One like us

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My daughter loves to play Barbies. The characters go on heroic adventures in a blue and pink castle we bought her on a family trip to Disneyland. Every night, after a bath, her squeaky little voice beckons for someone to come "play with her."

I don't love playing Barbies, but I do love anything that allows me to be closer to her. I love entering into her world and seeing things through her eyes. I want her to know that I love her and am always available to her. Sometimes when we are playing she'll lean over and put her forehead on my arm, no words exchanged, just her way of communicating "I'm glad you're here." I feel kind of silly sitting crossed-legged on the floor with her, holding a Barbie and doing my best "Barbie voice." I could get up and sit in the rocking chair where I'd be much more comfortable and just watch her play by herself, but that would create a distance I would never want. I want to be close to her, as close as she'll let me be.

Our God feels the same way about us. He longs to be close to us, and He always has. In fact, He longs for this closeness so much that He came down from His perfect home and made Himself like us. He shed his heavenly skin and put on human skin, He stepped down into our darkness, humbling himself in order to create a way for us to be with Him forever. No more distance, no more tension in our relationship with Him.

Philippians 2:6-8 reminds us of exactly that and "One Like Us" is my response to the God of the Universe humbling Himself and making Himself one like us to be reunited with us.

Today, if you are feeling alone, if things are weighing on you, remember that the Creator of the universe chose to become one like us so that there was no more distance between you and Him. He chose to sit near you, to enter into your world because He loves you more than you can comprehend.

Verse of the day:

Philippians 2:6-8 (NIV)
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
7 rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

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