'Like a Good Neighbor' Jesus Is There
You have probably seen the State Farm commercials. People who find themselves in a precarious situation simply speak a magic mantra to summon their insurance genie: "Like a good neighbor, State Farm is there." And poof, an agent is instantly teleported to their exact location. The commercial concludes, "State Farm agents are there whenever you need them."
It's clever, and very catchy. If only it worked that way in the real world. I am guessing State Farm agents are fast, but no one is that fast. Well, other than One Person.
Have you met the only Person in the world who will stay by your side no matter where you go? And I am not talking about an angel. I am talking about a Person. A human being, who also is God in the flesh. You know, "that" Person. Jesus, the One and only.
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Once you meet Him, you start to learn how He does things. He is unlike all others. Nobody else has His credentials, to say the least. And no one else knows exactly what you are thinking at any given moment. But Jesus knows. And He still loves us, even though our thoughts and behavior fall far below His perfection.
In the commercial, the customer must say the jingle in order for the agent to appear. In the real world, a Christian can talk to God anytime and anywhere about anything. And the Lord never gets tired of hearing from His children, ever.
In fact, you could talk to the Lord all day long, and He would still be listening even at the end of the day. Who else loves you that much? And who else would be happy to have you share that much about yourself, your needs, and the questions which go through your mind?
After His resurrection and before His ascension into heaven, Jesus told His disciples, "Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." (Matthew 28:20) Like a good Savior, Jesus is there. Always.
While Jesus will never be your genie, He is willing to be your Lord and Savior. He won't jump at your command, but He does expect His followers to obey His commands. (see John 14:15) After all, it's what disciples do because we love Christ.
You can talk to the Lord whether you are happy or sad. And whether you are tempted or at peace. He is always there for His children. No one will love you like Jesus. And no one else died on a cross to pay for your sins.
Jesus said, "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) And that is exactly what Jesus did for you and me. He went to the cross because we needed forgiveness. Like a good Savior, Jesus hung there. And He stayed on the cross until He completed the assignment the Father gave to the Son.
Just before the Lord's final breath, Christ uttered the words, "It is finished." (John 19:30) The payment for your sins and mine was complete. And now all that remains is for you to receive the benefits which He earned for you. It would be impossible for you to pay the debt for your sins. The cost is too high. Nevertheless, you can be forgiven. Jesus earned our forgiveness by His costly death.
And God produces tremendous comfort in the hearts of His children. Peace in the midst of the storm. Strength in the midst of adversity. Grace in the midst of guilt. And power in the midst of weakness. Would you like to receive God's comfort the next time you are sad or discouraged, or even devastated? There are good reasons Jesus called the Holy Spirit "the Comforter." (John 15:26) He will come to live inside you when you trust Christ to forgive your sins.
But why would God want to spend time with sinners like us? Well, for one, He loves us. And secondly, He knows what we can become through His presence in our lives. You see, Jesus doesn't call us to follow Him so that we can remain unchanged. Instead, He brings us new life, new hope, and new opportunities in His kingdom. Prior to coming to faith in Christ, all we have to go on is human reason. But after the new birth takes place in our life, we begin to see many things from God's perspective. That's just how it works.
About all that State Farm or any insurance company can do for you is insure some of your belongings. But Jesus can insure your soul. He can guarantee that you will go to heaven when you die, where you will be given a new body that is perfect in every way (see 1 Cor.15:40-44) And everyone who enters paradise discovers that "like a good King, Jesus is there." Christ will never leave His kingdom, and neither will anyone who knows Him as Lord and Savior.
Why not take that step of faith today? Repent of your sin. And receive God's love, forgiveness and salvation as you receive Christ into your life. You will never be alone again. That's a promise. And the One who made this promise has a perfect track record.
Like a good Savior, Jesus is there...today, tomorrow and forever!
