Shadows and Substance

This morning I was blessed to spend some much needed time in the Word. You see, I haven't been super consistent when it comes to spending time with Jesus which is just not okay because He should be my everything. Anyways, this morning I spent that much needed time with Him and I thought I would share what He showed me.

I read in Jude, and to be honest it was because I didn't have a place where I was really reading in (due to the lack of consistency) but when I asked The Lord this morning to show me what He wants me to hear He was definitely faithful to do it!! 

The first part of Jude talks about being on guard for people who are in the church that are not teaching the truth. Then the last part is a charge for people in the church who are striving after The Lord. 

Verses 20 and 21 are as follows: 

"But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life." 

These sweet, encouraging verses are extremely convicting to me this morning. It's Christmas time and we are so anxious to receive gifts or even anxious to see family we do not normally get to spend an extended amount of time with, but how often are we so anxious for the great merciful gift that Jesus Christ would let us experience eternal life?? How many times do I even THINK about this gift, much less am ANXIOUS for it? Ridiculous. We all know the whole point of Christmas is not gifts, but sometimes we may think it is all about love and getting to spend time with family. This is not the point! The point is CHRIST! He came down to earth that we might be saved to live forever with Him, worshipping Him with extreme joy. I just don't know how often I am anxious for this to happen. I get so caught up in even the good things in life like spending time with family or loved ones. 

The point is Christ. The point is that we need to be anxiously awaiting His return. The point is He is the only way we can ever have hope for salvation. The point is He is worthy to be praise and glorified. I pray we will all remember this as the Christmas season is in full force. Do not confuse the shadow for the substance. 

Poem for MommaAnn

Tall, Tall Green Tree

“Look up and see”, she said.

“See the tall, tall green tree”, she said.

We three little pups looked up to see,

What a beautiful tree it was indeed.

“Take a picture”, she said.

“Take a picture in your sweet little minds”, she said.

We three little pups took a picture.

We took a picture in our minds.

“If you really try to”, she said.

“If you really try to, you will always remember that picture”, she said.

We three little pups really remembered,

Remembered the tall, tall green tree in front of the bluest sky.

“I’m going to see Jesus”, she said.

“One day I am going to see Jesus, will you come with me?” she said.

Now we three little pups are going to see Jesus.

But we are now going to see her too.

“Look for me”, she said.

“Look for me in the flower, in the bluest sky and in sunshine”, she said.

We three little pups still see her in the prettiest flower,

The bluest sky, and the brightest sunshine.

Because we know she will always be with us in some way,

In a song,

In laughter,

In playfulness,

In a smile,

In generosity,

In the color yellow,

In a tall green tree,

In the bluest sky,

In the prettiest flower.

Healing the sick, sinful, and guilty

I am currently reading through the Bible this year (as probably a lot of you out there are doing too) and it is seriously crazy good. Something I have been trying to do is see Jesus in everything I read...Old Testament and all. Let's just say, He's everywhere. Literally. 

So while reading in Genesis this past week I read that Isaac was old and thought he was dying so he asked his eldest son, Esau, to go out, hunt some game and cook his favorite meal before he died and then he would bless Esau. Rebekah overheard her husband saying all these things and told her son Jacob to go out to the flock, get a goat, and she would cook it for Isaac so that Jacob would receive the blessing and not Esau. They put together this elaborate scheme to deceive Isaac which included putting on fur on his hands so he would be mistaken as being hairy like his brother Esau. The plan worked. Isaac blessed Jacob saying he would be very great. People would serve him, and nations bow down to him. He would be lord over his brothers. He even went so far as to say "cursed be everyone who curses you, and blessed be everyone who blesses you!"

It doesn't take a genius to guess what happened next....Esau came back from hunting and cooked his father a delicious meal. He went into where his father was and expected to get a blessing in return. Which would've been great....except that Isaac had just blessed Jacob. Bummer Esau...

Ok, I have heard this story so many times growing up...I guess I was just caught up in the fur or something but it has never hit me like this before. I was trying to put myself into Jacob's shoes. The guilt I would feel during the deception and after it would have been so great. But God knew what was going on!! And it fact, it was in His plan all along for that to happen. He knew that JESUS was in the lineage of JACOB, not Esau. I need to remember that His plan will NOT be thwarted. Not even when we sin and deceive...or even have guilt about what we did. He is BIGGER than our sin, BIGGER than our deception, BIGGER that our guilt! 

This story is such a beautiful picture of grace and salvation. Sometimes all we can think about is doing what our sinfulness is screaming out for us to do. God still works through it. Always. However, this doesn't mean we should continue in our sinful ways (Romans 6:1)..it simply means that He SAVES the SINNERS! He came to HEAL the SICK! 

As a last side note, I wanted to point out that in Isaac's blessing he told Jacob nations would bow down to him. Now I'm no expert commentator, but I can't help but remember the verse in Romans 14:11 that says from every tribe and nation every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is LORD. The blessing is a foreshadow of Jesus to come in his line! Now that's providence people...