For God who said,
“Let light shine
out of the darkness . . .”
has shone in our hearts
go give us the light
of the knowledge
of the glory of God
in Christ Jesus.
(2 Corinthians 4:6)

At the beginning of each year it seems like  all kinds of people do all kinds of thinking, either looking forward with resolutions or aspirations or hopes or dreams or strategy plans or . . . whatever. Other types of people enjoy thinking back and either reflecting or celebrating or regretting the year which has just finished. Some folks make lists of the best of this or that: movies, books, TV shows, football teams, actors, athletes; etc. So, I got to thinking about how grateful I am for all of the treasures God has placed in my life year-after-year. So, I prayerfully came up with several lists: My Most Treasured Scriptures, My Most Admired Bible Characters, My Most Treasured Life Truths, My Most Treasured Books, My Most Treasured Songs, My Most Pivotal Historical Events, My Most Admired Historical Figures. And as I reflect on all of these blessings, I am once again reminded; all of life moves me toward bringing glory to God as He works in and around me, revealing that in mine and every life—IT’S ALL ABOUT JESUS. Life is all about finding God in the life of Jesus.

This week we will consider my first two lists; My Most Treasured Scriptures and My Most Admired Bible Characters.

John 3:16 says it all:
God loves each of us in His World.
He gave us His Son.
If we turn to Him with faith in His Goodness;
He gives us the incredible gift
of eternal life with Him.

My Most Treasured Scriptures

1. John 3:16–For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (Here it is: One Scripture verse that says it all: (a)God has always loved all the people of the world. (b) He gave Jesus as our Sacrifice for sins and as our Savior. (c) Believing in Him brings eternal life.)

2. 2 Corinthians 5:17–Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. (God gives us a brand new birth and a brand new life when we put our faith in Christ.)

3. 2 Corinthians 4:6-7–6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. (God reveals His glory and His true nature in Jesus Christ.)

4. Lamentations 3:22-23–22–The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. (God’s Love is always with us; He is merciful to us forever; His mercy is new each day; His faithfulness is ever sure.)
5. Hebrews 13:8–Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. (God’s Love in Christ is always the same, yesterday, today and forever.)
6. Revelation 7:9-10–After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” (The day will come when people will be gathered in heaven from all nations, tribes, peoples and languages to eternally give praise God and Jesus the Lamb.)
7. Isaiah 43:2–When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you; when you walk through fire you shall not be burned, and the flame shall not consume you. (God will guide His people through every trial; indeed, He will pass through each trial with them; they will not suffer deadly harm.)
8. Matthew 11:29-30–“Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” (Jesus offers His steady, His sure, but gentle leadership to all people who choose to follow Him.
9. Psalm 23:1–The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. (Actually All of Psalm 23: God acts as my shepherd; I am blessed every day and in the midst of every circumstance.)
10. Isaiah 40:30– Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Actually All of Isaiah 40: All people grow tired, but those who put their hope in God receive His strength to soar like eagles; they run without growing weary; they continue walking and never faint.)

The Trinity:
God the Father . . .
God the Son . . .
God the Holy Spirit . . .
Three-in-One . . .
An Absolute Reality
An Awesome Mystery.

My Most Admired Bible Characters

1. God, the Father, God, the Son, and God, The Holy Spirit, Three-in-One; begins, sustains and concludes everything for ultimate good.
2.  Moses lived a long life, divinely spared as a baby boy; raised in Pharaoh’s household; having fled into the desert as a murderer;  divinely called by God in a burning bush;  having faced down Pharaoh amidst God’s ten plagues; having led the Israelites out of Egypt and though the midst of the sea; having received from God His Ten Commandments; having faced the murmuring and complaining over and over again, forty years in the wilderness; forbidden to enter the Promised Land for angry disobedience; and finally divinely blessed to view that Promised Land even as he died.
3. Mary, the mother of Jesus, humbly and obediently accepted God’s Divine Call.
4. Joseph, the earthly father of Jesus, faithfully responded to God’s Angel, taking Mary as his wife and provided loving care for her and the Baby Messiah, Jesus.
5. Noah, in the midst of sinful people, took on the huge task of building the Ark, trusting faithfully God’s Word, even in the face of incredible evil and disbelief—completing his task, and with his family, giving the earth a new start.
6. John, the Beloved Apostle, who bore a lifelong testimony to Jesus, His friend and Savior and Lord; who wrote down God’s Divine Word in John 3:16, the Seven Divine Signs and the Seven I Am’s, who outlived his brother apostles, faithfully pastoring God’s People; and who experienced Jesus’ Revelation as God pointed to His accomplishment of His eternal plan and the establishment of New Heaven and New Earth.
7. Paul, who had murderously opposed the early Church, met Jesus on the road to Damascus, became just as determined to spread the Gospel of Jesus, and accelerated the spread of the rapidly spreading Church. He wrote letters to local churches which established the basic doctrines which continue to serve as a strong foundation for Biblical Christian faith.
8. Ruth lovingly accompanied Naomi, her fellow widow and mother-in-law; humbly gathered grain in Boaz’s field and won his love, married him, and became the mother to Obed, the grandfather of King David, entering the family line of Jesus.
9. Joseph was born to Jacob and His beloved Rachel, and led a tumultuous yet ever faithful life, trusting and honoring God, even as he was sold into slavery by his own brothers, imprisoned because of the lies of the jilted Potiphar’s wife, and forgotten by Pharaoh’s cup bearer; only to be raised in God’s Plan to serve Pharaoh in saving Egypt and neighboring lands from a devastating plague—saving Jacob’s descendants who become the Children of Israel.
10. Esther rose as Queen to the occasion to save the Jews in exile in Persia from a murderous plot which would have wiped them out.(I know. I know. Why not Abraham? Why not Peter? Why not so many others? Remember, this is a list of those whom I most treasure, not a scholarly judgment. Make your own list. Share it with me. All God’s people are treasures because they are His.)

Always, always, always, the Written Word points to God’s Redemptive Purpose in the midst of every life—pointing always to the life, death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. So, as we begin 2025, we do so with a deep and abiding faith in our gracious God who has always been, is even now, and always will be, glorifying Himself as He loves people into His Kingdom through the Witness of the Holy Spirit and the Person of Jesus—loving, living, entreating, challenging, redeeming—saving people and bringing them to new life in Him, restored to their relationship with God as His born-again children. 

Always, always, always
our Heavenly Father looks
for His Children turning
from their wandering way
in answer to His Only Son calling
and the Holy Spirit drawing
as each child one-by-one
turns to Him in faith
as He welcomes them joyfully Home.

Next week we will continue discovering the beauty and the power of God’s Plan as we consider the next three lists; My Most Treasured Life Truths, My Most Treasured Books, and My Most Treasured Songs.