, will help someone facing hardship to find the courage and perseverance to keep going.

That is the heart of what I’m trying to say.

As children of God, we are blessed beyond measure with a very special Comforter and confidant—the Holy Spirit.  He was sent to draw us to Christ, encourage our hearts when we are struggling, strengthen us when we feel weak, and gently smooth out the rough edges that life so often leaves behind.

Sometimes life hurts.  Sometimes the road ahead looks uncertain, and the burdens we carry seem far too heavy for us to bear.  In those moments, it may be easy to wonder where God is or whether He truly understands what we are going through.

At this point, you may even be thinking, “This sounds too plain and simple to help me with the situation I’m facing.”

Perhaps that is exactly why I’m writing these thoughts.

“But how can I experience this Comforter?” you may be asking yourself.

I can only tell you what I have experienced personally and what countless born-again Christians have experienced after coming out of darkness and into the marvelous light of Jesus’ love.

The plain and simple truth is that God made it easy to come to Him—not hard at all.

He is not far away.  He is not hiding from us.  He is ever-present, ready to hear the sincere prayer of a repentant heart.  When we come to Him honestly and ask Him to forgive our sins, He forgives.

What an amazing thought—that the Creator of all things is willing to hear us when we call upon Him.

Scripture tells us that God’s plan of salvation is so plain and simple that even “the wayfaring man, though fools, shall not err therein.”

Yet the enemy would have us believe something entirely different.  The devil would have us believe that we are too unworthy for God’s grace, too sinful for His forgiveness, or somehow beyond the reach of His love.

The truth is, none of us is worthy on our own.  But that is where Jesus changes everything.

Through Jesus Christ and His sacrifice on the cross for our sins, God made a way for us to be reconciled to Him.  Jesus willingly gave His life, died on the cross, and then, in a miraculous demonstration of God’s power, rose from the dead.

That is the Gospel.  That is grace.  And that is hope.

Were it not for Jesus, the outcome of our existence would be no different from those who reject His sacrifice and His amazing love.  But because of Jesus, our story does not have to end with this life.

The plain and simple bottom line is this: through the new birth, we have the promise that one day we will see Him face to face—the majestic Creator of all things.

Think about that for a moment.

The One who created the heavens and the earth, the One who knows every sorrow, every fear, every tear, and every burden we carry, has made a way for us to spend eternity with Him.

Because of Jesus, we have the hope of heaven.  We will spend eternity with Him rather than facing eternal separation from God and His goodness—a place where there is no ending, no second chance, and no escape.

So when life becomes difficult, when the road seems too long, and when you wonder whether you have the strength to take another step, remember this: You are not alone.  The Comforter is near.  God is listening.  Jesus has already made the way.

Sometimes the greatest truths really are the plainest and simplest.  And today, that truth is enough for me.  I thank God for Jesus.

Written by,

Papa Boyd