For the past few posts I've been mulling over the 6 things that I saw in John 10:25- 30 that are characteristic of Jesus' followers. I've taken one of these things at a time and today I want to look more at the fact that we follow Him. Here's the portion of these verses that I'm getting this from:
My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life.
Where else in scripture do I see this concept of we follow Him?
The first thing that comes to my head is the famous passage in John 16:24-26:
Then Jesus went to work on his disciples. "Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am. Don't run from suffering; embrace it. Follow me and I'll show you how. Self-help is no help at all. Self-sacrifice is the way, my way, to finding yourself, your true self. What kind of deal is it to get everything you want but lose yourself? What could you ever trade your soul for?
This passage is so deep beyond me! I am so into self help and planning and avoiding suffering or even discomfort. I like the way this is paraphrased in this version (The Message) when it clearly states "You're not in the driver's seat; I am"
Oh Heavenly Father, I ask forgiveness. For my self will, my selfishness, my quest for that which is easy and comfortable. Please change my heart, because I'm not capable of doing it. Oh Father help me be conscious this day that my life is Yours and that You are in the driver's seat. Help me see each step of the way how to follow You today. Thank You Father.
Wednesday, August 29, 2007
Tuesday, August 28, 2007
He Knows Us
The blog post before the last one I was meditating on John 10:22-42 and there were 6 things that I saw this passage shows about followers of Christ. The first one, the one that I focused on that day was that we know His voice. The second one that I want to focus on today is that He knows us. Here's where that is in John 10:22-42:
My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life.
I want to find some other verses that talk about Him knowing His followers.
Psalm 139:1-21:
1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I'm an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I'm never out of your sight.
You know everything I'm going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you're there,
then up ahead and you're there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can't take it all in!
7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you're there!
If I go underground, you're there!
If I flew on morning's wings
to the far western horizon,
You'd find me in a minute—
you're already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
At night I'm immersed in the light!"
It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.
17-21 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
God, I'll never comprehend them!
I couldn't even begin to count them—
any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
This verse underscores how He is so great that we are unable to totally know or comprehend Him but He definitely knows everything there is to know about us! Each one individually.
Romans 5: 1-8
1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
The reverend James F. Bracher had this to say about this passage in Romans 5:1-8:
" We must face the good new and bad news. The good news is that God knows us. The bad news is that God really does know us.
God knows our soul. God knows our intentions, motivations, anxieties, deepest hurts and most noble ambitions. So that we will not forget, we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. What makes our faith so wonderful is that we have access to the grace of God.
Access is everything-in faith, personal relationships, business dealings and international relations. Until the relationship is working, nothing proceeds very well. Transactions are possible and wars may be averted. Folks can mouth the words in worship services, and marriages can bump along, but meaning and purpose will not shine through."
Oh Father help me today to live for You. Thank You that You know me, know my need and provided a Savior. Thank You that You allow me access to You. Help me come close to You throughout the day so that I can be centered and live my life the way You want me to.
My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life.
I want to find some other verses that talk about Him knowing His followers.
Psalm 139:1-21:
1-6 God, investigate my life; get all the facts firsthand.
I'm an open book to you;
even from a distance, you know what I'm thinking.
You know when I leave and when I get back;
I'm never out of your sight.
You know everything I'm going to say
before I start the first sentence.
I look behind me and you're there,
then up ahead and you're there, too—
your reassuring presence, coming and going.
This is too much, too wonderful—
I can't take it all in!
7-12 Is there anyplace I can go to avoid your Spirit?
to be out of your sight?
If I climb to the sky, you're there!
If I go underground, you're there!
If I flew on morning's wings
to the far western horizon,
You'd find me in a minute—
you're already there waiting!
Then I said to myself, "Oh, he even sees me in the dark!
At night I'm immersed in the light!"
It's a fact: darkness isn't dark to you;
night and day, darkness and light, they're all the same to you.
13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.
17-21 Your thoughts—how rare, how beautiful!
God, I'll never comprehend them!
I couldn't even begin to count them—
any more than I could count the sand of the sea.
This verse underscores how He is so great that we are unable to totally know or comprehend Him but He definitely knows everything there is to know about us! Each one individually.
Romans 5: 1-8
1-2 By entering through faith into what God has always wanted to do for us—set us right with him, make us fit for him—we have it all together with God because of our Master Jesus. And that's not all: We throw open our doors to God and discover at the same moment that he has already thrown open his door to us. We find ourselves standing where we always hoped we might stand—out in the wide open spaces of God's grace and glory, standing tall and shouting our praise.
3-5 There's more to come: We continue to shout our praise even when we're hemmed in with troubles, because we know how troubles can develop passionate patience in us, and how that patience in turn forges the tempered steel of virtue, keeping us alert for whatever God will do next. In alert expectancy such as this, we're never left feeling shortchanged. Quite the contrary—we can't round up enough containers to hold everything God generously pours into our lives through the Holy Spirit!
6-8 Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him.
There are a few aspects to this passage that demonstrate this concept of God knowing us:- He knows me enough to know I needed a savior because of my sin. He died for each of us, knowing that we'd be dead in sin and need His substitutionary death on our behalf.
- He knows us and loves us just how we are
- He knows what we need and sometimes allows bad stuff to happen to us to build us into better people.
The reverend James F. Bracher had this to say about this passage in Romans 5:1-8:
" We must face the good new and bad news. The good news is that God knows us. The bad news is that God really does know us.
God knows our soul. God knows our intentions, motivations, anxieties, deepest hurts and most noble ambitions. So that we will not forget, we are justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have obtained access to this grace in which we stand; and we boast in our hope of sharing the glory of God. What makes our faith so wonderful is that we have access to the grace of God.
Access is everything-in faith, personal relationships, business dealings and international relations. Until the relationship is working, nothing proceeds very well. Transactions are possible and wars may be averted. Folks can mouth the words in worship services, and marriages can bump along, but meaning and purpose will not shine through."
Oh Father help me today to live for You. Thank You that You know me, know my need and provided a Savior. Thank You that You allow me access to You. Help me come close to You throughout the day so that I can be centered and live my life the way You want me to.
Thursday, August 23, 2007
John 11:1-54
Tomorrow I'll get back to my musings from John 10, but today I really felt in the mood to re read the story about Lazarus.
1-3 A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. This was the same Mary who massaged the Lord's feet with aromatic oils and then wiped them with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Master, the one you love so very much is sick."
Oh Father, thank You for Your grace and mercy! Thank You for your forgiveness! May all that You've forgiven me not be wasted. May I remember and learn from it and do better today!
33-34 When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him. He said, "Where did you put him?"
1-3 A man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. This was the same Mary who massaged the Lord's feet with aromatic oils and then wiped them with her hair. It was her brother Lazarus who was sick. So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Master, the one you love so very much is sick."
4 When Jesus got the message, he said, "This sickness is not fatal. It will become an occasion to show God's glory by glorifying God's Son."
5-7 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, but oddly, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed on where he was for two more days. After the two days, he said to his disciples, "Let's go back to Judea."
8 They said, "Rabbi, you can't do that. The Jews are out to kill you, and you're going back?"
9-10 Jesus replied, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in daylight doesn't stumble because there's plenty of light from the sun. Walking at night, he might very well stumble because he can't see where he's going."
11 He said these things, and then announced, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. I'm going to wake him up."
12-13 The disciples said, "Master, if he's gone to sleep, he'll get a good rest and wake up feeling fine." Jesus was talking about death, while his disciples thought he was talking about taking a nap.
14-15 Then Jesus became explicit: "Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn't there. You're about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let's go to him."
16 That's when Thomas, the one called the Twin, said to his companions, "Come along. We might as well die with him."
17-20 When Jesus finally got there, he found Lazarus already four days dead. Bethany was near Jerusalem, only a couple of miles away, and many of the Jews were visiting Martha and Mary, sympathizing with them over their brother. Martha heard Jesus was coming and went out to meet him. Mary remained in the house.
21-22 Martha said, "Master, if you'd been here, my brother wouldn't have died. Even now, I know that whatever you ask God he will give you."
23 Jesus said, "Your brother will be raised up."
24 Martha replied, "I know that he will be raised up in the resurrection at the end of time."
25-26 "You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?"
27 "Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world."
28 After saying this, she went to her sister Mary and whispered in her ear, "The Teacher is here and is asking for you."
29-32 The moment she heard that, she jumped up and ran out to him. Jesus had not yet entered the town but was still at the place where Martha had met him. When her sympathizing Jewish friends saw Mary run off, they followed her, thinking she was on her way to the tomb to weep there. Mary came to where Jesus was waiting and fell at his feet, saying, "Master, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died."
33-34 When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him. He said, "Where did you put him?"
34-35 "Master, come and see," they said. Now Jesus wept.
36 The Jews said, "Look how deeply he loved him."
37 Others among them said, "Well, if he loved him so much, why didn't he do something to keep him from dying? After all, he opened the eyes of a blind man."
38-39 Then Jesus, the anger again welling up within him, arrived at the tomb. It was a simple cave in the hillside with a slab of stone laid against it. Jesus said, "Remove the stone."
The sister of the dead man, Martha, said, "Master, by this time there's a stench. He's been dead four days!"
40 Jesus looked her in the eye. "Didn't I tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?"
41-42 Then, to the others, "Go ahead, take away the stone."
They removed the stone. Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, "Father, I'm grateful that you have listened to me. I know you always do listen, but on account of this crowd standing here I've spoken so that they might believe that you sent me."
43-44 Then he shouted, "Lazarus, come out!" And he came out, a cadaver, wrapped from head to toe, and with a kerchief over his face.
Jesus told them, "Unwrap him and let him loose."
45-48 That was a turnaround for many of the Jews who were with Mary. They saw what Jesus did, and believed in him. But some went back to the Pharisees and told on Jesus. The high priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the Jewish ruling body. "What do we do now?" they asked. "This man keeps on doing things, creating God-signs. If we let him go on, pretty soon everyone will be believing in him and the Romans will come and remove what little power and privilege we still have."49-52 Then one of them—it was Caiaphas, the designated Chief Priest that year—spoke up, "Don't you know anything? Can't you see that it's to our advantage that one man dies for the people rather than the whole nation be destroyed?" He didn't say this of his own accord, but as Chief Priest that year he unwittingly prophesied that Jesus was about to die sacrificially for the nation, and not only for the nation but so that all God's exile-scattered children might be gathered together into one people.
53-54 From that day on, they plotted to kill him. So Jesus no longer went out in public among the Jews. He withdrew into the country bordering the desert to a town called Ephraim and secluded himself there with his disciples.
What an awesome story! My heart quickens within me as I read it.
If I had to use one word to describe all the various things that stand out to me in this scripture it would be - relationships. Jesus is in the business of relationships. Having them, healing them, challenging people with them.
I think today I'll just go through and focus on whatever strikes me and let God use His word to instruct my heart:
14-15 Then Jesus became explicit: "Lazarus died. And I am glad for your sakes that I wasn't there. You're about to be given new grounds for believing. Now let's go to him."
16 That's when Thomas, the one called the Twin, said to his companions, "Come along. We might as well die with him."
God's so good. We're already in this relationship with Him by faith and yet He's always giving us new things to increase our faith. He always wants us to grow. Look at Jesus here talking about how His disciples are going to be given new grounds for believing when they see Him bring back Lazarus from dead.
Father, help me not miss any opportunities for building my faith today. Help me stay open and available to You. May I not become so focused on the ordinary that I miss seeing Your greatness displayed today.
I laughed when I read verse 16 - this is a guy like me - sarcastic little comments. He'll follow Jesus, there's not a doubt in His mind. But he knows that the religious leaders are out to get Jesus and figures they'll just end up dieing with Him.
25-26 "You don't have to wait for the End. I am, right now, Resurrection and Life. The one who believes in me, even though he or she dies, will live. And everyone who lives believing in me does not ultimately die at all. Do you believe this?"
27 "Yes, Master. All along I have believed that you are the Messiah, the Son of God who comes into the world."
The first thing that struck me here is that Jesus is talking here to Martha, not to Mary. If you remember, Martha was the one who'd been too busy with the dinner that one time and Jesus had said not to worry about such but to sit at His feet for that short time while He is on earth. I like that Martha so easily believed Jesus here. A few verses above she'd told her servants to do whatever Jesus said to do - she had total faith in Jesus. Isn't it great that we can mess up in life, have an encounter with Jesus and be changed, and do better the next time?!Oh Father, thank You for Your grace and mercy! Thank You for your forgiveness! May all that You've forgiven me not be wasted. May I remember and learn from it and do better today!
33-34 When Jesus saw her sobbing and the Jews with her sobbing, a deep anger welled up within him. He said, "Where did you put him?"
34-35 "Master, come and see," they said. Now Jesus wept.
I think Jesus felt angry because He hates the ravages of sin and the fallen world. He hates that people suffer and die. He cried because He was moved with compassion. I'm so grateful that I have a savior Who is compassionate.
45-48 That was a turnaround for many of the Jews who were with Mary. They saw what Jesus did, and believed in him. But some went back to the Pharisees and told on Jesus. The high priests and Pharisees called a meeting of the Jewish ruling body. "What do we do now?" they asked. "This man keeps on doing things, creating God-signs. If we let him go on, pretty soon everyone will be believing in him and the Romans will come and remove what little power and privilege we still have."
I'd always thought the religious leaders didn't like Jesus because they wanted prestige, power and a way of life. Here I see that they are scared. They are a people who are under another group of people's rule and are allowed a minimum of self rule. They are afraid they will lose what little they have if Jesus keeps being so radical.
I'm thinking that sometimes we're in captivity of another kind in this life. Captivity to some sin or depravity - alcohol, drugs, sex, spending, gamboling, food. Or maybe some lifestyle - needing to look like a certain type to those around us (whatever that type may be - successful and powerful, Bohemian, female rights activist, etc.). Sometimes this sin or lifestyle that we've gotten into bondage over makes us too scared to follow Jesus. We're afraid following Him totally will make things even worse. We can get into this things-aren't-how-I-want-them-but-they-could-get-so-much-worse-because-I know-that-life-sucks-and-good-doesn't-come-my-way-so-I've-got-to-do-what-I-can-this-way kind of attitude. I see that so clearly in my mom. Once you get this kind of attitude it shuts out God and His ability to work in Your life.
Oh Father, may I always trust in Your goodness. May I always be open to You. Help me live in Your presence this day. Open my eyes to see You and may I be aware and not shut You and Your work out of my life due to my limited thinking.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
John 10:22-42
I really like Jesus. As I read through this gospel I'm drawn to Him.
Today the passage that stood out for me among the ending of this 10th chapter were verses 25-30:
Jesus answered, "I told you, but you don't believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don't believe because you're not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind."
If you read the entire section you'll see that these verses come on the heels of the Jews asking him if He is the Messiah. There are 6 things here that Jesus says about His followers, and, since I'm a follower of His, these of course interested me:
We recognize His voice
Earlier in this same passage, at the 14th verse, Jesus said the same thing - that His followers know Him and His voice. John Darby, in his synopsis of the bible, has this to say about Jesus' sheep/followers knowing His voice:
" The sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. There are many other voices, but the sheep do not know them. Their safety consists, not in knowing them all, but in knowing that they are not the one voice which is life to them-the voice of Jesus. All the rest are the voices of strangers."
How true indeed that "there are many other voices" in our lives! The voice of my culture, my sons, my mother, my husband, the media. I find this whole subject so very interesting because I know that in my own mind there are many voices and my experience has been that the voice of God is in there with the rest of them but doesn't really sound any different. That only as I spend time in the word and prayer do I learn to distinguish and recognize His voice and then am faced with the choice to obey or not. How it works for me is, if I am recognizing it as God's voice in my head, I follow. I think that it's when I'm distracted and not following in the first place that I don't see it as His voice. Does this make sense?
Oh Father, may I turn away from my selfish ways and always stay aware of and in thanksgiving to You. May I choose to listen to and follow You voice today.
It makes sense that I would be more able to distinguish God's voice in my mind in light of the point that McGarvey and Pendleton's bible commentary makes about these verses:
"Our Lord's relationship to his flock is one of mutual knowledge and affection, and is far removed from the spirit of hire. The knowledge existing between disciple and Master springs from mutual acquaintanceship and love."
If it springs from mutual acquaintanceship the of course I need to spend time with Him to get to know His voice. Affection and relationship are growing things, not instantaneous.
Oh Father, help me throughout today to become more acquainted with You. Thank You that You love me and want to be my Master. That You count me as Yours and have forgiven and covered over my sins!
John Wesley had the following to say about both verse 14 & verse 26 of John 10:
"14-I know my sheep - With a tender regard and special care: and am known of mine - With a holy confidence and affection."
"26- Ye do not believe, because ye are not of my sheep - Because ye do not, will not follow me: because ye are proud, unholy, lovers of praise, lovers of the world, lovers of pleasure, not of God."
I'm attracted to this thought of Wesley's that God has confidence in me. It could surely only be because of what Jesus can do through me! Then when Wesley describes those who do not follow after Jesus I am hit with the fact that I struggle with being a lover of praise and a lover of pleasure.
Of Father, thank You that You've made me Your sheep. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Please help me not be sure a needer and lover of praise from others - help me seek only to please You. Help me not to be so simple and low, like my dog, and be a love of pleasure. May I love You more than any pleasure this world has to offer!
Today the passage that stood out for me among the ending of this 10th chapter were verses 25-30:
Jesus answered, "I told you, but you don't believe. Everything I have done has been authorized by my Father, actions that speak louder than words. You don't believe because you're not my sheep. My sheep recognize my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them real and eternal life. They are protected from the Destroyer for good. No one can steal them from out of my hand. The Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and Thief. No one could ever get them away from him. I and the Father are one heart and mind."
If you read the entire section you'll see that these verses come on the heels of the Jews asking him if He is the Messiah. There are 6 things here that Jesus says about His followers, and, since I'm a follower of His, these of course interested me:
- We recognize His voice
- He knows us
- We follow Him
- He gives us real and eternal life
- We are protected from the destroyer for good
- No one can steal us away from Jesus
We recognize His voice
Earlier in this same passage, at the 14th verse, Jesus said the same thing - that His followers know Him and His voice. John Darby, in his synopsis of the bible, has this to say about Jesus' sheep/followers knowing His voice:
" The sheep follow Him, for they know His voice. There are many other voices, but the sheep do not know them. Their safety consists, not in knowing them all, but in knowing that they are not the one voice which is life to them-the voice of Jesus. All the rest are the voices of strangers."
How true indeed that "there are many other voices" in our lives! The voice of my culture, my sons, my mother, my husband, the media. I find this whole subject so very interesting because I know that in my own mind there are many voices and my experience has been that the voice of God is in there with the rest of them but doesn't really sound any different. That only as I spend time in the word and prayer do I learn to distinguish and recognize His voice and then am faced with the choice to obey or not. How it works for me is, if I am recognizing it as God's voice in my head, I follow. I think that it's when I'm distracted and not following in the first place that I don't see it as His voice. Does this make sense?
Oh Father, may I turn away from my selfish ways and always stay aware of and in thanksgiving to You. May I choose to listen to and follow You voice today.
It makes sense that I would be more able to distinguish God's voice in my mind in light of the point that McGarvey and Pendleton's bible commentary makes about these verses:
"Our Lord's relationship to his flock is one of mutual knowledge and affection, and is far removed from the spirit of hire. The knowledge existing between disciple and Master springs from mutual acquaintanceship and love."
If it springs from mutual acquaintanceship the of course I need to spend time with Him to get to know His voice. Affection and relationship are growing things, not instantaneous.
Oh Father, help me throughout today to become more acquainted with You. Thank You that You love me and want to be my Master. That You count me as Yours and have forgiven and covered over my sins!
John Wesley had the following to say about both verse 14 & verse 26 of John 10:
"14-I know my sheep - With a tender regard and special care: and am known of mine - With a holy confidence and affection."
"26- Ye do not believe, because ye are not of my sheep - Because ye do not, will not follow me: because ye are proud, unholy, lovers of praise, lovers of the world, lovers of pleasure, not of God."
I'm attracted to this thought of Wesley's that God has confidence in me. It could surely only be because of what Jesus can do through me! Then when Wesley describes those who do not follow after Jesus I am hit with the fact that I struggle with being a lover of praise and a lover of pleasure.
Of Father, thank You that You've made me Your sheep. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Please help me not be sure a needer and lover of praise from others - help me seek only to please You. Help me not to be so simple and low, like my dog, and be a love of pleasure. May I love You more than any pleasure this world has to offer!
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
John 10:1-21
1-5 "Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he's up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it."
I'll see if I can find some verses that use the same words as John 10:10. When I look in the NASV I see John 5:39-41 as a scripture where, in verse 40 the word "life" is the same life Jesus is talking about giving us in John 10:10:
39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
Thank You Father that You want to take care of me and give me a life that is better than I ever dreamed of. Thank You so much! I know I don't deserve that and it's only because of Your goodness that You do this for me. Open my eyes Lord and help me notice all You're doing for me and giving me throughout this day. May I never be a person who doesn't even notice or appreciate Your goodness.
6-10 Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.
11-13"I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him. He sees a wolf come and runs for it, leaving the sheep to be ravaged and scattered by the wolf. He's only in it for the money. The sheep don't matter to him.
14-18"I am the Good Shepherd. I know my own sheep and my own sheep know me. In the same way, the Father knows me and I know the Father. I put the sheep before myself, sacrificing myself if necessary. You need to know that I have other sheep in addition to those in this pen. I need to gather and bring them, too. They'll also recognize my voice. Then it will be one flock, one Shepherd. This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again. No one takes it from me. I lay it down of my own free will. I have the right to lay it down; I also have the right to take it up again. I received this authority personally from my Father."
This kind of talk caused another split in the Jewish ranks. A lot of them were saying, "He's crazy, a maniac—out of his head completely. Why bother listening to him?" But others weren't so sure: "These aren't the words of a crazy man. Can a 'maniac' open blind eyes?"
As I read through this passage things hit me right away:- Because I'm His, God will care for me (v.10)
- God gives me freedom to come and go (v.10)
- God wants to give me a life better than I ever dreamed of (v.10)
- As Jesus cares for me I am to care for others whom He's put me in charge of; my sons, my employees, etc. Jesus puts me ahead of himself and is willing to sacrifice for me (v. 11 & v.14)
I'll see if I can find some verses that use the same words as John 10:10. When I look in the NASV I see John 5:39-41 as a scripture where, in verse 40 the word "life" is the same life Jesus is talking about giving us in John 10:10:
39 You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me;
40 and you are unwilling to come to Me so that you may have life.
41"I do not receive glory from men;
I especially like the way these verses are paraphrased in The Message:
39-40"You have your heads in your Bibles constantly because you think you'll find eternal life there. But you miss the forest for the trees. These Scriptures are all about me! And here I am, standing right before you, and you aren't willing to receive from me the life you say you want.
41-44"I'm not interested in crowd approval. And do you know why? Because I know you and your crowds. I know that love, especially God's love, is not on your working agenda. I came with the authority of my Father, and you either dismiss me or avoid me. If another came, acting self-important, you would welcome him with open arms. How do you expect to get anywhere with God when you spend all your time jockeying for position with each other, ranking your rivals and ignoring God?
Oh Father, help me not be like that. Please quicken my spirit that I don't get so involved in my agenda today that I miss the forest for the trees . Help me to see your agenda for my day and not be so busy that I can't sacrifice my personal convenience or what I'm wanting to focus on for my sons or anyone else who You want me to do something for.
Thank You Father that You want to take care of me and give me a life that is better than I ever dreamed of. Thank You so much! I know I don't deserve that and it's only because of Your goodness that You do this for me. Open my eyes Lord and help me notice all You're doing for me and giving me throughout this day. May I never be a person who doesn't even notice or appreciate Your goodness.
Monday, August 20, 2007
John 9
In this chapter today three verses stood out to me; 30-33:
The man replied, "This is amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my eyes! It's well known that God isn't at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of—ever. If this man didn't come from God, he wouldn't be able to do anything."
The 9th chapter is the story of where Jesus heals a blind man and the religious leaders of the day get upset because he did it on the Sabbath. The 3 verses above are the recorded words of the blind man whom Jesus had healed as he is speaking with these religious leaders. What captured me was this man's simple recipe for getting God to listen to us: live in reverence and do His will.
Sometimes in life it feels like God is a long way away and not listening; as if my prayers are bouncing off an unseen ceiling. But there are two things I know: 1) Feelings are not always reality or truth. 2) God's word is always true.
I wanted to check out the wording of this in other translations or paraphrases; so here is that 31st verse said some other ways:
KJV: Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
NIV: We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
NLT: We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will.
Amplified: We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.
It all comes down to those two things - worship or reverence Him and do His will, obey Him. So I want to think some on what it means to worship or reverence God.
Interesting pieces of definitions of these words:
Worship: reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, the object of adoring reverence or regard.
Reverence: a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration. The outward manifestation of this feeling: to pay reverence.
Some other scripture passages that use this same concept:
Psalm 2:11
Worship God in adoring embrace,
Celebrate in trembling awe. Kiss Messiah!
Wow, don't you just love this scripture?! The passion here, this is not a boring, static religion. This is about adoring our God, celebrating Him with awe, being so overcome that we express acts of spontaneous love with our bodies!
Hebrews 12:28
Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God.
As I read these words my heart is stirred. I want to live this way! I want to be thankful throughout my day, always in mind of all God has done for me. Constantly worshiping Him.
Now for the do His will part; it's not like I can just get an exact definition for "do". Instead I'll look at other scriptures with this same concept:
Deuteronomy 7:7-10:
God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors. God stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know this: God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations. But he also pays back those who hate him, pays them the wages of death; he isn't slow to pay them off—those who hate him, he pays right on time.
Hebrews 13:20-21
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
The man replied, "This is amazing! You claim to know nothing about him, but the fact is, he opened my eyes! It's well known that God isn't at the beck and call of sinners, but listens carefully to anyone who lives in reverence and does his will. That someone opened the eyes of a man born blind has never been heard of—ever. If this man didn't come from God, he wouldn't be able to do anything."
The 9th chapter is the story of where Jesus heals a blind man and the religious leaders of the day get upset because he did it on the Sabbath. The 3 verses above are the recorded words of the blind man whom Jesus had healed as he is speaking with these religious leaders. What captured me was this man's simple recipe for getting God to listen to us: live in reverence and do His will.
Sometimes in life it feels like God is a long way away and not listening; as if my prayers are bouncing off an unseen ceiling. But there are two things I know: 1) Feelings are not always reality or truth. 2) God's word is always true.
I wanted to check out the wording of this in other translations or paraphrases; so here is that 31st verse said some other ways:
KJV: Now we know that God heareth not sinners: but if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth.
NIV: We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly man who does his will.
NLT: We know that God doesn’t listen to sinners, but he is ready to hear those who worship him and do his will.
Amplified: We know that God does not listen to sinners; but if anyone is God-fearing and a worshiper of Him and does His will, He listens to him.
It all comes down to those two things - worship or reverence Him and do His will, obey Him. So I want to think some on what it means to worship or reverence God.
Interesting pieces of definitions of these words:
Worship: reverent honor and homage paid to God or a sacred personage, the object of adoring reverence or regard.
Reverence: a feeling or attitude of deep respect tinged with awe; veneration. The outward manifestation of this feeling: to pay reverence.
Psalm 2:11
Worship God in adoring embrace,
Celebrate in trembling awe. Kiss Messiah!
Wow, don't you just love this scripture?! The passion here, this is not a boring, static religion. This is about adoring our God, celebrating Him with awe, being so overcome that we express acts of spontaneous love with our bodies!
Hebrews 12:28
Do you see what we've got? An unshakable kingdom! And do you see how thankful we must be? Not only thankful, but brimming with worship, deeply reverent before God.
As I read these words my heart is stirred. I want to live this way! I want to be thankful throughout my day, always in mind of all God has done for me. Constantly worshiping Him.
Now for the do His will part; it's not like I can just get an exact definition for "do". Instead I'll look at other scriptures with this same concept:
Deuteronomy 7:7-10:
God wasn't attracted to you and didn't choose you because you were big and important—the fact is, there was almost nothing to you. He did it out of sheer love, keeping the promise he made to your ancestors. God stepped in and mightily bought you back out of that world of slavery, freed you from the iron grip of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know this: God, your God, is God indeed, a God you can depend upon. He keeps his covenant of loyal love with those who love him and observe his commandments for a thousand generations. But he also pays back those who hate him, pays them the wages of death; he isn't slow to pay them off—those who hate him, he pays right on time.
Hebrews 13:20-21
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
It's this idea of just doing what He tells us. As a parent I get it; what parent doesn't want their kids to just do what they say! Yet, when I first think of it that way I get a picture of how I'm just like one of my sons who wants to obey me but the temptation to just do the fun easy thing instead sometimes seems overpowering. That's why I like the scripture above; it points to the fact that it is Jesus who equips me to be able to do God's will.
Oh Father, I want to be heard by You. I want to have that intimate relationship with You where I talk with You all the time. Where I know that You hear me and where I'm able to hear You. Thank you Jesus that you equip me, that You've even given me Your spirit to live inside me. Help my heart to be a grateful today throughout the day, whatever comes; may I be a person who looks at the good side of things and does not forget all Your blessings to me. Oh Holy Spirit, stir up within me an attitude of passionate respect, reverence and worship of God today. Enable me to live in obedience this day. Thank You Father.Wednesday, August 8, 2007
John 8:21-51
There were two passages within this section of verses that stood out to me today. The first one is verses 23-24:
Jesus said, "You're tied down to the mundane; I'm in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I'm living on other terms. I told you that you were missing God in all this. You're at a dead end. If you won't believe I am who I say I am, you're at the dead end of sins. You're missing God in your lives."
Jesus' kingdom is different than our culture. He's talking about a life that's beyond what we see and touch. Somehow I think there's this part inside each of us, a little voice that whispers to us sometimes that there's got to be something more than just what's in front of us.
I believe Jesus is God and that He died on the cross in my place and rose again 3 days later. I believe that by asking Him to forgive my sins and to be in charge of my life that a supernatural change takes place within me; that my spirit becomes reborn. So I've got that last part of the verse.
But really strikes me is the first part. In my daily life, am I too missing God in all this? Am I so caught up in all the things that I can see and touch that my horizons are way too small? I'm feeling like He wants so much more for me.
Father, I thank You so very much for giving me the ability and inclination to believe in Jesus. Thank You for saving me! Help me not stop at that. Help me not get so caught up in the mundane. May I take care of daily business but have a heart that's attached to You and Your larger than I can ever imagine horizons.
The second passage that hit me in this set of verses was the 34-38:
Jesus said, "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. I know you are Abraham's descendants. But I also know that you are trying to kill me because my message hasn't yet penetrated your thick skulls. I'm talking about things I have seen while keeping company with the Father, and you just go on doing what you have heard from your father."
The bit about how, if we're involved in sin, we are trapped and can't come and go at will really hit me. Then is contrasts that with how Jesus sets His followers totally free.
Am I living in the freedom Jesus has for me? Or am I allowing myself to be trapped by sin?
Oh Father, search me and know my heart. Show me where I'm too attached to sin in my life. Help me live, freely, in Your life today.
Jesus said, "You're tied down to the mundane; I'm in touch with what is beyond your horizons. You live in terms of what you see and touch. I'm living on other terms. I told you that you were missing God in all this. You're at a dead end. If you won't believe I am who I say I am, you're at the dead end of sins. You're missing God in your lives."
Jesus' kingdom is different than our culture. He's talking about a life that's beyond what we see and touch. Somehow I think there's this part inside each of us, a little voice that whispers to us sometimes that there's got to be something more than just what's in front of us.
I believe Jesus is God and that He died on the cross in my place and rose again 3 days later. I believe that by asking Him to forgive my sins and to be in charge of my life that a supernatural change takes place within me; that my spirit becomes reborn. So I've got that last part of the verse.
But really strikes me is the first part. In my daily life, am I too missing God in all this? Am I so caught up in all the things that I can see and touch that my horizons are way too small? I'm feeling like He wants so much more for me.
Father, I thank You so very much for giving me the ability and inclination to believe in Jesus. Thank You for saving me! Help me not stop at that. Help me not get so caught up in the mundane. May I take care of daily business but have a heart that's attached to You and Your larger than I can ever imagine horizons.
The second passage that hit me in this set of verses was the 34-38:
Jesus said, "I tell you most solemnly that anyone who chooses a life of sin is trapped in a dead-end life and is, in fact, a slave. A slave is a transient, who can't come and go at will. The Son, though, has an established position, the run of the house. So if the Son sets you free, you are free through and through. I know you are Abraham's descendants. But I also know that you are trying to kill me because my message hasn't yet penetrated your thick skulls. I'm talking about things I have seen while keeping company with the Father, and you just go on doing what you have heard from your father."
The bit about how, if we're involved in sin, we are trapped and can't come and go at will really hit me. Then is contrasts that with how Jesus sets His followers totally free.
Am I living in the freedom Jesus has for me? Or am I allowing myself to be trapped by sin?
Oh Father, search me and know my heart. Show me where I'm too attached to sin in my life. Help me live, freely, in Your life today.
Monday, August 6, 2007
John 8:1-20
1-2 Jesus went across to Mount Olives, but he was soon back in the Temple again. Swarms of people came to him. He sat down and taught them. 3-6The religion scholars and Pharisees led in a woman who had been caught in an act of adultery. They stood her in plain sight of everyone and said, "Teacher, this woman was caught red-handed in the act of adultery. Moses, in the Law, gives orders to stone such persons. What do you say?" They were trying to trap him into saying something incriminating so they could bring charges against him.
6-8 Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.
9-10 Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?"
11"No one, Master."
"Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin."
12 Jesus once again addressed them: "I am the world's Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in."
13 The Pharisees objected, "All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to go on."
14-18 Jesus replied, "You're right that you only have my word. But you can depend on it being true. I know where I've come from and where I go next. You don't know where I'm from or where I'm headed. You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don't make judgments like that. But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn't make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father. That fulfills the conditions set down in God's Law: that you can count on the testimony of two witnesses. And that is what you have: You have my word and you have the word of the Father who sent me."
19 They said, "Where is this so-called Father of yours?"
Jesus said, "You're looking right at me and you don't see me. How do you expect to see the Father? If you knew me, you would at the same time know the Father."
20 He gave this speech in the Treasury while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him because his time wasn't yet up.
I've always adored the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultry.
But what struck me today is that He's saying to the relgious people of the day that they are missing the point. These religious leaders were all focused on this woman and her sin and how it related to the law (of course they were really just trying to trip Jesus up) but they are missing the point - Jesus. He what should be the main focus.
It always strikes me that people in my culture don't have too big a problem whith general god statements but get all upset when Jesus comes into things.
Yet when I look closer at Jesus and His life, He is SOOO attractive! So loving and merciful, so clear and confrontive when it's needed. Look at how loving He is toward the woman. He does say stop sinning but He doesn't condem her.
Then He goes on to say, you can see it in verse 12, that He can give us light so that we don't have to live in darkness, in sin. Rather than the focus being on the woman and her sin, Jesus brings it back to each person.
This is an excellent passage for co-dependents! It's like Jesus is saying, don't focus so much on other's and their sin, come to me and let me help you deal with your own.
Just this morning I found myself thinking on my husbands character defects. I feel convicted that this is not where my focus needs to be. I need to be in my own life, open to God's light and living my life how He wants me to.
Father, I'm so sorry for my selfish, judgemental spirit this morning. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Please empower me this day to see what You want me to in my own life today. Show me how you want me to act in each situation today. Please help me see Your light and follow Your ways.
6-8 Jesus bent down and wrote with his finger in the dirt. They kept at him, badgering him. He straightened up and said, "The sinless one among you, go first: Throw the stone." Bending down again, he wrote some more in the dirt.
9-10 Hearing that, they walked away, one after another, beginning with the oldest. The woman was left alone. Jesus stood up and spoke to her. "Woman, where are they? Does no one condemn you?"
11"No one, Master."
"Neither do I," said Jesus. "Go on your way. From now on, don't sin."
12 Jesus once again addressed them: "I am the world's Light. No one who follows me stumbles around in the darkness. I provide plenty of light to live in."
13 The Pharisees objected, "All we have is your word on this. We need more than this to go on."
14-18 Jesus replied, "You're right that you only have my word. But you can depend on it being true. I know where I've come from and where I go next. You don't know where I'm from or where I'm headed. You decide according to what you can see and touch. I don't make judgments like that. But even if I did, my judgment would be true because I wouldn't make it out of the narrowness of my experience but in the largeness of the One who sent me, the Father. That fulfills the conditions set down in God's Law: that you can count on the testimony of two witnesses. And that is what you have: You have my word and you have the word of the Father who sent me."
19 They said, "Where is this so-called Father of yours?"
Jesus said, "You're looking right at me and you don't see me. How do you expect to see the Father? If you knew me, you would at the same time know the Father."
20 He gave this speech in the Treasury while teaching in the Temple. No one arrested him because his time wasn't yet up.
I've always adored the story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultry.
But what struck me today is that He's saying to the relgious people of the day that they are missing the point. These religious leaders were all focused on this woman and her sin and how it related to the law (of course they were really just trying to trip Jesus up) but they are missing the point - Jesus. He what should be the main focus.
It always strikes me that people in my culture don't have too big a problem whith general god statements but get all upset when Jesus comes into things.
Yet when I look closer at Jesus and His life, He is SOOO attractive! So loving and merciful, so clear and confrontive when it's needed. Look at how loving He is toward the woman. He does say stop sinning but He doesn't condem her.
Then He goes on to say, you can see it in verse 12, that He can give us light so that we don't have to live in darkness, in sin. Rather than the focus being on the woman and her sin, Jesus brings it back to each person.
This is an excellent passage for co-dependents! It's like Jesus is saying, don't focus so much on other's and their sin, come to me and let me help you deal with your own.
Just this morning I found myself thinking on my husbands character defects. I feel convicted that this is not where my focus needs to be. I need to be in my own life, open to God's light and living my life how He wants me to.
Father, I'm so sorry for my selfish, judgemental spirit this morning. Thank you for showing me the error of my ways. Thank You for Your forgiveness. Please empower me this day to see what You want me to in my own life today. Show me how you want me to act in each situation today. Please help me see Your light and follow Your ways.
Friday, August 3, 2007
John 7
Rather than print the entire chapter here I'll just print a few verses that I felt impressed to focus on today. Basically there were three sets of verses that spoke to me today in this seventh chapter:
First set of verses
1-2 Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee. He didn't want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. It was near the time of Tabernacles, a feast observed annually by the Jews.
3-5 His brothers said, "Why don't you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you're serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world." His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn't believe in him either.
What hit me here was that his biological brothers didn't believe in Him. I'm reminded of Hebrews 4:14-16:
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus knows what's it's like to be both disappointed by, and disappointing to, His family. It's such a source of comfort to me to know that He understands how I feel. If it weren't for Him I'd feel so alone. My family is SOO nuts. I love them and try to be a good daughter, and to a significantly less extent I try to be a good sister (because my 2 sisters are so messed up that to get too involved just makes me feel crazy and I can't do it. If God shows me something specific to do I'll do it but otherwise it's healthier for me to pray for them, help them sometimes and try to be in the moment and enjoy them at the time I'm with them when I visit, and otherwise to be separate from them).
Thank You Father that You understand what it's like to have an unhealty family that isn't able to be supportive. Thank You that I'm not alone in this life.
Second set of verses
21-24 Jesus said, "I did one miraculous thing a few months ago, and you're still standing around getting all upset, wondering what I'm up to. Moses prescribed circumcision—originally it came not from Moses but from his ancestors—and so you circumcise a man, dealing with one part of his body, even if it's the Sabbath. You do this in order to preserve one item in the Law of Moses. So why are you upset with me because I made a man's whole body well on the Sabbath? Don't be nitpickers; use your head—and heart!—to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right."
The first thing that hits me here is that Jesus is so clear with people. Then His words strike a chord in my heart! Don't be nitpickers; use your head—and heart!—to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right.
Oh Father, may I not get so caught up in the details that I miss the point! May my heart be tuned into You so that I can discern the right way to act in each situation throughout this day and then do what is right. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit living in me.
Third set of verses
37-39 On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)
Jesus' words mean to me today that, because His Holy Spirit lives in my heart, it can be like streams of living water are spilling out of the depths of my soul.
Oh Lord, may I not get in the way of Your work in my life today. May I experience Your life brimming over and overflowing from me to those around me today. Thank you so much heavenly Father for all You've given me.
First set of verses
1-2 Later Jesus was going about his business in Galilee. He didn't want to travel in Judea because the Jews there were looking for a chance to kill him. It was near the time of Tabernacles, a feast observed annually by the Jews.
3-5 His brothers said, "Why don't you leave here and go up to the Feast so your disciples can get a good look at the works you do? No one who intends to be publicly known does everything behind the scenes. If you're serious about what you are doing, come out in the open and show the world." His brothers were pushing him like this because they didn't believe in him either.
What hit me here was that his biological brothers didn't believe in Him. I'm reminded of Hebrews 4:14-16:
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Jesus knows what's it's like to be both disappointed by, and disappointing to, His family. It's such a source of comfort to me to know that He understands how I feel. If it weren't for Him I'd feel so alone. My family is SOO nuts. I love them and try to be a good daughter, and to a significantly less extent I try to be a good sister (because my 2 sisters are so messed up that to get too involved just makes me feel crazy and I can't do it. If God shows me something specific to do I'll do it but otherwise it's healthier for me to pray for them, help them sometimes and try to be in the moment and enjoy them at the time I'm with them when I visit, and otherwise to be separate from them).
Thank You Father that You understand what it's like to have an unhealty family that isn't able to be supportive. Thank You that I'm not alone in this life.
Second set of verses
21-24 Jesus said, "I did one miraculous thing a few months ago, and you're still standing around getting all upset, wondering what I'm up to. Moses prescribed circumcision—originally it came not from Moses but from his ancestors—and so you circumcise a man, dealing with one part of his body, even if it's the Sabbath. You do this in order to preserve one item in the Law of Moses. So why are you upset with me because I made a man's whole body well on the Sabbath? Don't be nitpickers; use your head—and heart!—to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right."
The first thing that hits me here is that Jesus is so clear with people. Then His words strike a chord in my heart! Don't be nitpickers; use your head—and heart!—to discern what is right, to test what is authentically right.
Oh Father, may I not get so caught up in the details that I miss the point! May my heart be tuned into You so that I can discern the right way to act in each situation throughout this day and then do what is right. Thank You for Your Holy Spirit living in me.
Third set of verses
37-39 On the final and climactic day of the Feast, Jesus took his stand. He cried out, "If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Rivers of living water will brim and spill out of the depths of anyone who believes in me this way, just as the Scripture says." (He said this in regard to the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were about to receive. The Spirit had not yet been given because Jesus had not yet been glorified.)
Jesus' words mean to me today that, because His Holy Spirit lives in my heart, it can be like streams of living water are spilling out of the depths of my soul.
Oh Lord, may I not get in the way of Your work in my life today. May I experience Your life brimming over and overflowing from me to those around me today. Thank you so much heavenly Father for all You've given me.
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