Your True Worth, Hellgate, and Habakkuk

Marlon’s Musings #17

Growing up in Brazil, I loved turning broken electronics—total junk to everyone else—into treasures: spaceships, robots, secret weapons. With a child's imagination and a screwdriver, what others discarded became full of potential in my hands.

I wonder if that’s how God sees us.

In Ephesians 2:10, we’re told, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” The Greek word here is poiēma—literally God’s poetic handiwork, His artwork. You aren’t an accident; you’re a deliberate, beautiful creation, redeemed and purposed by the ultimate Artist.

Jesus Himself compared the kingdom of heaven to hidden treasure and a pearl of great price (Matthew 13:44-46). There is no doubt that God is our greatest treasure and worth everything we have. But it is not a stretch to consider that God sees us as His treasure. He sold it all—His life on the cross—to redeem us, seeing infinite value in our broken, sin-scarred hearts.

This truth changes everything:

It lifts our eyes to treasure God above all else.
It reminds us we're jewels in His crown (Zechariah 9:16; Malachi 3:17).
It calls us to see others the same way—loving our neighbor as ourselves because every person bears priceless worth to our Creator.

Ready to rediscover your true identity and worth in God's eyes? Dive into the full post here: Discovering Your True Worth in God’s Eyes

Let this sink in today: You are not trash. You are His masterpiece. And He’s not done with your story yet.

Video

Hellgate: This is a 2.5-hour video in which four Bible scholars discuss the Bible’s teaching on hell. I know this long-format discussion isn’t for everyone, but I did appreciate seeing people with different views interacting in such a respectful way. What are your views when it comes to the topic of hell and what the Bible teaches about it?

Quote

Jesus was and is the Son of God—God incarnate. He became human to save the world. On His works your life, my life, and the entire fabric of the universe depend.
—God With Us by John C. Pekham

Habakkuk

Part 2 (read part 1 here)

Habakkuk is different from most prophetic books in that instead of the prophet delivering a message from God to the people, Habakkuk addresses the people’s concern to God. Interestingly, Habakkuk is similar to the book of Job in that it addresses how God relates to evil. Habakkuk, like Job, wrestles with how to understand God’s justice in a world full of injustice.

However, the book of Habakuk is also the opposite of the book of Job in one aspect. Job questions God’s fairness, speaking against the injustice of the divinely permitted tragedies he is enduring. Habakkuk, on the other hand, questions God’s fairness by demanding that He send His judgments upon the wicked. So while Job wants God to show His mercy by removing negative judgment from the righteous, Habakkuk wants God to show His justice by sending negative judgment upon the wicked.

(Part 3 will be in my next newsletter.)

That’s it for issue #17

For the previous newsletters you may have missed, you can click here (and scroll to the bottom of the page).

Until next time, may God bless you!

Marlon