Who Is Like The Lord?

Beloved,

I am going to get right to it. Happy Birthday to me! God has graced me with 52 years on this side of glory and I know that I am blessed. I am so thankful to know that I am one of His children. And, in God blessing me, He has brought me into relationship and fellowship with an incredible, awesome, fantastic, wonderful, growing church family in Zion Memorial Missionary Baptist Church.

And, as God has blessed me, I like nothing more than telling people about the goodness and greatness of the Lord.

Get the right group of people together and they will extol the virtues of their favorite person, subject or topic.

In sports, who is the GOAT (Greatest Of All Time)? Is it Michael Jordan because of his basketball prowess? Is it Jim Brown because of his gridiron accomplishments? Is it Tiger Woods because of his BC (Before Calamity) or AC (After Comeback) performance? Is it Serena Williams because she has just been so dominant of an athlete, whether male or female?

In entertainment, is it James Brown, the godfather of soul? Is it Michael Jackson because of his global crossover appeal? Is it Aretha Franklin because she could bring the secular into the sacred and still make people shout "Hallelujah"?

In arts, is it Maya Angelou because she knew why the caged bird sings? Is it Ralph Ellison because he made us see the invisible man? Is it Alex Haley because he caused the world to focus on roots deeper than those of the tallest tree in the Redwood Forest?

In politics, is it Thurgood Marshall because he was the first black supreme court judge? Is it Shirley Chisholm because she was the first black from a major political party to run for president, man or woman? Is it President Barack Obama because he was the first black President of the United States of America?

In business, it is Oprah Winfrey because she was the first black woman billionaire? Is it Bob Johnson, another black billionaire, because he launched BET and made it the first black company to go public on the New York Stock Exchange? Is it Bob Smith, another black billionaire, because he paid off all of the student loans for the 2019 graduating class of Morehouse College?

In religion, is it the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., because he used non-violence as a tool to shine light on the ravages of racism in his fight for social, economic, and political equality? Is it Malcolm X because he showed that another of the three Abrahamic faiths, Islam, could empower black people just like Christianity? Is it Reverend Al Sharpton because he navigates the pulpit, the television, the radio, and the board room to be a voice for so many of the voiceless?

We can look at those who make it into a variety of halls of fame in areas like sports, entertainment, arts, politics, business and religion; but, who is like the Lord?

Almost all of these people mentioned, in some shape, form or fashion, would credit God, our God with blessing them, using them and allowing them to bring forth His glory and light into this world.

Whatever measure of accomplishment that I have had in my life, whatever ways in which I have impacted others, whatever visions and dreams that have yet to be fulfilled that I pursue because He leads, guides and directs my life, I give all credit, praise, honor and glory to God.

Why?

Great question.

Isaiah 40:28-31 gives us an answer, "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary; his understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and strengthens the powerless. Even youths will faint and be weary, and the young will fall exhausted; but those who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint."

Beloved, who is like the Lord? Nobody.

And, because of the Lord, I am somebody. You are somebody. We are somebody.

So, on this day, MY BIRTHDAY, I am so thankful to be a child of the Most High God who has given me life, life everlasting, and a purpose to fulfill His glory in between.

Whatever may come my way, I know that God has it and God has me.

Be encouraged in knowing that you, child of God, have the same God there for you. No matter what you go through, know that you have someone, like no other, on your side.

And, remember, God loves you and I love you too!

Be blessed,

Rev. Cain