RECAP: 2014 - MY YEAR OF JOY

Word for the Year.

It's kind of a fun tradition in Blog Land.

When I first came across the idea, I liked it.  Mostly because I love words. Words have meaning and importance.  Words can shape and mold.  And so, I liked the idea of having a word that would become the *theme* of my year.

But, I wanted God to pick it.

I didn't want to "hedge my bets" and pick a word that I wanted.

I wanted Him to speak.

And He did.

In 2011, my first full year of blogging, He gave me the word: Determined. And indeed, that year was one in which I set my mind to achieve some goals (with His help, of course), and a year in which I became determined to follow Him even more closely.

In 2012, He gave me the word: Overcome.  And indeed, that year was one in which I had to overcome many things.  It was the year I moved, after 29 years living in one place, to completely new and unfamiliar surroundings.  It was a year when I overcame (with His help, of course), feelings of loneliness, and isolation, and homesickness.  A year in which I overcame obstacles that kept me from following Him even more closely.

In 2013, He gave me the word: Direction.  And indeed, that year was one in which I learned that God had a definite direction for me.  At first, I was desperate for a "direction" to go.  I wanted a ministry, an impact, a greater footprint in the world.  But, what God taught me (with His help, of course) was this – His direction was not about a path, but a Person.  It was a year that I learned the direction He had for me was, "Follow Me closer."


In 2014, I was floored by my new word.

It arrived unexpected, and if I might be so honest, unwelcome.

JOY.

I experienced great angst over the word joy, (I know – supreme irony).

Someone left me a comment on that very first post.  It hit me hard.

Her words:

"Sharon, I should probably not tell you that "joy" was my word for 2012.  I actually had a theme: 'Ain't nobody gonna steal my joy.'  And then I went on to have the toughest year of my life. 

He definitely led me back to that Scripture in James that says, 'Count it all joy when you face various trials...'"


Yes, her words resonated strongly with me.

For two things immediately came to my mind when I heard the word JOY.

The first was this:

"Really, Lord?  Me??  Joy?  You do know who I am, right?"

You see, I am not known by my happy-go-lucky, constantly upbeat, optimistically rose-colored look at the world.  Ask my family, they most often know me as a doomsday what-iffer, a woe-is-me grumbler, a glass-half-empty-when-I-can-even-see-a-glass pessimist.

A Nervous Nellie, and a Nora Naysayer.

And so, this word did not feel good.  It felt just like my jeans do lately.  Too tight, uncomfortable, pinching in all the wrong places.  And, quite frankly, just like my jeans lately, I had no interest in putting on the garb of Joy.

Which leads me to my second thought.

I figured that God has a way of teaching you things in unusual ways.  If you want more faith, He'll probably bring you more trials.  If you want more patience, He'll probably litter your path with frustrating circumstances and aggravating people.

And so I figured that if God was going to teach me about Joy, He was probably going to do it through pain.

Little did I know that the very same day my *announcement post* published, Monday, January 6th, my journey of Joy was indeed going to begin with pain.

That is the day that my father fell, badly, and ended up in the hospital.

And just ten days later, he died.

The words of that very wise commenter echoed inside of me.

Indeed, this was going to be a very difficult and painful year.

I remember looking at the heavens and asking God, "Why did You give me this word?  Why are You testing me so soon?"

Truthfully?  Sometimes I just want to stay off the enemy's radar.  I don't want to learn the tough lessons.

And though I might have roused myself to want to learn about Joy, I did NOT want to learn it in this way.

But God…He has other plans, other ways.

And in them we must rest.


So, here I am, almost a full year later.  And I would like to share some of my thoughts on the word JOY.

I hope I have learned His lessons well.


1) Joy is not happiness.

This might seem like a "duh" thought.  I have always known this concept to be a fact, at least intellectually.  But, learning this truth internally, in the very depths of my heart, had to be learned when I felt sad, when I was singularly unhappy, when I was grieving.  Joy had to be something deeper, or it would die, a victim of outside circumstances just like happiness perishes at the whim of turmoil and strife.  I had to find out that there was something more powerful than the fleeting experience of happiness.

Lo and behold, JOY was there.


2) Joy is not a feeling at all.

This was a big revelation.  I knew that joy was not happiness, but I still thought it was something that would emerge in the realm of my emotions. What I ended up finding out is that it is instead a frame of mind.  A chosen path of my will.  It is a position we take, in spite of the onrush of overwhelming and indiscriminate feelings that wash and crash upon the shores of our hearts.  I had to let go of my emotions.

Lo and behold, JOY was there.


3) Joy is revealed when we least feel like feeling it.

Yup.  As I said before, I did not want this word.  And certainly, I did not want to feel it when I wasn't *feeling it*.

Some of the moments in this year's journey?   Spooning food into my dad's mouth.  Trying to speak sense to a man who had fallen deep into dementia. Rubbing his brow, trying to return him, amidst thrashing and yelling, back to sleep.  Getting a call at 3:45 AM to tell me he was gone.  A funeral.  Going through his things.  Seeing his shoes under his workbench.  Caring for an increasingly helpless and confused mother.  Doing mindless and tiresome and menial chores.  Mourning the loss of "what was."  Confusion, confrontation, conflict.

There have been countless other things, too.  Personal stuff, financial stuff, health stuff.  Stuff that has brought the most brutal anxiety that I have ever felt.  Days when I thought I could not take another step.  Nights when I could not sleep.

Lo and behold, JOY was there.


4) Joy is not about us.

Uh, yeah.  One thing I learned is how much work God still needs to do inside of me to rid me of ME!  I truly thought that this whole joy journey was going to be about me.  Changing and re-forming me.  Shaping me.  Refining me. Transforming me.  And in many ways, this is what the journey was about, for sure.  But, at the end of the day, joy is not about me.  It's about Jesus.  He is the Source, and the Fount, and the Continuing River of Joy.

I learned that JOY is all about this one unchanging fact in my life.

Jesus, Only You.

And when I got my focus off of myself, and instead fixed my eyes upon the Savior…

Lo and behold, JOY was there.


5) Joy is created when we understand grace.

Grace – the awesome and incomprehensible Gift.

I'm convinced that most of us do not fully understand grace.  And that's because most of us don't understand the full horror of our sin.

Thankfully, because of Jesus, we don't have to.

If we so choose, we will never have to experience what it means to be completely separated from God.  Only Jesus, the perfectly sinless One, ever understood the black void of having God turn His back.

Grace is the offer made to us – the free gift of salvation.

And, when we understand and accept grace, when we receive the gift of redemption, when we comprehend the undeserved offer of forgiveness…

…when I fully contemplated the immensity of it…

Lo and behold, JOY was there.


6) Joy is the handmaiden of hope.

Hope is inextricably intertwined with Joy.  The two go hand-in-hand.  For it is the hope of God that brings us joy.  And it is His presence that brings me the uplifting sense of joy, bought by love, offered through grace, and upheld by the assurance of confident hope.

I spent a great amount of time this past year contemplating the thought that God is both before me and behind me.  What does this mean?

Considering the fact that my father's death was the biggest event of the year, and its most un-joy-full moment, I use this as a benchmark to evaluate this idea.

To me it means this:  God went before me into the difficult days of my father's injury and subsequent passing.  The Lord was there before I got there, and led me through it all.  How was He behind me?  On days when I was tempted to look back, and to question decisions, or regret negative thoughts, the Lord was also there.  His gentle hand told me to stop – don't go back – those days were also covered by Him.

So, before me ("Don't worry about the future, child") and behind me ("Don't dwell in the past, child") – HE IS THERE.

When I remember this…

Lo and behold, JOY is there.

7) Joy is anchored in eternity.

Though joy can be experienced in the here and now, its true value is rooted in eternity.

That is why Peter counsels us to look at the big picture, the long view.  He acknowledged that this life is full of trials.  Peter told us the truth.  But then he told us the Truth.  He encouraged us "to be truly glad" in our suffering and tribulation.

Why?

Because there is wonderful Joy ahead.

For our faith will bring much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.

When I think about the sadness in this world, and how so many hearts are broken – and sometimes, even my own – I could be overcome with defeat and despair.  But when I look at the promise of Heaven, and an eternity with the Lord and faithful loved ones who have gone on ahead (including my dad, whom I will see again), I smile.

For though this life is hard, when I look to the sky…

Lo and behold, JOY is there.

I know this post is long, and I hope I'm not rambling.  But it's so important for me to reflect upon this year of JOY, and I hope in my reflecting, you find something of what JOY can mean for you.

Joy for me most often wasn't the big *cymbal* moment.  It was rather like the tiny tinkling of a bell, heard in the middle of difficult circumstances, sounding a quiet but reassuring message of hope.

I love the scene with Elijah and the Lord.

Sometimes I find myself wanting the "big" appearance of God, coming like a thunderstorm to fix everything that is wrong in my life.  But, more often than not, He arrives in a whisper.  But, a whisper can only be heard when someone has drawn very, very close to Him.  With God, that is more than enough.

For me, joy very often creeped – but it also seeped into every crevice of pain, and filled me up with the Love of God!


Yes, for my most difficult year, God chose the word Joy for me.

And He gave me Joy in ways I could not have fathomed beforehand. 

I didn't see it fully until now.  In the looking back I see.  I see Him.  His hands.  With Him nothing is wasted.  He used it all – the heartaches, the tears, the doubts, the suffering, the trials, the sleepless nights, the indeterminable days, the confusion, the fears, the endless questioning.

He used it all to teach me the fullest meaning of Joy, as only His heart could reveal it.

Joy is more than what I thought it was.  

And I have been blessed in the expanding.


Yes, this past year of my JOY journey was fraught with crazy and difficult circumstances.  

And I often wondered, "Really, Lord?  This is what joy is all about?"

And yet, as I look back, I see that He has quietly answered...

"Yes, this is what it’s all about.  It's about seeing Me."


What is it that I want from God?

Or do I really just want God?

There's a big difference.  And I am pondering the differences, and what a difference it will make if I only seek God for the sheer pleasure of knowing Him.

For indeed, when I seek Him…

Lo and behold, JOY is there!


Jesus, Only You!

Yes, amen, yes. 

Wrong will be right,
when Aslan comes in sight,
At the sound of his roar,
sorrows will be no more,
When he bares his teeth,
winter meets its death,
And when he shakes his mane,
we shall have spring again.

"We proclaim to you the one who existed from the beginning, whom we have heard and seen.  We saw him with our own eyes and touched him with our own hands.  He is the Word of life.  This one who is life itself was revealed to us, and we have seen him.  And now we testify and proclaim to you that he is the one who is eternal life...We are writing these things so that you may fully share our JOY.

This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all...if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin." 
(From 1 John 1, NLT)

"Now is your time of grief, but I will see you again and you will rejoice, and no one will take away your JOY." (John 16:22, NIV)

"And a great road will go through that once deserted land.  It will be named the Highway of Holiness.  Evil-minded people will never travel on it.  It will be only for those who walk in God's ways; fools will never walk there...Only the redeemed will walk on it.  Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return.  They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting JOY. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with JOY and gladness." (Isaiah 35:8-10, NLT)




What was your word for 2014, and what did you learn?




Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, UNFORCED RHYTHMS, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, TITUS 2 TUESDAYS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, UNITE, MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAY, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, CHATTING AT THE SKY, WINSOME WEDNESDAY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAYS, TELL HIS STORY, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, SO MUCH AT HOME, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, COFFEE AND CONVERSATION, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, HEARTS FOR HOME, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAYS, A GROUP LOOK, FAITH AND FELLOWSHIP, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS,  FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, SATURDAY SOIREE, STILL SATURDAY, WEEKEND BREW, SUNDAY STILLNESS, MISSIONAL WEEKEND, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

WHO IS JESUS CHRIST?

This is the week of Christmas.

And of course, I am thinking about Jesus – the reason for the season.

You know, even though that phrase might be overused, even though it might sound a bit cliché, it's still the absolute and unchanging truth.

Jesus is The Reason – for the season, for our lives, for everything.

But of course, first and foremost, one must contemplate a very important question:

Who is Jesus?

You know, this is the most important question you will ever be asked in your entire life.  And your answer will determine your eternal destiny.

Jesus Himself even asked the question:

"Who do people say I am?"

Of course, there were many "theories" going around at the time.  I think people knew He was someone special.  Just like today.  Many people think Jesus was a great teacher or philosopher, or a really good man, or maybe even a prophet.

But most people missed the Truth of His identity.

Just like today.

So I thought I'd take a bit of time to contemplate five aspects of who Jesus is, five facts that define who He is, and five ways that these truths might impact your life.


CREATOR

Jesus is the Creator.

We are told this in Scripture:

"For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through him and for him.  And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together." (Colossians 1:16-17, ESV)


Ponder that.

Nothing that you see, not one single thing, including every single person that has ever lived – nothing and no one arrived here by mistake or randomness or fate.

Everything was created.

Let scoffers come up with their theories, let doubters worship destiny.  They are all mistaken.

Jesus was the force behind this amazing *creation of it all*.

And if He created everything, then He retains absolute sovereignty over His creation. 


FACT:  Jesus was the Creator.

APPLICATION:  Therefore, because He is in control, I can trust Him with everything in my life.



CRADLE

Jesus was born as a human being.

And He arrived as a baby.

A lot of people seem to skip over this rather important fact.

It makes a difference, a big difference.

Jesus could have arrived as a man – full-grown and ageless.  But He didn't. He chose instead to come into our world completely vulnerable, totally helpless.

He chose to go through growing pains.

He entered into the human experience of physical development, and emerging emotions, and increasing intellect.

It is why He is our perfect High Priest.

"For this reason he had to be made like them, fully human in every way, in order that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people." 
(Hebrews 2:17, NIV)


Jesus experienced everything that it means to be human.

Jesus knows, He gets it.


FACT: Jesus was a human being.

APPLICATION:  Therefore, because He understands and cares about everything I am going through, I can turn to Him and find comfort and encouragement.



CROSS

Jesus died on a cross.

Many people might be willing to believe that this is a historical fact. 

But most people miss the significance of the Crucifixion.

It wasn't the death of a rebel, it wasn't the execution of a rabble rouser, it wasn't the slaying of a prophet, or even the martyrdom of a saint.

It was nothing short of the murder of the Son of God.

But, and here's the crux of the Cross...

It was NOT a death in vain.  NOT a defeat.  NOT the end, but rather the beginning.

The Resurrection is the climax of the crucifixion, and in that empty tomb lays the true meaning of it all.

Sin was borne and cancelled out.  Death was defied and defeated.

And if we believe in the One who sacrificed His life, the promise of the Cross is eternal Life.


FACT:  Jesus was crucified for our sins.

APPLICATION:  Therefore, I do not have to live a defeated life of guilt and condemnation, for I have been washed of my sins and set free.



CORNERSTONE

Jesus is the cornerstone of the church.

I looked up the definition of a cornerstone:

"The cornerstone (or foundation stone) concept is derived from the first stone set in the construction of a masonry foundation, important since all other stones will be set in reference to this stone, thus determining the position of the entire structure."

I like that.

Jesus, the cornerstone of our faith, and the reference point that will determine the position of our hearts and the direction of our life.   The bedrock linchpin that holds the church, the Body of Christ, together in unity. 

"You are citizens along with all of God's holy people.  You are members of God's family.  Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets.  And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself.  We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord." (Ephesians 2:19-21, NLT) 


Now to those of us who believe, this stone is precious.

But to others, it is a stumbling block.  Jesus – the unavoidable obstacle. The boulder in the road that will cause them to fall if they don't believe.

However, to us as believers, it is The Rock upon which we stand.  

We are promised that the very gates of hell will not prevail against it.

And so, we stand firm.


FACT:  Jesus is the Cornerstone of the church.

APPLICATION:  Therefore, I can stand firm amid the changing winds of opinion and the storms of tribulation.



CROWN

Jesus wears a crown.

After all He went through, all He suffered, all He bore on His sinless shoulders – after all that, He was raised to a position of power and authority.

What began as a crown of thorns was changed into a Crown of majesty and glory and honor.

Jesus Himself declared this:

"Then the high priest asked him, 'Are you the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed One?'  Jesus said, 'I AM.  And you will see the Son of Man seated in the place of power at God's right hand and coming on the clouds of heaven.'"
(Mark 14:61-62, NLT)


Yup, there He sits!

And do you know what one aspect of His job description is?

Pleading our case.

Paul asked this profoundly simple, and simply profound question:

"Who is to condemn?"

And the beautiful answer that washes over our souls like a balm of forgiveness is that we are declared "Not Guilty" by the One who died – the One who sits at the right hand of God, the One who is interceding for us.

If God is for us, indeed, who could EVER be against us?

And because of Christ's victory, we will one day receive our reward, too.

One day we will receive the Crown of Life that the Lord has promised to those who love Him.


FACT:  Jesus wore a crown of thorns, and now wears a Crown of Glory.

APPLICATION:  Therefore, I must not focus on earthly trials, but focus instead on my imperishable heavenly treasure and everlasting reward.



Who is Jesus?

It's the most important question of all.

And I pray that you join me and many others who have declared with conviction the Truth that Peter proclaimed:

"You are the Christ, the Son of the living God!"


May the Lord richly bless you and yours with the full meaning of the Truth about Jesus – The Creator, the One who was born in a Cradle, crucified on a Cross, the One who became the Cornerstone of the church, and now wears a Crown of everlasting glory.


MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I am the resurrection and the life.
The one who believes in me will live,
even though they die.
And whoever lives by believing in me
will never die.

Do you believe this?

(One of my very favorite quotes):

"I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I'm ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don't accept his claim to be God.  That is the one thing we must not say.  A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher.  He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice.  Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse.  You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher.  He has not left that open to us.  He did not intend to." 

(C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity)



"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…In him was life, and the life was the light of men.  The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it." (John 1:1, 4, ESV)

"'I am the Alpha and the Omega – the beginning and the end…I am the one who is, who always was, and who is still to come – the Almighty One.'" (Revelation 1:8, NLT)

"Then I heard what seemed to be the voice of a great multitude, like the roar of many waters and like the sound of mighty peals of thunder, crying out, 'Hallelujah!  For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns.'" 
(Revelation 19:6, ESV)



Who do you say Jesus is?  And how are you celebrating His birth?



Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, UNFORCED RHYTHMS, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, UNITE, TITUS 2 TUESDAYS, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, WINSOME WEDNESDAY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAYS, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, TELL HIS STORY, CAPTURE YOUR JOURNEY, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, SO MUCH AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAYS, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAYS, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, A GROUP LOOK, STILL SATURDAY, WEEKEND BREW, SATURDAY SOIREE, RECOMMENDATION SATURDAY, SUNDAY STILLNESS, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

JESUS RULES!

Jesus rules!

Yes, in the language of slang, you can interpret that as meaning – He is really awesome.  Which is true, for sure.  But I'm talking about something else here.

His Authority.

Can you think of some people who have that aura of authority around them? Whose words ring with weight and wisdom?  Whose presence seems somehow larger-than-life?

These are some people on my list who have/had that certain quality about them:

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Billy Graham

C.S. Lewis

Ronald Reagan

John Wayne

Mother Teresa

The Apostle Paul


But at the absolute top of my list is Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. And He demonstrated His authority while on this earth in three ways:

1)  He showed authority over the natural world

2)  He showed authority over the physical body

3)  He showed authority over the spiritual realm


Let's expand on those ideas.

First of all, Jesus demonstrated His authority over the natural world. He turned water into wine, He calmed storms, He multiplied physical elements to produce food, He went on some pretty successful fishing trips.

In all of these encounters, Jesus exhibited His God-ness.  He spoke, and the natural world obeyed Him.

Have you ever pondered that deeply?

Jesus controlled atoms and molecules, space and time itself.  Since all things were created through Him and for Him, He spoke as the ultimate power over creation.  His words manipulated the very stuff of matter.  On His word, the natural world bowed to its Master.


Secondly, Jesus demonstrated His authority over the physical body.  He healed the lame, opened the eyes of the blind, cured leprosy, and even raised the dead!

Jesus did what no doctor can do.

He instantly made disability and disease and death disappear.  Poof!  Just like that.

And yet, isn't it rather amazing that He didn't use that power and authority to save His own life?  He could have, you know.  With a word.  Poof!  Just like that.

But He intentionally set aside His authority and gave up His life willingly for a greater purpose than His own safety and healing.

He instead chose to heal the world, and ultimately offer the eternal healing of a resurrected body just like His own.


Finally, Jesus demonstrated His authority over the spiritual realm.  At His word, demons were instantly cast out.  At His word, the devil was spurned. At His word, angels could be summoned to do His every command.

He had the ability to rule the world, and all the heavens, with the power of His will and the direction of His voice.

Jesus had direct access to the Father, instant communion and communication with the Almighty.  He knew the Holy Spirit intimately.


In this Advent season, I'm thinking about this Jesus.

The Jesus who possessed such power and authority.  The Jesus who had command over the natural world, the physical body, and the spiritual realm.

The Jesus who could have come to this world as a mighty conqueror, wielding His power in any way He wanted to, exercising His authority to rule over everything.

And yet, the Jesus who chose instead to come into our world as a baby.

No wonder the world was puzzled, and mystified, and angered by who He was.  He was NOT who they had expected.

The nation of Israel, and perhaps indeed all of humanity, had been looking for a messiah.

What they got was The Messiah.

They wanted a powerful savior, yes.  But they wanted a man.  A man who would exercise power and authority in the political world.  They wanted a man who would restore the nation of Israel.

They wanted a man who would give them back their OWN power and authority.


Are we really any different?

I confess, sometimes I want to "force" Jesus to use His power and authority to make life *work*.

Like in the natural world.

Wouldn't it be nice if He instantly produced money to pay the bills?  Or how about if He created some extra food on the table?  And wouldn't it be great if He stopped some storms or sent some rain?

Douse the wildfires, Lord.  Dam up the floods.  Quiet the earthquakes.

Make the world obey You.


Sometimes I want to "force" Jesus to use His power and authority to make life *work*.

Like in the physical body.

Wouldn't it be nice if He instantly healed sickness and disease?  Or how about if He fixed disabilities and deformities?  And wouldn't it be great if He made germs and viruses and bacterial ailments disappear?

Cure cancer, Lord.  Do away with mental illness.  Abolish death.

Make the body obey You.


Sometimes I want to "force" Jesus to use His power and authority to make life *work*.

Like in the spiritual realm.

Wouldn't it be nice if He kept us from facing temptation?  Or how about if He did away with sinful thoughts and feelings?  And wouldn't it be great if He gave us perfect faith?

Send some angels, Lord.  Get rid of evil influences.  Make the enemy disappear.

Make the spirits obey You.


It sounds wonderful, doesn't it?

And yet, I have to stop and think about this.  If I really had those things, if I really could make Jesus do what it takes to make life *work*, would I really do the right things?

For indeed, if I could manipulate His power and authority, wouldn't I end up re-making Him into my own image?

And in the end, would it really turn out that I had Jesus at all? 

I think that I would find that I had made a messiah, but had totally missed out on The Messiah.


And, after all, that's who arrived in the manger.

THE Messiah – (with a capital "M" – amen!)

The One with ultimate power and authority.  

And yet, the One who laid it all aside to arrive as a helpless baby, a human with weakness and frailty.  The One who willingly relinquished His God-ness and deigned to come into our world.

He, who controlled the natural world, entered atoms and molecules.

He, who controlled the physical body, inhabited one Himself.

He, who controlled the spiritual realm, left angels to walk on earth.


Yes, Jesus had ultimate and sovereign control.

And yet, as mentioned before, He set aside that position of authority for something else.

Someone else.

Me.

And you.

I am stunned by the immensity of this.


You know, truthfully I don't really want to control Him.  I just want to know Him.  More and more, forever and ever.

JESUS RULES!!

He gave up His divine privileges.
He took the humble position of a servant.
He became like other human beings.
And was born in the likeness of men.

(THE NATURAL WORLD)

"And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger.  And they went and woke him, saying, 'Master, Master, we are perishing!'  And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm...And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, 'Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?'" (Luke 8:23-25, ESV)

(THE PHYSICAL BODY)

"John's two disciples found Jesus and said to him, 'John the Baptist sent us to ask, 'Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else?'  At that very time, Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind.  Then he told John's disciples, 'Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard – the blind see, the lame walk, the lepers are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the Good News is being preached to the poor.  And tell him, 'God blesses those who do not turn away because of me.'" 

(Luke 7:20-23, NLT)

(THE SPIRITUAL REALM)

"When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons...When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, 'What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?  I beg you, do not torment me.'  For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man...Jesus then asked him, 'What is your name?'  And he said, 'Legion,' for many demons had entered him...Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these.  So he gave them permission.  Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned." (From Luke 8:27-33, ESV)

(THE MESSIAH)

"At that time there was a man in Jerusalem named Simeon.  He was righteous and devout and was eagerly waiting for the Messiah to come and rescue Israel...That day the Spirit led him to the Temple. So when Mary and Joseph came to present the baby Jesus to the Lord as the law required, Simeon was there.  He took the child in his arms and praised God, saying, 'Sovereign Lord, now let your servant die in peace, as you have promised.  I have seen your salvation, which you have prepared for all people.  He is a light to reveal God to the nations, and he is the glory of your people Israel!'" (From Luke 2, NLT)

"'But what about you?' [Jesus] asked. 'Who do you say I am?' Peter answered, 'You are the Messiah.'" (Mark 8:29, NIV)

"...these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name." (John 20:31, NIV)

(HIS AUTHORITY)

"And Jesus came and said to them, 'All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.'" (Matthew 28:18, ESV)

"Jesus answered [Pilate], 'You would have no authority over me at all unless it had been given you from above.'" (John 19:11, ESV)

"'Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and he will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?'" (Matthew 26:53, NIV)

"And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit." (Matthew 27:50, ESV)

(HIS RULE AND REIGN FOREVER)

"Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to.  Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being.  When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross.  Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." (Philippians 2:6-11, NLT)

"Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power.  For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be destroyed is death.  For he 'has put everything under his feet...When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.'" 

(1 Corinthians 15:24-28, NIV)

"... I saw someone like a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven.  He approached the Ancient One and was led into his presence.  He was given authority, honor, and sovereignty over all the nations of the world, so that people of every race and nation and language would obey him.  His rule is eternal – it will never end.  His kingdom will never be destroyed."

(Daniel 7:13-14, NLT)

"Jesus said, 'It is finished.'" (John 19:30, NIV)

"'Look, I am coming soon...I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.'"(Revelation 22:12-13, NLT)

In this Advent season, will you take another look at the manger and see the humbleness of a Savior who laid aside His God-ness to become one of us?

How can you worship Him anew?

Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, UNFORCED RHYTHMS, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, INSPIRE ME MONDAY, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAYS, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, SOLI DEO GLORIA, TITUS 2 TUESDAYS, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, UNITE, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TITUS 2SDAY, WINSOME WEDNESDAY, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAYS, CAPTURE YOUR JOURNEY, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, SO MUCH AT HOME, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, TELL HIS STORY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, THRIVING THURSDAY, EVERYDAY JESUS, SHINE, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, HEARTS FOR HOME, GRACE AT HOME, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAYS, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAYS, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, A GROUP LOOK, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, MISSIONAL WEEKEND, STILL SATURDAY, SATURDAY SOIREE, RECOMMENDATION SATURDAY, SUNDAY STILLNESS, GIVE ME GRACE, WEEKEND BREW

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

THE FINGERPRINT OF GOD

We are all unique.

You know that, right?  

And I'm sure that most of you know that every single person has a unique and different fingerprint.  No two are the same.  But, did you know that although identical twins share the same DNA profile, they do not have the same fingerprints?  Yes, though they are similar, they are still different, unique to each.

I find this fascinating.

What I also find fascinating, and this is something that I just recently learned, is that no two dogs have the same nose print!  Yup, a dog's nose print is just as unique as a fingerprint, and no two dogs have the same pattern of ridges and lines.  Even puppies of the same litter are not the same when it comes to noses.

Interesting, huh?!

So, I've been pondering.

Since Jesus was born a human, then He must have had fingerprints.  And His fingerprints were unique to Him.  So, in all reality, He literally had the fingerprints of God!!

I wonder what His DNA profile was like.

We each have a unique DNA makeup, composed of chromosomes inherited from our mother and our father.  Since Jesus' father was God, I wonder if His profile looked different from a normal human being.

I know these questions have no real practical use, nor do they have any impact on faith, but I still find it intriguing to think about.

Everything that Jesus touched had the fingerprint of God on it.

He was literally made up of the very *stuff* of God.

No wonder He was so different, so unique, so perfectly tailored to become the Savior of the World!

And in every real sense of the word, because we are the image-bearers of the Creator, because we possess the Holy Spirit living within us, we are also stamped with the fingerprint of God upon our lives.

Thrilling, isn't it?!


I'm recalling the very beautiful work of Michelangelo in the Sistine Chapel.  There is one section that shows God reaching out to touch the figure of Adam.  It's called "The Creation of Adam."  Though I am not a huge fan of Renaissance art, there's no denying that this famous image is spectacular.

But you know the reason I like it the most?

It's because the painting captures a moment, just as the fingertip of God is about to touch Adam.  

I ponder the posture of Adam's hand – it looks rather weak and powerless.  Contrasted to that is God's finger – as it reaches out for the hand of man with great intention.

I get the feeling of *spiritual electricity* surrounding this moment.

I get the feeling that in the very next second, something of tremendous meaning and purpose and power and glory is going to be released as Creator makes contact with creature.

BOOM!

Man becomes alive, touched by the finger of God.  Irrevocably stamped with the fingerprint image of the Almighty.


It's the same with us.  You know why?

Because a little over 2,000 years ago, the hand of God reached out once again.

It reached all the way down from Heaven, and touched this earth with His Presence.

When I think about the birth of Christ, I am reminded of this painting.

Can you place yourself there in the manger?  Mary has strained and strived for a long time to birth her child.  She knows this child is different, but I wonder if she fully comprehends the impact of the whole story.

Tired, sweaty, in pain, she works so hard to have this baby, this boy, this child whom God has promised.

Think of the moment just before Jesus appears.

Something of tremendous meaning and purpose and power and glory was about to happen.  

The Almighty is on the brink of entering His creation, full of great intention.  The angels stand on tiptoes to see an extraordinary mystery.  And the heavens are hushed in awed silence.

And then…

The Child, the Son of God, makes His appearance.

The fingertip of God makes contact with humanity, with a lost and broken world, and with every single soul that will ever be born.  

God's fingertip reaches down for the rest of eternity to His creation – in love, and grace, and mercy, and hope, and redemption.

I kinda get chills thinking about it.


So, here I am.  Here you are.  All these years later.

Pondering the mysteries of the nativity.  Contemplating the miracle of the manger.

Reaching our weak and powerless hands to the Almighty.  Stretching our fingers of faith to Him.  Seeking the contact of the Great One.  Waiting for the incredible encounter with His power and glory.

BOOM!

Heaven reaches down, and we are touched.


So, as we spend this Advent season remembering and preparing, let's never forget this.

We are stamped with the fingerprint of God.

We are connected to Him in the very *stuff* of which we are made.  We are united to His Spirit.  New creatures.  Each uniquely printed with our own individuality, but part and parcel of the Creator Himself. 

It's a wonder, and I find it fascinating.


Take a moment right now, look at your fingerprints.  (Or look at your dog's nose!!)

Think of Jesus, and His uniqueness.

Think of Jesus, and His humanity.

Think of Jesus, and His glory as God.

Think of His love, and grace, and mercy, and hope, and redemption.

Think of Jesus, and know…

You belong to Him.  

His fingerprint is on your heart.  


BOOM!

So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them.
And the LORD said,
"I have loved you, my people, with an everlasting love.
With unfailing love I have drawn you to myself."

*****(Lots of Scripture - but read and let The Story unfold!)*****

"Then God said, 'Let us make man in our image, after our likeness...So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  And God blessed them." (Genesis 1:26-28, ESV)

"When God created human beings, he made them to be like himself." 
(Genesis 5:1, NLT)

"When Adam sinned, sin entered the world...But there is a great difference between Adam's sin and God's gracious gift.  For the sin of this one man, Adam, brought death to many.  But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of forgiveness to many through this other man, Jesus Christ...For Adam's sin led to condemnation...But even greater is God's wonderful grace and his gift of righteousness, for all who receive it will live in triumph over sin and death through this one man, Jesus Christ." (Romans 5:12, 15, 16-17)

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:16, NIV)

"Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other.  Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before?" (Deuteronomy 4:32, NLT)

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders.  And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." (Isaiah 9:6, NIV)

"'Don't be afraid, Mary,' the angel told her, 'for you have found favor with God!  You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you will name him Jesus. He will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his ancestor David.  And he will reign over Israel forever; his Kingdom will never end!'" (Luke 1:30-33, NLT)

"Christ is the visible image of the invisible God.  He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can't see...Everything was created through him and for him.  He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together." (Colossians 1:15-17, NLT)

"No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known." 
(John 1:18, NIV)

"The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14, NIV)

"Jesus shouted to the crowds, 'If you trust me, you are trusting not only me, but also God who sent me.  For when you see me, you are seeing the one who sent me.'" (John 12:44-45, NLT)

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.  After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high..." 
(Hebrews 1:3, ESV)

"Of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of his creatures." (James 1:18, ESV)

"Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature...[and] put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator." (Colossians 3:5, 10, NIV)

"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." (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)

"We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us." (2 Corinthians 5:20, NIV)

"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." (John 3:30, NLT)



What does it mean to you to bear the fingerprint of God?



Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, UNFORCED RHYTHMS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAYS, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS,SOLI DEO GLORIA, UNITE, TITUS 2 TUESDAYS, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAYS, CAPTURE YOUR JOURNEY, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, SO MUCH AT HOME, WINSOME WEDNESDAY, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, TELL HIS STORY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, WISE WOMAN, THRIVING THURSDAY, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, SHINE, EVERYDAY JESUS, HEARTS FOR HOME, GRACE AT HOME, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAYS, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, LIGHT FRIDAY HIT LIST, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAYS, A GROUP LOOK, MISSIONAL WEEKEND, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, WEEKEND BREW, SATURDAY SOIREE, RECOMMENDATION SATURDAY, SUNDAY STILLNESS, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

I SPY WITH MY LITTLE EYE

Did you ever play that game?

I loved it.

I played it as a kid, and I played it as a mom.

It passed the time on long car trips.  It provided a distraction to stop fighting. It was a wonderful mental exercise.  It fostered creative thinking and problem-solving.

OK, let's admit it, it was just plain fun.

In some ways, I still play.

You see, I have this propensity to *see* faces.  (Not in a creepy "Sixth Sense movie" kind of way, mind you).

A lot of people see stuff in clouds.

I do that, too, but I see faces in trees and rocks and floor tiles and wallpaper and buildings and cars.

Don't laugh.

Because more often than not, if I point out my "discovery" to someone else, they see it, too.

I clearly remember one time when I was staying with my youngest son at his apartment.  He has these sticky tiles on his bathroom floor.  After using the facilities one day, I came out and said this:

"Hey, have you ever noticed that you can see Marty in your bathroom floor?"

(Marty is his beagle)

At first he looked at me like maybe I had been breathing sewer gas or something.  But he indulges me, so he finally said:

"Show me."

I did, he saw it, and agreed.  Yup, there was a little "beagle" prancing across the bathroom floor.

I see faces in car grilles – (you know, the headlights are the eyes, the bumper is the mouth).  Buildings have faces – (windows and doors make perfect facial features).  I've occasionally been spooked out by some eerie faces in wallpaper.

But I also see faces in nature.

For instance, on our property we have this big log that used to be part of a tree that fell down years ago.  I think it looks just like a sperm whale.  I've nicknamed it, "Moby Stick."  (I also have a propensity to name inanimate objects, by the way!)  There's a boulder that looks just like another kind of whale.  Its name?  "Rocky Beluga."

I'm not totally crazy.  "The Hub" saw it, too, when I pointed it out.  (Or maybe he's just kind enough to indulge his loony wife!)

So, today as I was getting into my car I actually said good-bye to Moby Stick. But then, I got thinking.  Am I nuts?  (Don't answer that, you guys...)  Yes, probably, but there is something inside of me that loves to "I Spy" stuff.

As I drove off, I started thinking about what makes us do this?  It's probably something in science having to do with the facial recognition processes in our brains, or perhaps psychology could offer an explanation for our tendency to anthropomorphize things.


But, there's a spiritual lesson here, too.

And over the next several minutes, God began to unfold it.


Two points:

One, the reason I see faces in things is because I'm looking for them.  They don't magically appear.  I'm always looking because I'm always half-expecting to find them.

And, in the same way, if we're looking for God, we'll see Him.

Sometimes I've been asked, how did you find a spiritual lesson in that?

And my best answer is – because I was looking for it, and God showed it to me.

You see, the open heart and the seeking eye will always find God.  

It's what He promises:

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV)

Please understand, I am not bragging here.  I'm not saying that I see this stuff because I'm all "lah-di-dah" pious.  And don't get me wrong, there are plenty of times when I feel like God is hidden and silent and distant.

But, I try to make a practice of looking, and searching, and seeking for the Lord in the small things, in everything.  And lo and behold, more times than I can count, He lets me *see* Him.


The other point is this:

If I can see faces in things, and I can find God in things, are people seeing HIM in me?

Do they look at me and see HIS face?

I see faces in things because faces are recognizable by their features.  By the way they resemble the real thing.

Am I that way?

Are my spiritual "features" recognizable as belonging to someone who follows the Lord?  Do I resemble the real thing – Him?

We are called to this, you know.

"So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord.  And the Lord – who is the Spirit – makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image."  (2 Corinthians 3:18, NLT)

"…be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." (Ephesians 4:23-24, NASB)


I want to be a reflection of Him.

An accurate and true reflection.

Wouldn't it be awesome if people looked at us and said, "Oh, I see the face of the Lord in him/her!"

So, I'm pondering this.  Praying for this.

And learning that the only way to look like Jesus is to walk with Him.  Read about Him.  Talk to Him.

Follow Him ever so closely.


"I spy with my little eye, someone who looks like Jesus."

Oh, how I want that to be said of me!

May I always reflect
the image
of my Lord and Savior.


(This is a wood carving we have in our home...
...do you see the face?!) 

"'Keep on asking, and you will receive what you ask for.  Keep on seeking, and you will find.  Keep on knocking, and the door will be opened to you." 
(Matthew 7:7, NLT)

"But if from there you seek the LORD your God, you will find him if you seek him with all your heart and with all your soul." (Deuteronomy 4:29, NIV)

"Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God..." 
(1 Chronicles 22:19, NASB)

"...acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the LORD searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought.  If you seek him, he will be found by you..." (1 Chronicles 28:9, NIV)

"'I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the LORD.  They will be my people, and I will be their God...'" (Jeremiah 24:7, NIV)

"Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us." (2 Corinthians 5:20, ESV)

"And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again." 
(2 Corinthians 5:15, NIV)

"I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me." (Galatians 2:20, ESV)

"He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less." 
(John 3:30, NLT)



Do people see the face of Jesus in you?



Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WTIH GOD, UNFORCED RHYTHMS, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS  AT SOUL SURVIVAL, SALT & LIGHT, MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAYS, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, SOLI DEO GLORIA, DECEMBER JOY BLOGHOP, TITUS 2 TUESDAYS, UNITE, TITUS 2SDAY, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY'S PRAYER GIRLS, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAYS, TELL HIS STORY, CAPTURE YOUR JOURNEY, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, WISE WOMAN, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, SO MUCH AT HOME, WHIMSICAL WEDNESDAYS, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, THRIVING THURSDAY, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAYS, EVERYDAY JESUS, HEARTS FOR HOME, GRACE AT HOME, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, LIGHT FRIDAY HIT LIST, SHINE, MISSIONAL WEEKEND, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAYS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, A GROUP LOOK, RECOMMENDATION SATURDAY, STILL SATURDAY, WEEKEND BREW, SATURDAY SOIREE, SUNDAY STILLNESS, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"