Why We Matter to God (Reason One)

1. We Know We Matter Because Jesus Died for Us

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What would you die for? To save your car? Your kids' toys? For the ants? Most likely, you would not die for those things because they don't matter enough to give your life for. We die for things that matter, or we would deem our death to be in vain. That list gets even shorter when we consider giving up our child to die on behalf of another. Do we believe that Jesus died in vain? That his death lacks purpose because we are inconsequential?

When we doubt our worth, we doubt God's Word and the work that he did on the cross. John 3:16 clearly tells us that God so loved us that he gave his Son so we would live eternally with Him! The cross is a mystery. How death, in this case, means life for me is something I continuously struggle to fully comprehend, but I do know that death is not something any living thing approaches flippantly. Death is scary. It's final. It entails suffering and loss. It's meaningful and serious. While I don't understand all of how God works, I know that giving your life for someone else is the ultimate love act here on Earth.

We can rest assured that God made us to love us because he engaged in the ultimate act of love by sacrificing himself on the cross.

(Source: Amanda Idleman  Crosswalk)

Revelation 18: 15-16

15 The merchants of these things, which were made rich by her, shall stand afar off for the fear of her torment, weeping and wailing,

16 And saying, Alas, alas that great city, that was clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stones, and pearls!

Explanation of Revelation 18:15–16

Revelation 18:15–16 depicts the merchants who profited from “Babylon the Great” standing apart in fear, weeping and mourning over her sudden destruction Bible Hub+2.

Context in Revelation 18

Chapter 18 describes the dramatic fall of “Babylon the Great,” a symbolic representation of a corrupt, materialistic, and oppressive world system. Verses 11–14 list the luxurious goods and trade networks that sustained her wealth. Verse 15 then focuses on the merchants — the business leaders and traders who became rich through her commerce Bible Hub.

Meaning of Verse 15

“The merchants of these things, who became rich from her, will stand at a distance because of the fear of her torment, weeping and mourning.” StudyLight.org+1

• Who they are: These are not casual buyers but professional sellers whose identities and fortunes were tied to Babylon’s economy Bible Hub. They represent the global commercial network that flourished under her influence.

• Their reaction: They “stand at a distance” (Greek: exosthai, “to be apart”) because of fear of her torment StudyLight.org. This is not repentance but self‑preservation — they want to avoid the judgment but remain close enough to watch Bible Hub.

• Nature of their grief: Their lament is over lost profit, not over sin. The same double verb used in verse 9 for the kings shows their sorrow is self‑centered, echoing Jesus’ warning in Luke 6:24–25 that the rich will mourn and weep when their wealth is taken Bible Hub.

• Imagery: The scene parallels Old Testament lamentations over Tyre (Ezekiel 27:30–32) and is as mournful as the tragedies of ancient Thebes or Troy Bible Hub.

Meaning of Verse 16

“The city like a woman, with many riches, is prepared for her fall.” biblestudyjoy.com+1

• Symbolism: “The city like a woman” personifies Babylon as a seductive, luxurious figure — a common biblical motif for moral corruption (cf. Isaiah 13:1–22; Ezekiel 27).

• Purpose: This imagery emphasizes Babylon’s allure and the depth of her downfall. The “many riches” highlight the contrast between her prosperity and her imminent destruction biblestudyjoy.com.

• Theological point: The “city” is not just a geographic place but a system — a “commercial Babylon” judged at the end of the tribulation Enduring Word.

Theological and Practical Insights

1. God sees the economic side of evil — not only political or religious corruption, but also the material profits built on moral compromise Bible Hub.

2. Wealth tied to sin is temporary — when judgment comes, the source of wealth collapses (James 5:1–3) Bible Hub.

3. Fear without repentance is hollow — their distance and lament show that terror alone does not lead to salvation Bible Hub.

4. Call to separation — believers are urged to “come out” from Babylon’s influence (Rev 18:4) and not be entangled in her materialism Enduring Word.

In summary: Revelation 18:15–16 paints a vivid picture of the merchants’ self‑serving grief and the symbolic personification of Babylon’s fall, underscoring that God’s judgment is sudden, total, and just, and that true sorrow is for sin, not for lost profit Bible Hub+2.

Hello, Friends Thanks for coming by. Have a wonderful day in Jesus and His blessings to us!

Do You Really Matter? (Introduction)

Do You Really Matter? Intoduction

 YES!

Hello, Friends. I ran across an article this morning that I will be sharing with you for the next few days. It was written by Amanda Idleman for Crosswalk Magazine.

She gives her readers 3 reasons why our lives do matter to God. If you are like me, I had struggled with this subject for years of my life. But God doesn't want us to stay in one place or one area of our lives. He wants us to grow up in His Word. Not as the world but in spite of i t. And to do that, we have to have a relationship with Him on a continual basis. I think it may (in my humble opinion) start with understanding that we do matter to Him as well as our daily lives. 

For today, I will just give her introduction to her article, and then each day, share with you her reasons over the next 3 days. Please join me in this important subject.

If you would like to jump ahead and read the whole article, please do so on the Crosswalk website. 

 Please read on:

3 Reasons Your Life Matters to God

Amanda Idleman

Updated Oct 07, 202

Our world can feel mighty big. There are billions of humans with a unique story covering this planet. It's easy to feel that we are insignificant when we compare ourselves to others. Social media has grown this idea that I can't compare myself to others; I'm not good enough, talented enough, rich enough, successful enough, fit enough, a good enough parent, cook, and on the list goes! From a young age, we are inundated with unrealistic images of perfection perpetuating the idea that we should bow out before we even begin because we have nothing unique to offer our world.

This goes entirely against the message of the Gospel, and it is a lie the evil one uses to take us out of the game. Each and every life matters to God. We are all 'fearfully and wonderfully made' as his Word tells us (Psalm 139:14). You are profoundly important not because of what you can do but because of who you are! You are a child of God (John 1:12-13). The world wants us to believe that production equals value, but God's economy is entirely different. God says identity defines our worth; the best news is that, thankfully, as his Creation, our identity is secure!

God calls us to live as a living sacrifice to him (Romans 12:1), which means we don't have to offer him perfection. We just have to make ourselves available to him. Thank God perfection is not a qualifier for him to work! We'd all be doomed, most of all me. My sin haunts me, but God's grace covers me. It's a miraculous cycle that keeps me on my knees, thanking God that he can do great things with what little I have to offer. You matter more than you could ever imagine to your Father God.

Reason One coming tomorrow:

Revelation 18: 13-14

Revelation 18:13–14 lists the “merchandise” of Babylon the Great — from luxury goods to human lives — showing that her wealth was built on exploitation, and that her fall will bring the loss of all these commodities.

Context in Revelation 18

Chapter 18 describes the sudden destruction of “Babylon the Great,” a symbolic global economic and political system. Verses 12–14 catalog the goods and people traded in her economy. This is part of the lament of kings, merchants, and sailors who mourn not because of God’s justice, but because they lose their profits Enduring Word+1.

Verse 13 — The “Merchandise” of Babylon

The list in verse 13 moves from rare luxuries to everyday goods, ending with the most shocking: slaves and “souls of men” jcgmbible.com. It includes:

• Luxury goods: cinnamon, spices, incense, perfume, frankincense, wine, olive oil — symbols of wealth and indulgence Bible Hub+1.

• Basic staples: fine flour, wheat — showing that even essential food was part of her trade.

• Livestock and transport: cattle, sheep, horses, chariots — representing economic power and mobility.

• Human commodities: slaves and “souls of men” — a direct indictment of exploitation, trafficking, and the dehumanization of people jcgmbible.com.

Commentators note that this is a deliberate echo of Ezekiel 27’s lament for Tyre, signaling the total collapse of a superpower jcgmbible.com. The juxtaposition of flour with human lives highlights the moral blindness of a system that treats both as commodities jcgmbible.com.

Verse 14 — The End of the Trade

Verse 14 says, “No more of these things are to be found in her.” This means the entire economic network — from luxury to basic goods — will vanish. The “merchandise” will be gone, and with it the system that produced and profited from it Enduring Word.

Theological and Moral Meaning

• Indictment of exploitation: The verse condemns any system that profits from the oppression, trafficking, or commodification of people jcgmbible.com.

• Warning against materialism: The merchants’ lament is purely self‑interested, showing how wealth detached from divine morality leads to spiritual emptiness Enduring Word+1.

• Divine judgment: The fall of Babylon is absolute; her economic and moral corruption will be undone in a single hour biblestudyjoy.com.

In short: Revelation 18:13–14 paints a vivid picture of a world economy built on excess and exploitation, and it warns that when such a system falls, all its goods — including the lives of people — will be lost. It is both a prophetic indictment and a call to reject the “merchandise” of the world in favor of the “unsearchable riches of Christ” Bible Hub+1.

Thanks for coming by today, 'Friends. Have a blessed day in our Lord!