Glory Divine... Perspective.

(Some thoughts on Phil. 2 and Isaiah 52 and 53)

  Jesus, Glory Divine. God became a man.

Whoa. That just messes me up. It baffles me beyond explanation.

               God became flesh. The Word became flesh.

What?!?! What other god would do that? None. But God did. He lowered Himself to the point of no reputation. He was a baby. A baby!! His mother laid Him in a manger, a simple feeding trough. The majestic King of Kings slept in a place where animals ate.

       You who were rich became poor. He gave it all away to become a man that which He created.

He had no beauty, no majesty. He was just like any other man, just an average kind of guy. There was nothing in His appearance that would attract us to Him. He being the very nature of God did not assume equality with God, but made Himself nothing.

             Becoming the very image of a servant—The Servant of all!

He humbled himself. He came to serve. And He was obedient, obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross. He took on the law and became a curse. Carrying our sins, our transgressions, all our filth and ugliness, He took on the wrath of God so that we would be forgiven. He was the perfect guilt offering. He offered Himself in obedience like a lamb lead to the slaughter and became the fragrant sacrifice.

              It was the joy set before Him, the very day of gladness in His heart. He carried our sorrows with all fullness of joy.

They beat Him and mocked Him. It was our sin that marred Him. He was crushed for our iniquities. His appearance was so disfigured, it was beyond that of any man. That’s what our sin did to Him, but He took it on in obedience to the Father with joy in His heart to do so. He gave away His beauty, taking on our punishment in its place. He did it without complaint. He could have proved His power, but he kept his mouth shut. It was the Lords will to crush Him and cause Him to suffer, and through the Lord make His life a guilt offering. For He bore the sins of many and made intercession for transgressors. He obeyed His Father and showed us the true meaning of love. As a servant He acted wisely.

               Therefore God will exalt Him to the highest place and give Him the name above every name.

God raised Him and lifted Him up. God made Him highly exalted. That at His name, the name of Jesus every knee shall bow in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He did it all for the glory of the Father.  So He will sprinkle many nations.

      It just gets me. It sets something going inside of me that I simply cannot contain. I literally feel like I’m going to burst with love—that He did this for me, that He did this for love. He knew then and He knows now how weak I am. He knows my weakness so well. He knows I’m needy but He chose to do all that anyway. He chose to love me anyway.

     That was merely the proposal, His betrothal to His bride. And though it amazes and astounds me, I said yes to Him. Because there is no greater love. When I think about Him on that cross with His arms stretched out worshipping His Father, I think about how He loves. He was proclaiming His love without even saying a word. With arms open wide He called out in silence, “I love YOU this much—and more!” This act is by no means small, it’s huge. It was an invitation.

                                       He gave all of Himself.

     He sacrificed Himself for our purity, for our sanctification. He did it to save us, to redeem us. He gave up His life so that we could be with Him in paradise. He was saying, “Come. Follow me. Come to my Father’s house. Come be my bride, forever.” He was telling us He loves us, but more than telling He was showing us. He gave everything, EVERYTHING, away for us. And He’s waiting. Patiently He waits for us to say yes. To come and marry Him. He’s waiting for us to lay down our lives the way He did His, to give up everything and follow Him. He gave everything for love. How can we not do the same? Tell me, how?

     He loves so well. He waits so patiently, continually interceding, always pouring out mercy. He’s so humble. He only asks one thing of us—our heart. I don’t know about you but when I think about all He did, it moves me. I am moved by so great a love. If He wants my heart He can have it. I give it to Him freely. He can have all of me. I want Him to come and wash my feet so I can learn from His humility and so that I can be with Him. I just want to be fully in love.

     Oh and here’s some food for thought…

In no other religion, in no other god will you find such compassion, such love and mercy. It is only found in the One true living God, the maker of heaven and earth. Only God who created the world would be willing to send His son as a sacrifice to save it. Only God the Son would be so obedient to the point of death to reconcile us to the Father that we may know how much He loves. The gods of wood and stone can’t do that. Knowledge can’t do that. Nothing can do that. Only God can do that. And He did it so scripture would be fulfilled. He did it for His glory.

Amen.

The Growing Season: A Lovely Journey

           The Growing Season: A Lovely Journey

     This year has been huge. Huge. I’ve grown a lot. A whole lot. I won’t say I’ve grown up, but rather I’ve grown in. I know I still I have a lot of growing up to do. And I think when someone goes around proclaiming they’ve grown up (ie -I’m grown up so treat me like I am), that shows how much you aren’t grown up. Actions speak volumes louder than words. It’s true. Need I spell out the work of the cross for you? That’s the loudest declaration of love I’ve ever heard He didn’t use words, ‘…for he was lead like a lamb to the slaughter.’

     Now. Where was I? Oh, yes…

     Growing in, or growing into. You know how when you were little and you would get a new coat for the winter, though in many cases it was only new to you because it had previously belonged to big sister or big brother? The coat usually didn’t fit, it was too big or too baggy, right? And mom always said, “Oh, you’ll grow into it.” But often times it never really did fit properly. Anyways that’s what I mean by growing in. I’ve been wearing coats that didn’t fit right, mostly because they didn’t belong to me. But now I think I found one that fit.

     Ok. Ok. I didn’t literally grow in to a coat this year. I grew into or rather am growing into who I am. What do you mean by growing into who you are, you might ask. Well, it is exactly how it sounds. I am growing into who God created me to be—ME.  No more false pretenses and no more pretending to be someone I’m not in order to fit the mold of today’s standards. He made me unique. I am and was a creative dream in His heart. God has a plan, a purpose, a destiny for me. And I’m beginning –finally—to walk in that.

     I wasn’t who I am (if that makes since) for a long time. I was scared to be me. I see things differently and have been ridiculed for it and never told that it was ok. I thought that because I’m different it must be wrong. I look at something and I see a story around how it came to be. I see what no else dares or cares to see. And I know now there is nothing wrong with that. Nothing at all. BECAUSE that’s exactly how He wanted me to be, for reasons unbeknownst to me but I look forward to discovering.

     I have a story that was perfectly written, though at the same time is still in the process of being written. My story is my own, and I’m the heroine of it. But it is connected to a whole network of stories all entwined together to one story in particular (A very wise and good friend told me this). I think you know what story I speak of… but just in case, I am referring Jesus. Oh and hey if you’re reading this, then my story and yours is probably somehow connected, just a thought.

     As my story is written out—before I was even born, God decided who I would become and where I would go. He said, “She’ll face those difficulties and hardships, not to make her stronger, but so she’ll understand.” Firstly to understand, in my weakness I am strong. Secondly, so that I would understand brokenness in order to help and love those who are broken. He allowed me sorrow and suffering, to set me free and bring me joy, all for His glory. He gave me beauty, well because that’s just what He does.

   Is. 61 – “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted… to bestow them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil gladness instead of morning, and a garment of praise instead of despair.”

     When I was little, like Amy Carmichael, I wanted blue eyes. I also wanted to be tan, blonde, and thin like all the pretty little girls. Although I can color my hair blonde, for a time anyway, my eyes still aren’t blue, I’m paler than a snowman and some days I don’t look the way I want to but I can say with confidence that I am one of the pretty girls. I don’t know why I was born with dark hair; perhaps I’ll be sent to a nation where I’ll need it to blend in with the natives. My eyes are sort of olive green, sometimes hazel brown. They change colors. I know why my eyes are the color they are, but that’s between me and God.

     So since I lead you on this journey and we are nearing the end, I suppose you’ll want to know who it is exactly that I am growing in to be. I don’t know. I haven’t the slightest clue, ok maybe I do but the big picture is still a ways off in the distance. And that’s fine with me. It’s a process. I’m still learning and growing, after all.

     The journey is long, the path is narrow. Not many can travel it. But I’ve made up my mind to take this path and see it through to the end, because at times I don’t really know where it is I belong or who I am, yet here on this journey I know it’s where I’m meant to be and I’ll become who I am. There are rough days, for sure and those days I must say are more than a few. It’s those days where I learn the true meaning of dark yet lovely, weak yet sincere. It’s all learning and leaning. I know when I reach the journeys end I’ll find my way home to my beloved. I’ll be with Jesus, and we’ll look back over how far I came and I’ll tell him it was all worth it.

     I know the end of the story, though I’m still making my way through it. That’s why even now I can call it a lovely journey amidst my growing.

~dark.yet.lovely.~