Highlighting God's Presence to Inspire Your Life!
I could be wrong, but my guess is that most of us would say it is more difficult to receive help from others. Have you ever thought that sometimes God orchestrates events in our lives where we have no choice but to be on the receiving end of help? After all, God works everything out for our good, right?
Let’s explore the story of Saul’s conversion and see what we can learn from it. Continue reading “HELP FROM OTHERS”
This Easter season, I have been mindful of Jesus’ glorified body after He rose from the dead. It is something I never took time to reflect on, but it is a subject I find fascinating.
We know that three days after Jesus’ death, he rose from the dead on that first Easter morning. During the next forty days, the Risen Jesus appeared to different people before He ascended into heaven. Jesus, in His glorified, resurrected body, appeared to Mary Magdalene, the eleven of His disciples, the two disciples on the road to Emmaus, and Thomas, among others.
It is exciting to see how different details in the Scriptures can stand out for us each time we read them. I believe it does prove this truth:
For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. –Hebrews 4:12 (NIV)
God’s word is still relevant, even though some of it was written down more than 2000 years ago. Despite the world we live in today being so different from when Jesus walked this earth, God’s word is still applicable!
A detail I missed that was in one of the Scripture stories from last week’s reflection is something from this verse:
But Peter rose and ran to the tomb; stooping and looking in, he saw the linen cloths by themselves; and he went home marveling at what had happened. –Luke 24:12 (ESV)
I find it interesting that we are given the detail that “Peter went home marveling at what had happened.” He saw the proof with his own eyes that Jesus’ tomb was empty, and Peter went home marveling over it! Jesus had risen from the dead, and Peter, along with the other disciples, would see Jesus in His glorified state at different times over the course of the next forty days.
A Google definition of marvel is: “To be filled with wonder or astonishment.”
A Biblical definition of marvel is: “A person’s reaction to a supernatural act of God.”
Photo courtesy of Martin LaBar under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)
Who and what other Scriptures share stories about people marveling at different things?
Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. –Luke 2:25-33 (ESV)
The Holy Spirit revealed to Simeon that before he died, he would see the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. When Mary’s time of purification came, forty days after giving birth to Jesus, Mary and Joseph brought Him to the temple in Jerusalem. The Spirit enlightened Simeon to know when Jesus was consecrated to God at the temple. He knew Jesus was going to save both the Israelites and the Gentiles. Mary and Joseph marveled at Simeon’s words, which gave them confirmation of the significance of Jesus, who was entrusted to them.
“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him. And he began to say to them, “Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.” And all spoke well of him and marveled at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they said, “Is not this Joseph’s son?” –Luke 4:18-22 (ESV)
Shortly after Jesus’ public ministry began, He was preaching in Nazareth, the city He grew up in. He unrolled the scroll and read the first part of the passage above which was from the book of Isaiah, revealing who He was. Those in the synagogue knew that Jesus was the son of Joseph, a carpenter, whom they did not think held much wisdom or importance. They marveled that Jesus was speaking words of God’s grace as He revealed that God’s Spirit was upon Him.
One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. 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 calm. He said to them, “Where is your faith?” 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 8:22-25 (ESV)
The disciples spent much time with Jesus as He taught them, and they saw the many miracles Jesus did. Even with that first-hand knowledge, they became scared when a storm arose on the Sea of Galilee. They awoke Jesus to let Him know they were going to die. Jesus rebuked the sea and calmed the storm. The disciples were surprised to see how even the wind and storms were under Jesus’ control. Despite being afraid, they marveled at Jesus’ power.
Photo courtesy of Martin LaBar under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)
He went away from there and came to his hometown, and his disciples followed him. And on the Sabbath he began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard him were astonished, saying, “Where did this man get these things? What is the wisdom given to him? How are such mighty works done by his hands? Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and Judas and Simon? And are not his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. And Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor, except in his hometown and among his relatives and in his own household.” And he could do no mighty work there, except that he laid his hands on a few sick people and healed them. And he marveled because of their unbelief. And he went about among the villages teaching. –Mark 6:1-6 (ESV)
Jesus returned to Nazareth and began teaching in the synagogue. The people marveled at the wisdom Jesus shared and the mighty deeds He was doing. Sadly, the people questioned if a carpenter’s son could truly do the supernatural things they saw. Because of their lack of faith, Jesus had to leave the area. Jesus marveled at their lack of faith and moved on from Nazareth.
Once, when Jesus entered Capernaum, there was a centurion’s servant who was sick and about to die. The centurion knew of Jesus and asked some elders to summon Jesus to heal his servant.
And Jesus went with them. When he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends, saying to him, “Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof. Therefore I did not presume to come to you. But say the word, and let my servant be healed. For I too am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me: and I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come,’ and he comes; and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” When Jesus heard these things, he marveled at him, and turning to the crowd that followed him, said, “I tell you, not even in Israel have I found such faith.” –Luke 7:6-9 (ESV)
The centurion showed genuine concern for his servant. He also displayed great faith, knowing that Jesus did not need to be physically present to heal his servant. Jesus marveled at his faith and even stated that He did not know of any person in Israel who had such faith. What an example the centurion gave us!
A friend was excited to share a story. He read in a church bulletin about the need to visit homebound people. He felt an inkling God was calling him to do it, but he told the Lord he didn’t want to do it for a few reasons. As he went about his chores, the Lord kept prompting him to go look at the bulletin again, impressing upon him to step out and call about this need. He finally said, “Yes, Lord.” When he connected with the man he was assigned to, he marveled at God’s divine encounter. They discovered they grew up in the same town, about ninety minutes away! They attended the same school being a year apart and were in the Army at the same time reporting to the same colonel.
With my friend saying yes to the Lord, he was stepping out in faith, knowing God was working in his life. We both marveled at God bringing them together after all those years. When we are open to the Spirit, we can’t help but marvel at what happens! Be encouraged to step out in faith.
Photo courtesy of Martin LaBar under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC 2.0)
REFLECTION:
How do you marvel at Jesus working in your life?
Does your faith make Jesus marvel?
Lord, you are my God; I will exalt you and praise your name, for you have done marvelous things, plans made long ago in faithfulness and truth. –Isaiah 25:1 (ISV)
The resurrection of Jesus three days after His crucifixion is the pinnacle of our faith! In the last few years, I have come to realize even more the sacredness of the resurrection. Living in the time we do, we have the advantage of the bigger picture to help our understanding of the saving power of Jesus.
The Bible and historical documents provide us with eyewitnesses who saw Jesus being put to death on a cross and being buried and wrote these things down. Jesus is the only person in all of history who has risen from the dead three days later. Eyewitnesses, including the disciples and some women like Mary Magdalene, shared time with the Risen Jesus for another fifty days after they found the tomb empty! It was then that Jesus ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God, His and our Father. Isn’t it incredible to reflect on that giving your faith a big boost? Continue reading “RESURRECTION”
One of my favorite Scripture passages is about Jesus washing the feet of His disciples at the Last Supper. It is only shared in John’s Gospel, and his is the only one that does not chronicle the other events of the Last Supper. Something I had not seen before caught my attention this year.
It was just before the Passover Festival. Jesus knew that the hour had come for him to leave this world and go to the Father. Having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. The evening meal was in progress, and the devil had already prompted Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, are you going to wash my feet?” Jesus replied, “You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand.” “No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” “Then, Lord,” Simon Peter replied, “not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!” Jesus answered, “Those who have had a bath need only to wash their feet; their whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you.” For he knew who was going to betray him, and that was why he said not every one was clean.
When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them. “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am. Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. –John 13:1-17 (NIV)
Photo courtesy 0f Church Iglesia under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)
Whenever a worship service has a foot washing event, I always want to participate in it. I know people usually do not prefer participating in foot washing. I find it an honor to put myself in Jesus’ presence as a disciple and visualize Him serving me personally because of His great love for me.
I never considered the reason “to symbolize our need for a spiritual cleansing” with Jesus’ response to Peter, saying, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.” I believe Jesus’ words go beyond the external washing of the disciples’ feet; I believe there is a spiritual cleansing symbolism. This comes from the cleansing in the waters of baptism as well as the cleansing of Jesus’ blood that He shed for us on that first Good Friday. Ultimately, Peter, just like us, needs both spiritual cleansings from Jesus.
This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. –1 John 5:6 (NIV)
Jesus knew at the foot washing that His time to walk in obedience to God’s plan of salvation for the world through His death on a cross was quickly approaching. He was preparing His disciples for life without Him and teaching them to carry out the mission He began. A spiritual cleansing was necessary in their ministry, just as Jesus experienced. Jesus’ public ministry began with John, His cousin, baptizing Him in the Jordan River and ended with His crucifixion on the cross, when He shed His blood.
Photo courtesy of Church Iglesia under Creative Commons License (CC BY 2.0)
Let’s look at the ending of the original Scripture passage:
Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet. I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.
Jesus was calling His disciples and us, too, to go forth and follow His example of washing others’ feet. That is why Jesus gave us the example and told us we, too, would be blessed if we walk in obedience.
As God works in our lives, I “happened” to pen these thoughts before going to a foot washing event in the evening. It has always bothered me that people usually only wash one foot instead of both. When I participated in the event last year, I felt like it wasn’t complete with only one foot. We know Jesus definitely washed both of His disciples’ feet. This year I found myself slipping both feet in the bowl when it was my turn. It was a sacred encounter when, while washing my feet, the person looked into my eyes and smiled. I saw Jesus’ love for me in his eyes. The person then cupped his hands around my feet as he wrapped the towel around them and kissed one foot. I experienced Jesus’ love embracing me through the holding of my feet. I felt complete and immersed in oneness with the Lord as I closed my eyes and listened to the beautiful music that was being sung. It was a sacred moment with the Lord.
Photo courtesy of Stephen Ludwig under Creative Commons License (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
A woman in that town who lived a sinful life learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, so she came there with an alabaster jar of perfume. As she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them. –Luke 7:37-38 (NIV)
It is with great joy that I share with you that my second book, God’s Love Illuminated: Treasured Thoughts to Inspire Walking in God’s Abundant Love, received the Henri Award at the Christian Literary Awards in Arlington, Texas, on March 18, 2023 from Joy and Company. The Henri Award is chosen by a panel of judges who are given the task of reading the books in a certain category and voting on the one they feel is most deserving. The judges can be from different parts of the USA. God’s Love Illuminated was in the Non-Fiction: Victorious Living category.
God’s Love Illuminated
Henri Award recipient
Non-Fiction: Victorious Living category
What a wonderful journey God has orchestrated in my life since He put people in my path that led to the beginning of my website 8½ years ago, which has given birth to a trinity of books in three years. I am in awe of Him, especially as it was never anything I planned to do. Continue reading “JOYOUS ONENESS”
A friend shared an encouraging story that made me be in awe of God’s goodness once again. I hope that by my sharing it, you will also be inspired. I see it as a beautiful story of restoration and God’s faithfulness in providing.
What does restoration mean? Dictionary.com defines it as “a return of something to a former, original, normal, or unimpaired condition.” Restoration makes something new again, possibly even better than it was before. We see in Scripture several stories about restoration. Sometimes the restoration is in physical ways in our bodies, and sometimes it is in our spirits that get filled with joy or peace again when they have been lacking. Restoration can occur with inanimate objects like our houses or with relationships in our lives. Continue reading “RESTORATION”
A friend shared a quote with me, saying I could probably write about it. Challenge accepted. 🙂
Let’s break down the quote to better reflect on it and see how we can apply its truths in our lives. Continue reading “JOYFUL APPRECIATION”
God brought a new spiritual friend into my life through His divine orchestration. I was at a church event where we watched a video, had table discussions, and had a time of communal prayer. The leader mentioned there was a gentleman at his table who would be returning to Florida, where he lives. During the prayer time, I heard the man from Florida share a prayer request. It was then that I had the inkling to share a book of mine with him at the end. He was busy talking with two or three people, so I was just going to leave. That was until the lady next to me at my table said, “Did you bring your book to give to someone specific or just in case you needed one?” I replied, “Well, thanks for asking; it was just in case, and at prayer time, I felt I was supposed to give it to the man from Florida. Thanks for inspiring me to follow up on that inkling.” Continue reading “STRANGER BLESSINGS”
I never get tired of witnessing God’s goodness with the inklings He provides. So many blessings occur each time. During a conversation with a friend, I got the feeling I was supposed to attend a special service at church that night. A while ago I had given my second book to a man that was there, so I asked him if he was interested in my latest, God’s Compassion Illuminated. He was excited to have it, saying he enjoys reading my reflections. Continue reading “ONE BITE AT A TIME”