Advent: Awe and Wonder Day 13

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Awe and Wonder Day 13

 

*****Wow…friends…this never published like I intended it to! Wow…here it is…late…

Anyone else taking a deep breath today–FRIDAY?  When I started this journey of seeking Awe and Wonder I promised myself I wouldn’t get caught up in the busy this Christmas season. It is tough though not to get caught up in it, right? Let’s take a quiet moment of worship and seek God’s Awe and Wonder with in the pages of His Word.

Today’s Advent Scripture: Ezekiel 34:20-23 from THE VOICE Advent readings:

So this is what the Eternal Lord has to say to them: “Watch carefully! I will personally judge between the fat sheep and the skinny sheep.” Because you fat sheep bully the weak, push them around, and threaten them with your horns until you scatter them to distant mountains, I will step in and save them. I will rescue them, and they will no longer be hunted and hassled. I will judge between one sheep and another.  I will designate one shepherd over the entire flock: My faithful servant, David. He will watch over them and care for them. He will be their shepherd.

 

As we have seen already in our past Advent Scripture readings, we know that our God is creative even with His words as He uses symbolism and reoccurring themes. Don’t you love the mention of shepherds in the nativity story, in the nativity Gospel–good news? These guys were everyday people with an important job of herding the sheep which would be used for sacrifice in the Jewish temple in Jerusalem. Our Great Shepherd was the ultimate, perfect, flawless, with out blemish sacrifice on the cross. Praise Him!

Awe and Wonder:

In our Scripture for today we also read with in the prophetic book of Ezekiel a meaningful mention of Jesus-the Shepherd- as the author refers to King David.

Today, as we take some quiet moments of worship will you join me in prayer for those people in your life who desperately need the guidance, protection, direction and care from our God, our Great Shepherd? On Day we committed to pray for one person the entirety of Advent. Take some quiet moments right now to continue in prayer for that person.

May we never allow life’s busy to distract us from our first priority: to love God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength and to love others as ourselves. (Matthew 22:36-40) We can start right now in doing this with deep breaths of quiet and focus on the King and continued prayer for those whom our Great Shepherd loves so very much.

Advent: Awe and Wonder Day 12

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Day 12 awe and wonder

I am a news junkie. I love watching the news and keeping up with politics. Fox News is the first channel I click to when turning on the television. But lately, I’ve intentionally put my head in the sand and shut out the news just to quiet my mind for a season. Please here me say, we should and need to be aware of the happenings of the world around us. But, just for a little while I needed to close out all of the information headed toward my brain that comes with staying up on the latest headlines.

Often people will say they just can’t pay attention to the news for it overwhelms them all the evil in the world. I get that. I totally do. Staying in the know is the first step for me personally to be what we often in the church refer to as “salt and light.” I can’t pray for our country if I don’t know what the heck is going on. I can’t plead for God to have mercy on us if I don’t know what’s going on in Washington. I can’t have an intelligent conversation with others about my Biblical views if I am not up on the headlines.

Yes. It gets overwhelming to see the death, the murder, the war, the cheating, the lying, the horror that comes with keeping tabs on the happenings in the world. Today’s Scripture is a TRUTH that I cling to when I see injustice and evil in the news.

Today’s Advent Scripture from THE VOICE: Psalm 45:6-7

O God, Your throne is eternal;
You will rule your kingdom with a scepter of justice.
You have loved what is right and hated what is evil.
That is why God, your God, has anointed you
with the oil of gladness and lifted you above your companions.

What keeps me from emotionally breaking down when inundated  by information about the world around me: the underlying truth that God, in His Ultimate authority and power…KNOWS. He knows and He is working. He knows and He is working and He is not surprised by the twists and turns of life swirling around us.

Simple view point? Yes and No.

If you subscribe to this view point maybe you’ve been accused by others of being simple minded or nieve. I disagree! It takes more faith to trust God than to trust man and his wicked ways in the world. It takes more evidence and effort in seeking of His presence and providence than to sit back and just throw our hands up in surrender. It is not simple nor nieve to argue and plead with God over prayer and study of His word as to why He allows bad things to happen around us.

But faith…

But faith and trust…

But faith and trust and hope…

Awe and Wonder:

This is where we can rest: Our God is Eternal. Our God sees and deplores evil. Our God with His mighty hand will bring justice. We experience His Awe and Wonder when we take our part in Kingdom work BUT also sit back and know that in His perfect timing and in His glorious plan, He is the VICTOR over evil. With this knowledge you and I can…

Be still, be calm, see, and understand I am the True God.
I am honored among all the nations.
I am honored over all the earth. (Psalm 46:10 THE VOICE)

As we are still and calm, we then stand armed to be that salt and light to the world around us. We can preserve what is good and honorable by speaking truth, by acting in LOVE. We can shine light in the darkness and illuminate God’s mercy and hope in the ever so pervasive dark spaces of our culture.

Armed with the knowledge that God KNOWS, God SEES, God RULES, may we step out into our world (especially this Christmas season!) and take part in heavenly pursuits of conquering evil in the world. Only through God’s strenght and Spirit…only for God’s glory and not our own.

Question for you:

~What are your personal thoughts on stay up on the headlines? No right or wrong answer here.

Leave a comment…let’s chat!

 

Advent: Awe and Wonder Day 11

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Day 11 awe and wonder

Good morning! Good afternoon! Good evening! I say that because there are many joining us in our Advent Awe and Wonder journey from all over the world. It is neat to hear from you all and think about a convergence of believers coming together to Praise Jesus even on the world wide web.

Let’s jump on in…

Today’s Advent Scripture from Mark 14:61-62–THE VOICE Advent Reading Plan:

But Jesus held His peace and didn’t say a word.

High Priest: Are You God’s Anointed, the Liberating King, the Son of the Blessed One?

Jesus: I am. One day you will see the Son of Man “sitting at His right hand, in the place of honor and power,” and “coming in the clouds of heaven.”

Today’s Scripture brings us to the trial and coming punishment of Jesus on the cross. Our passage puts us in front of Jesus as He responds to the Jewish High Priest’s inquisition. We read a bold, Kingly declaration by Jesus: I AM. These two words triggered disdain and fear in the eyes of the Jews of that time as Jesus used a phrase that God alone was capable of expressing. These two words I AM date back to the Old Testament where God revealed Himself to Moses as the One and Only God–the Great I AM. (see Exodus 3:14)

The Self existent ONE

The Alpha and Omega– beginning and end and everything in between

The Never Changing God

Messiah–Savior

The Deliverer

For Jesus to use this sacred phrase could be seen as blasphemy by those who’s eyes were veiled to just WHO Jesus really is: Son of God, Majestic King in all authority.

How often do we ourselves deny that He is the I AM? God Himself? Immanuel–God With Us?

 How often does our pride keep us from kneeling before Him in humility? Yet instead we walk out our life with the burden of sin and need for forgiveness? How often do we place people or things on a pedestal––of more priority––than the worship of the Most High God? How often is our mind consumed with jealousy and envy instead of gratefulness and thanksgiving to the One who is the giver of beautiful blessings?

Take a moment to pair our reading for today with the following passage from Hebrews 1:3-4

This is the One who—imprinted with God’s image, shimmering with His glory—sustains all that exists through the power of His word. He was seated at the right hand of God once He Himself had made the offering that purified us from all our sins. This Son of God is elevated as far above the heavenly messengers as His holy name is elevated above theirs.

By the power of His WORD, all things sustained. God Himself shimmered His glory and stepped into human form to experience life, death, pain, suffering and punishment for us. Some may ask why?  Why would this big, enormous God humble himself to be human with us?

Because He loves us

Because He desires communion with us

Because He designed us to be in communion with Him

Because He LOVES US.

The Great I AM loves us.

Awe and Wonder:

How do we reciprocate that love? Well, we know that no works, nothing we do or say makes us right before God. Jesus did that for us on the cross–PRAISE HIM! How we reciprocate that love is to worship Him alone and love others. That is what Jesus called the greatest commandment in Matthew 22: 36-40. That is all…love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. And, love others as ourselves.  Not so simple. Yet that is all that it boils down to. Our reciprocation of Gods love is the implications that the Greatest Commandments of the I AM has on how we live it out in our everyday life.

Journal:

~What thoughts about the power and majesty of Jesus come to mind as we read the words I AM? (see the descriptive phrases above)

~How does it weigh on your heart that the GREAT I AM, the One and only God sent Jesus because He loves us…because He loves YOU?

~All that He asks of us is that we love and worship Him alone and then love others as ourselves. Not so simple phrase packaged in two short and most important commandments. What is one way you can live this out TODAY?

I pray that on this 11th day of Advent you will seek out your Great I Am and experience his shimmering, radient Glory. Ask Him for it! He will deliver on that promise!

Thoughts? Leave a comment…let’s chat!