Guest Blogger & My Dear Friend: Matt Hudgins

{Matt,Vicki & their twins}

If you would, let me tell you a story…

This is not a story about you, or even a story about me. It is a story about God. He is writing it. And if you get this story, all the other ones begin to make a lot more sense.

The story starts with God, in whom everything that is good, perfect and true exists. He existed perfectly as the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost --- to explain that would be too long, it’s a story, let’s go with it. This God created the world you and I live in. He created it perfectly. God doesn’t make mistakes. After creating the land, sky, seas, plants and every living animal he created man and woman in his image – he himself said this was, “very good.” He put them in a garden and gave them the wonderful task of being fruitful and multiplying (hey, hey, hey). They, unlike any man or woman after them, enjoyed the presence of God daily. Did I mention they were naked – but not ashamed (what I would give for that!)!!! He gave them one stipulation for enjoying his presence and remaining in it --- eat from any tree except for the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Then the story took a turn. I mean it had to right --- what else would explain the mess we are in right now??? A crafty snake entered the garden and caused them to question the goodness of God. Convincing them that God was holding out on them and that he couldn’t be trusted, this snake was able to successfully get the man and woman to eat from the tree that they were strictly forbidden from eating.

Sin entered. Chaos entered.

First, they realized they were naked. They became ashamed and sought to cover themselves up. Then, they heard God coming --- and they hid. In one instance they went from having perfect communion with the God in whom all that is good, perfect and true exists to feeling ashamed and hiding from him. --- Perhaps you can connect with this part of the story. --- God, not content with separation from his creation comes after them, asking where they were and what happened. The woman blamed the serpent and the man blamed God for giving him the woman. God, who always does what is good, perfect and true stayed true to his word and banished them from his presence. He pronounced a curse on the woman and on the man, but he also pronounced a curse on the snake…

To the snake his curse took the form of a promise (God loves to make promises). He promised that a seed of the woman would grow up, and that the snake would bruise his heel, but the seed would crush the serpent. Here, in the midst of chaos, God promises a hero that would rescue his people from the chaos and the lies that they had brought about on themselves by questioning God’s goodness and choosing to obey their desires and not him.

But you see, this hero would be God himself. God himself would re-enter his creation and rescue us from ourselves. God himself would come to make peace out of the chaos. This God, in whom all that is good, perfect and true exists promised that he would make the world good and perfect again. This is the greater story to which all the little stories of the Bible point. If we understand this greater story God is writing, then all the other little stories begin to make a lot more sense.

This is his story. He is the hero. He gets the glory.

Thank you Matt for such beautiful writing. It always blesses me to hear what Jesus is doing in your heart. You always have a fresh way of expressing things. Often times when we've all had dinner and spent time together, your words convict us and stick with us, so thank you for how you sharpen and edify.
I look forward to hearing more.
Be sure to head on over to Matt's blog & also Vicki's blog.