The Greatest Pleas Ever Made

The Cries of the World The world today is in as much of a crisis as it has ever been in. Two thousand years ago the world saw nations that wanted to conquer and saw criminals that wanted nothing but their own gain. Two thousand years ago the world saw pestilence and lepers who sat outside of the city gates. And two thousand years ago, the world saw natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanos that threatened cities and outlying lands. Two thousand years ago, people could lose their lives to lions or bears on the road to Rome. They could end up stranded in the desert on a journey. Two thousand years ago, members of law enforcement were just as likely to take people’s lives as murderers. Two thousand years ago, if an earthquake were to open all the prison doors a jailer were responsible for guarding, that jailer may very well have decided to take his own life rather than face the wrath of his superiors. And yet today we seem to want to believe that things are much, much worse. We say that crime is the worst it has ever been. We watch videos of thieves brazenly breaking into stores and smashing cases and stealing merchandise. But how many thieves do we see hanging on crosses outside of our towns? We live in fear of the weather. We worry that hurricanes and tornados and melting polar ice caps are going to destroy the world. We hold global climate accords and try to convince each other that if every nation does not do some part, the world will end. We scream about a planet and a people in peril. And we are as divided as ever on issues of governance as we struggle for dominance in the political arena. We are lost spiritually as well. Our churches, synagogues, and temples do not garner the respect and attendance that they did just a few decades ago. But if we were to take all our problems and calamities and set them aside for a moment, perhaps we could turn our pleas for help to God and in doing so find something much richer and much more satisfying. What if we were to develop a curiosity, a hunger, an unquenchable thirst to know God? A plea of curiosity to see the kingdom of God would lead us to Jesus. Finding Jesus, we would become aware of our sin. Would that cause us to issue a plea for mercy? Would we cry out to God to have mercy on us? If we did, we would find that God grants mercy. Would finding mercy lead us to question our unbelief and cause us to plea for help in our unbelief? Because we would find that help in Jesus Christ. Would we then not want to be forgotten in the kingdom of God? Would we plead with Jesus to be remembered? Jesus remembers all who come to Him in faith. Would being remembered of God help us find hope? Because Jesus offers hope to the world. And finding hope, would we then have a reason to live and want to plead for life? Jesus Christ is the only one who offers life, and life more abundant than we can ever imagine. With that newfound life, would we want to find salvation? Would we plead to be saved? Only Jesus Christ can save us. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And no person comes to the Father but by Him. Finding ourselves with a path to the kingdom of God, would we plead to not be hindered? We would find that, if we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Lamb that was slain for the sins of the world, nothing can hinder us in coming to God. And finding God, would we plead to know the truth? Because only Jesus Christ is truth. And when we know the truth, the truth will set us free. In finding truth in God, would we plead to know God more? Would we seek His face constantly and want to spend time with Him? As we grow to know God, would we then plead for His peace in our lives? We would find that only Jesus provides the peace that passes all understanding. And if we were to experience God’s peace in our lives, would we then plead to experience His joy? Because only Jesus Christ came that our joy might be full. Experiencing the joy of God, would we plead to be immersed in His love? Because God is love, and he gave of His only begotten Son that we might have life with Him.