And God saw that it was good!

Have you ever heard of Antonio Stradivari? Unless you run in musical circles, (no, not playing ring-around-the-rosy, but are a fan of fine music and more so the instruments) you may not have. Stradivari lived in the 1700s and is known for making the finest violins in the world. Making just over a thousand violins in his lifetime, some with qualities still unmatched today, each was considered a masterpiece. One of the only 600 or so of these violins left was auctioned off recently in London for the amount of 9.8 million pounds, the equivalent of 15.9 million US dollars. What about the infamous Faberge' Eggs. These beautiful works of art were the creation of Peter Carl Faberge', the goldsmith and jeweler to the Russian imperial court in the late 1800s. They began as an Easter gift commissioned by Tsar Alexander III to be given to his wife, Empress Marie Fedorovna. This tradition continued for years accruing a collection of 50 eggs; of the 50 approximately 42 are still in existence. One of these illustriously ornamented eggs called "The Winter Egg", was sold at Christie's, in New York, in 2002 for $9.6 million.

God created everything we see around us with His own hands, and every time, God saw that it was good. We might not be able to "sing" like a beautiful sounding Stradivarius violin, or look exquisite like a Faberge' egg, but when God made us, He saw that we are good. We are a priceless creation, a masterpiece in God's personal collection!

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalms 139:14 (ESV)

Who's Your Hero?!

Is it a bird?  . . . Is it a plane?  . . .

What do you picture when you hear the word "hero?" Most of us probably envision the usual. Multi colored spandex, capes, utility belts, maybe a cool car that has more functions than a Swiss Army knife? What exactly is a hero? Merriam-Webster defines a hero like this;
1. A mythological or legendary figure often of divine descent endowed with great strength or ability, an illustrious warrior, a man admired for his achievements and noble qualities, one who shows great courage

2. The principal male character in a literary or dramatic work, the central figure in an event, period, or movement

3. Plural usually he·ros

4. An object of extreme admiration and devotion 

           

            How ironic that this all could define Jesus as well. Although we may never picture Jesus leaping over a building in a single bound, or being faster than a speeding bullet (even though He can and is) the Bible tells us that He is our Hero. Isaiah 42:13 states, “The Lord will march forth like a mighty hero; he will come out like a warrior, full of fury. He will shout his battle cry and crush all his enemies.” (NLT)

            We will never see Jesus with a giant “J” emblazoned across His chest; rather His trademarks are the scars on His hands, feet, and side. Two thousand years ago, Jesus did the most heroic act anyone could do; He gave His life for the better good of all mankind, saving us from the worst villain of all, Satan, and the sin he has plagued the world with.

            So the next you are in distress, unplug the searchlight, hang up the special red phone, and simple call His name, and let Jesus save the day!