How Do You See God?

Isaiah 43:16, 18-19—Thus says the Lord, who makes a way in the sea, a path in the mighty waters, Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.

God is constantly revealing Himself to us in new ways.  As Christians, we must be open to the idea that we can discover God from a new perspective and that He can come alive to us in new ways as we grow and mature in our faith.  We must also be careful not to define God in a box too small to contain Him.  There exists no human who knows and understands everything about God.  In fact, the whole point of God is the journey of constant discovery.  Once we think we understand Him, we must begin a new journey to uncover another facet.  Of course, this means, that none of us can judge another for our own personal understanding of God.  God reveals Himself intimately and personally to everyone.  How we receive Him is our own personal journey, and judgment of others does nothing to further their spiritual connection with God.  As Christians we can provide a loving community of support for others by sharing our faith and welcoming others no matter where they are on their spiritual journey.  We all have so much to learn as God connects with us each in a unique and personal way.

Today as you pray, thank God for His desire to connect with you and reveal Himself to you.  Pray for a spirit willing to receive knowledge of Him.  Pray that you would seek Him with the fervor with which He seeks you.  Rejoice in the personal intimacy that our God reserves for His Creation.

Find Peace

John 16:33—“I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!”

Life guarantees no peace.  In fact, most people are challenged and tested through great adversity and problems.  That’s kind of the point of life.  The only way to find peace is through developing a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  But how can a person be at peace with someone who we can’t see or touch? What does it mean to find peace through Jesus? Peace in Jesus comes when we continually seek to understand the world through His perspective instead of our own.  Jesus came to Earth as God to experience life as a human.  He intimately knows our perspective.  But no human knows His perspective in the way that He knows ours.  God sees a picture so much bigger than we could ever fathom. And through His perspective we gain peace because we know that no one problem or trial is the whole picture.  God sees the masterpiece in our struggles – He sees the end result, our growth, our beauty as we are pulled and challenged to grow and mature.  In seeking God, we gain knowledge of ourselves who are created in God’s image, and we grow in our understanding of God’s perspective.  That’s how we find a peace untouchable by any worldly persecution.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God as the peacemaker.  Give thanks for the persecutions and adversity that force you to seek Him and grow in His perspective.  Rejoice in the opportunity to mature and develop in His peace, and ask to be comforted when your humanity needs time to catch up to your spirit.  

Give Thanks

Psalm 118:1—O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his steadfast love endures forever!

The holiday season has a way of pulling together all sorts of emotions, both good and bad.  When we pause to ponder our circumstances, though, most of us can see the many ways we are blessed.  As we prepare to go into the new year, we must strive to see God’s hand in all things, trust that His goodness prevails over evil, and seek to understand His ways as they transcend beyond the ordinary. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, give thanks for His steadfast love.  Rejoice in the gift of His Son, our Savior, who has taught us the true meaning of communion and relationship with God.  Pray that you would see God’s goodness in all things.

High Class Heart

Luke 2:8-11—In that region there were shepherds living in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for see—I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord.

It’s interesting that the wonder of Christ’s birth was revealed to shepherds.  Shepherds belonged to one of the lowest classes in ancient cultures.  They lived in the wild with their animals and they were not what you would consider clean or proper.  But the angels didn’t go to the property-owners or the wealthy and powerful.  They did not appear to the religious leaders, either.  The angels went to this lowly group of people who were charged with the care of other creatures.  Shepherds are guardians, and their role as keepers of sheep mirrored Jesus’ role as our keeper.  The revelation to shepherds also reveals God’s nature to seek out the individual regardless of class, creed, or couth.  He’s not impressed by what we have to give Him—He is forever seeking us out to love us, and He delights in our humble devotion.

As you pray and meditate on His Word, consider the status of your heart this Christmas season, and ask yourself if the angels would have revealed the good news to you.  Pray for a guardian spirit that seeks to protect those around you.  Pray that you would live in a way that demonstrates Christ’s love to all those around you.  Rejoice in the gift of Jesus and praise God that you have been chosen to intimately know Him.

Live to Leave a Legacy

Proverbs 13:12—Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a desire fulfilled is a tree of life.

At Christmas time, we tend to hope for a lot of things—time off from work, space to relax, laughter and fellowship with friends and family, giving and receiving gifts.  Lately, though, I’ve been thinking about the bigger picture.  What is our greatest hope?  I think our greatest hope is that our lives are meaningful in a way that leaves a legacy far longer than our names will be remembered.  Each day that we live, we have the opportunity to tune into our great calling, our great hope that there is more to life than just existing.  When we defer that hope by getting caught up in the mundane, ordinary world, it does make the heart sick.  Jesus is our greatest desire fulfilled.  He is our tree of life.  His coming to Earth confirmed that there is in fact more to life.  He lives in each of us, and if we only acknowledge Him, our life will have meaning beyond measure.  He is our desire fulfilled, He cures our sick hearts, and He validates our reason for being.

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for fulfilling our hearts’ greatest desires through the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.  Rejoice in the Living Spirit who still abides in us, around us, and through us.  Pray that you would be a worthy companion and vessel to carry out God’s mission on this Earth.  Let your heart’s every desire come alive as it becomes one with God’s hope and desire for your life.  Thank God for the opportunity to leave a legacy and for His enduring protection and guidance in this world.

The Great Gift Challenge

Matthew 2:11—On entering the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother; and they knelt down and paid him homage. Then, opening their treasure chests, they offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

Christmas is the time of year when we give and receive gifts.  In our consumer-obsessed culture, gifts tend to be tangible, often-times expensive, and frequently numerous.  Even as I’m considering gifts for my own children, I’m struggling to find a balance in the melee of stuff they “want” and “need.”  Giving doesn’t seem to mean as much, though, when we are giving things to people who don’t really need more things.  So, I’m challenging myself this Christmas season to reimagine giving.  I want to give to those who really need it.  And for my loved ones, who fortunately are not in need of things, I want to give them something that touches their soul, that feeds their spirit, and that makes them a better them.  Will you accept the challenge to give in a way that makes a difference this Christmas?

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, praise God for the perfect gift of His Son.  Rejoice in God’s divine imagination that He would give us such a beautiful and life-changing gift.  Ask God to inspire you to reimagine Christmas this year so that your giving would advance His Kingdom and change the lives of those around you.

Jesus Chose You

Isaiah 7:14-15—Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Look, the young woman is with child and shall bear a son, and shall name him Immanuel. He shall eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.

At Christmas, we often look back this passage in Isaiah and focus on the prophesy of the Virgin birth foretold in verse 14.  But when we read the full context in verse 15, we learn that the baby born of this Virgin birth will “eat curds and honey by the time he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good.”  Have you ever considered that Jesus might have had a choice, the same choice we all have?  God had a choice in coming to Earth at all, but the act of coming as a baby, just like we all do, created a lifetime of choice for His Son, Jesus Christ.  At any time, Jesus could have said, “You know what, these people are simply not worth it.”  But He did not.  He chose a sin-free life so that He could save us and show us the way to intimate connection with God.  He chose to surround Himself with people living on the edge of society, to show love and compassion to people who had felt nothing to but rejection and isolation.  His best friends did not really understand who He was.  He had no earthly companion who could truly understand Him or His Ways.  Despite all that, He still chose to suffer for us.  He still chose to bear the weight of our sin, to pay the debt we incurred – a price He did not have to pay because He chose to live a sin-free life.  We should never, for one moment, think that His choices, His pain, or His suffering were easier for Him because He is God – He came to experience life as a human, and every part of His existence was just as hard for Him as it is for us. 

Today as you pray and meditate on His Word, give thanks to God for sending His Son Jesus to live and experience life as a human being, with all the same questions and temptations that every human experiences.  Rejoice in the brilliance of His divine plan to send His Son as a baby who had a choice and who chose to save us.  Praise God for His undying love and devotion to you, His creation.