Our two young boys wanted a nativity set, so we got a small one to place in their room. One night my wife went to tuck them in bed, only to find that Liam (age 5) had posted little plastic soldiers to guard the nativity. “They’re making sure baby Jesus is safe,” he announced.
I couldn’t wait to share a pic of his work with some military buddies. “LOL,” one texted back. “Gotta protect those HVAs” (High Value Assets).
Liam’s trust in military strength may be misguided. It was soldiers, after all, who carried out Herod’s heinous command to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:16). But his concern for the child-Messiah melts my heart.
God has some unusual ways of caring for those He loves. With heaven’s armies at His disposal, He chooses surprising methods of leading us out of trouble—or into it.
In the case of baby Jesus, “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream” and told him to flee into Egypt (Matthew 2:13). Herod’s soldiers couldn’t catch God’s Highest Value Asset. More than 3 decades later, however, there would be no divine escape plan, and Roman soldiers nailed Jesus to a cross. Did the Father love Jesus less when He was grown? To Christ we are High Value Assets! That’s why He went to the cross.
“Put away your sword,” Jesus told the disciple who defended Him on the night He was betrayed. “Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled?” (Matthew 26:52-54).
“Some nations boast of their chariots and horses, but we boast in the name of the LORD our God” (Psalm 20:7)—the God who sent His Son to die for His HVAs.
NLT 365-day reading plan passage for today: Ephesians 4:1-16
More:
Read Matthew 26:36-56 to see Jesus’ struggle and resolve to go to the cross.
Next:
Are you more prone to fight or flee when you see trouble coming? How might God help you to stand your ground today?
Gary Shultz on December 1, 2014 at 8:22 am
I suppose since we don’t always know whether we are being lead in or out, go or stand our ground. We need to listen close to the Captain of the Host and follow Him when and where He leads. He always has the perfect outcome in mind for us… Thanks
street on December 1, 2014 at 11:23 am
gary i think standing our ground is trust in God’s Word in faith, that it is true and reliable. this faith is worked out in action in the body in being led out of bondage of sin of egypt and into His presents or the promised land.
Psalm 121:8
Tom Kopper on December 1, 2014 at 6:27 pm
I hear the ‘term’: oh, woe is me look at what I’ve done, on-and-on. They try to get the attention for themselves ‘woe is me a sinner all for of the sinful acts. Each one they act as those they have committed the imponderable-sin, of which there is only-one! Some times I wonder if they have “pride”in doing this all-of-the-time. God’s opinion of this, (Jeremiah 31: 34). And it also apply’s to the Gentiles. Sure, it is good to look back once a while and see what He has done for us.
Tom Kopper on December 1, 2014 at 6:48 pm
Next, I look at it from a better “positive” point-of-view. HVAs” (High Value Assets). First, Let’s make man in Our image (Genesis 1: 25 – 26). We are “INFINITE” in value, (HVA), to Him. Above this, even when Adam sinned, God ‘right-away’ gave the promise to save them and all of mankind (Genesis 3: 14 – 15). This, His love for us show how even far-more of “INFINITE”, (HVA), He has has for us. And ‘ALL’ and I mean “ALL’, He requires is that we accept Him for what He did for us, on-the-cross [salvation that He offers us], and continue on through-out our walk with Him, in becoming more like Him.
tgustafs on December 2, 2014 at 10:13 am
Nice contrast, Tom. Great reminder that as His creatures, we are HVAs to Christ! And pretty astonishing to think about it too.