The Word and the Light

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it." -John 1:1-5



The Word of God, before it was written in the form as we know it, was spoken. Millions of years ago into the void of space, the first sound ever heard was made when it came out of the mouth of God- and that same sound still resonates within the heart of creation- the sound of "life". When God spoke, He did not just make noise. He created. His Word was alive, and when spoken, brought life to the universe. What an amazing concept to try and fathom!



All that is alive today has that same sound of life echoing within it. We all embody the creative sound and force of the Word of God. We are the result of His spoken Word. Though many do not realize it, and some have turned away from it, we must realize that the very essence of who we are is found in this pivotal moment of creation.



Interestingly, the very first thing God chose to create with this sound of life- His spoken Word- was "light", which this passage in John also identifies as "The Word". The Word of God, who we understand to be Jesus Christ, first created light, which is also represented as Jesus Christ. Now, I don't claim to be a theologian. I'm sure there are plenty of professors, students, and preachers who could better explain this passage of scripture in a more doctrinally-accurate way. But I do know that God can speak to even simple people like me through His Word, and this is what I believe He has spoken to me about this scripture.



Jesus Christ is the Word of God, spoken and in flesh. He is also the light of men. Have you ever been in a dark room and tried to listen to someone tell you which direction to go without being able to see? It is difficult to listen to a voice and follow it in the darkness. But when you combine sound and light, the direction you are supposed to go is much clearer. The Word of God is the creative force in our universe. It is the life that resonates within us all. It is what constantly draws us back to our Creator. The Word is telling us which way to go. But in the darkness, we stumble. It is hard to listen to that cry within us longing to be reunited with our source of life when we cannot see. God knew this. So the first thing He created was light.



When Jesus came and walked on this earth, He was both Word and Light in one. He was God- visible and audible. Never had there been such a powerful combination of the voice and light of God than when Jesus spent His 33 years teaching and serving. He made the path to God accessible to all mankind. You would think that all who heard and saw Him would have believed His message. But that was not the case.



"He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father full of grace and truth." -John 1:10-14



"Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand. In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: 'You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving. For this people's heart has become calloused; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them."

Matthew 13:13-15



So why, when for the first time the Word and the Light were combined to make the Truth clear, would people not recognize it? Why would they close their eyes to the light and not listen to the Word?



Have you ever been in a dark room and had the light suddenly turned on? What is your first reaction? To close your eyes! How about being in a large auditorium and experience high-frequency feedback. What do you do? Plug your ears! For so long creation had walked in darkness and not often heard the voice of the Lord. When Jesus came upon the scene, it had to have been as a burst of sound and light that blinded their vision and pierced their ears. And rather than allow their ears and eyes to adjust, they simply closed them to the life-giving truth that Jesus had to offer.



Now that Jesus no longer walks this earth, we have the Word of God in written form- the Bible. It is the complete and inherent Word of God. It documents the life of Jesus Christ and, although written, is still "God-breathed" with that same breath of life that created Adam. (2 Tim. 3:16) But after Jesus was taken up to heaven, the light was no longer visible on the earth. So once again, we have the voice of God calling out to His children, who are stumbling desperately in the darkness. So how does creation find its way back to the Creator without the light?



"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven." -Matthew 5:14-16



Jesus said that while He was in the world, He was the light of the world. But He gave us as Christians a command- to let our light shine. If Christ truly dwells within us and if His Word is guiding our lives, then His light will shine through us. The souls of mankind recognize the Word of God. The very life inside of them testifies to its truth. But they need the light.



So how do we continue the work that started at the very moment time began, when God combined Word and Light? We shout His Truth and shine His Light with every single breath we breathe! Every day, every moment, every heartbeat should resonate with the sound of life within us- the life that is found through Jesus Christ. Our lives should shine so brilliantly with the light of Christ that the darkness is shattered and the world can no longer cover their eyes to the truth of who God is. The hope of creation now lies within us.



The Word of God and the Light of men offer hope to all mankind. They go hand in hand. And we hold the amazing plan of God's redemption within us. What are you doing with it?



"...become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life..."

Philippians 2:15-16

The Promise of Restoration

I have been reading for the past few months in the book of Jeremiah, which is not necessarily a favorite of mine. So much of the book of Jeremiah is about destruction, judgement, disobedience, captivity, etc. that it is not a very uplifting portion of the Bible to read. It can actually be quite discouraging. As I was reading, about halfway through I had to ask the Lord, "Why in the world do you have me reading this? What does this all mean for me?" And then I saw it.

"The days are coming' declares the Lord, 'when I will bring my people back from captivity and restore them to the land I gave their forefathers to possess,' says the Lord."
"I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's tents and have compassion on his dwellings; the city will be rebuilt on her ruins, and the palace will stand in its proper place. From them will come songs of thanksgiving and the sound of rejoicing."
Jer, 30:3 and 18-19

As you read the book of Jeremiah, much of the writings are devoted to telling of the wrath and justice of God. After all, He is a righteous judge, and must act justly towards His disobedient children. But to me, the beauty of this book is in the moments interwoven with the punishment and justice where you see the heart of a Father shining through- the ultimate desire for restoration.

We, like the Israelites, are disobedient children. We wander from the truth God has plainly set before us, and because of that, we face calamity and destruction. The human race endures much pain and suffering simply because we choose to live by our own rules rather than the Word of God. And we, like the Israelites, have to endure the consequences of our disobedience and the disobedience of our ancestors. At times, we might look around us at all the destruction and ask the Lord, "Why in the world do you have me living in this? What does all this mean for me?" When all along, the Father's heart is yearning for one thing- restoration.

God longs to restore us to a relationship with Him. He does not desire for us to suffer. It is not His pleasure for us to face calamity or pain. His heart breaks for His children who are in captivity to sin. He does not delight in punishing the disobedient. It is simply a necessary part of the process to lead us toward His ultimate desire- restoring us to Him as His children. Whatever it takes to bring us back to God, that is what He will do. However far we must stray and however long we must suffer, He endures the agony of it all with the hope and promise of restoration. The Father loves us, and His love is always, always drawing us towards Himself.

After I came to this revelation, I continued reading the book of Jeremiah, anxiously looking for glimpses of the promise of restoration. Rather than focusing on the pain and destruction, I rejoiced at the heart of the Father to be in a restored relationship with His children. And in the midst of it all, I saw myself- an often disobedient and headstrong child who is constantly stubbing my toes and experiencing pain because I refuse to follow the path I know God has chosen for me. Yet there my Heavenly Father stands with arms open wide, whispering to me just as he did to His chosen people in Jeremiah;
"Return to me, my child. I will wipe away your tears and heal your heart. When you call upon me, I will hear you. And you will be restored."

Amazed

I sit in silence,
In wonder,
In amazement
Of what You have done.
I look out my window and see a world
That is tangible evidence of Your existence.
People wonder how I believe in You-
How could I not?
In a world full of so many chances,
Mistakes,
Confusion,
Your creation and Your plan
Seem to be the only thing with purpose.
The wind whispers Your love to me.
The sun shines with Your grace.
Each day proves the mercy You have
Upon my life.
And the breath that You give me
Every moment
Reminds me how much I need You.
I need Your love,
Your grace,
Your mercy,
Your breath,
For without You, who am I?
My heart cries out with gratitude
For what You have done in me.
I am so unworthy,
But You choose to love me
And give me what I could never obtain myself.
I am completely unworthy,
Yet undeniably blessed.
Utterly poor,
Yet eternally rich.
I am nothing,
Yet in You, I am everything
You created me to be.
And that,
Precious Lord,
That,
Is amazing.

Day 28- Simple Acts of Kindness

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:34-36

Kindness. It doesn't seem that hard. Love can be tough. Joy can be a struggle. Peace can be hard to find. Patience...well...doesn't come easy. But kindness just doesn't seem like it should be that difficult. Most of us would probably label ourselves as "kind". If we're nice enough to people and do good things for others on occasion, we're kind, right?

Kindness is defined: the quality of being warmhearted and considerate and humane and sympathetic.

We must remember, that we are not talking about these characteristics of the fruit of the Spirit in the way that the world sees them. The kindness talked about in Galatians 5 is not what the world labels as kindness. It is something different. Something supernatural. Something born of the Holy Spirit.

So how is the kindness characterized by a Spirit-led life different from that of the world? Look again at the passage from Matthew above. Jesus is talking about supernatural kindness. A compassion and sympathy for others. At one time or another we have probably provided food for someone who was hungry or offered a drink to someone who was thirsty. But what about inviting a stranger in? Clothing the naked? Tending to the sick? Visiting those in jail? Perhaps our kindness falls short of what it should if we are truly living by the Spirit.

Today I was driving down the road and saw an older man out riding a bicycle. He was wearing long pants and a long-sleeved shirt and it was about 85 degrees outside. I happened to be going to Sonic to get the girls and I something to drink. Typically, I drive past people like that, perhaps thinking sympathetic thoughts towards them, but never really doing anything. But today, God checked me. So I bought our drinks at Sonic and decided that if I drove back that way and saw him again I'd stop and offer him a drink. Fortunately, we were able to cross paths and I gave him my cherry-limeade. It wasn't much, but he was very appreciative.

As I drove away, God reminded me of the verse from Matthew and that what I did, though not necessarily a world-changing humanitarian deed, blessed Jesus as well. I have prayed and asked the Lord to make me more aware of opportunities to show kindness to others. Whether through material blessings or simply a kind word, I want to be available to be used by God. It may require sacrifice, but you never know what one drink offered in the name of Jesus could do for someone. Let's move past just being sorry for someone or sympathetic to the needs of others and let the kindness of our hearts motivate us to actually do something!

There may have been people that Jesus was addressing in that verse above that thought, "just because I didn't do anything doesn't mean I didn't care!" But doesn't it? If we really care, if we are really moved by someones need, won't we do something? True kindness gives way to acts of compassion. Not to mention, it opens the door to the Kingdom. So now...how are you doing with kindness?

More to come starting Monday...

Hey guys! If you have been following my blog, THANK YOU! I really appreciate all the positive feedback. It has been awesome to be able to share my heart and bless people at the same time. It means a lot to me to have you as a reader, and a friend!

I just wanted to let you know that I took a break from blogging this week. (Obviously, huh!?) We have had a lot going on and I didn't want to take away from minimal family time to blog. So I will be starting back up Monday with "Kindness". I actually have already been praying about kindness this week and letting the Holy Spirit work it in me and through me, but I will still do a full week starting Monday.

So in case you were wondering where my blogs were, I just wanted you to know they are coming! And thanks again for reading!

:) Heather

Day 25- Wait with the Word

Ok so I'm just going to be honest...I haven't been blogging this week because I haven't felt like I've done too great with the patience thing thus far. I have been praying for it. Believe me, I've been praying! And I've sensed the Holy Spirit with me. But it's been hard.

You see, this just happens to be the week where we've really started moving forward with adoption. I've been researching, praying, asking others, researching, praying, e-mailing, and praying some more and we finally felt like we had found the right agency, the right country, and the right timing. But since the process began it has been nothing but waiting. Waiting to hear back about this. Waiting to get an e-mail. Waiting to find something out. Waiting to get a phone call. Waiting, waiting, and more waiting.

It has been in these times of waiting that my impatience starts to rise. I don't want to wait. I want to know what's going to happen and how it's going to happen right now. I want to see the future, know the future and control the future. Okay, not really, but that is how we feel sometimes! It is hard waiting for the unknown. It tests our patience.

What I have discovered this week, though, is that my impatience is a reflection on how much I trust God. If I trust God's perfect timing and His perfect plan, then there is really no room for impatience because I understand that He is in control and working all things together for my good. When I get impatient and try to make things happen on my own, it is like I'm saying "Okay, God, your plan isn't quite working for me, so I'm gonna get things rolling myself since you can't seem to handle the job." Absurd, isn't it? But that's just what we do! Instead of trusting God and waiting for His timing, we take things into our own hands, and end up making a mess of things.

I know God has a plan for our adoption journey. I know He has seen the end from the beginning. And I most definitely want His will for this. Not mine. I want Him to choose the child that will be forever a part of our family, and our hearts. And if I try to make things happen myself rather than patiently wait on Him, I could miss out on what He truly wants for us.

Psalm 130 verse 5 says, "I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in His Word I put my hope." I think the second half of that verse is the key to being patient and waiting on the Lord. Putting our hope in His Word. If we can get it in our minds that His Word is true, never changing, and steadfast, why should we worry? Why be impatient? He promises us that He is in control, that He loves us, and that He is working things together for our good. We have to find our hope, our rest, our patience in His Word.

So that's what I'm choosing to do. I am choosing to wait. And while I wait, I am focusing on what I know to be true. God's Word. His wonderful, hope-filled Word.

Day 22- Patience Doesn't Come Easy

I don't like being patient. I don't like having to wait for what I want or think I need now. I don't enjoy the process of waiting. And, when I'm not living led by the Spirit, I usually don't wait.

I believe this is true for most of us (at least I hope it's not just me). We are an impatient people. We want what we want when we want it, which is usually now. And because of that, we often cause ourselves pain and stress trying to make something happen that is not meant to happen at the moment, or fretting over what should be happening. Why is it so hard to just wait???

We are born into the sinful nature. The sinful nature says "Me, me, me!" When we become Christians, we realize that life is not all about us, and that we are a part of a master plan created by God. But still, our flesh cries out, "What about me? What about what I want?" And so, when it is in God's plan for us to wait, our sinful nature stomps its little feet and throws a tantrum. We know we should be patient. But it's hard!

As I think about it, older people are much more patient than the younger generation. They have had to wait for things their whole lives. And perhaps they've realized that the good things God brings into your life are worth waiting for, and the things you don't get aren't worth having anyway. The Word tells us that our Heavenly Father wants to give "good gifts" to His children. But how many of us would give our children all their birthday presents the week before their birthday? The child may not understand why they can't have it all then, but we know that there's a greater purpose and a wonderful celebration ahead if they'll just wait.

The same is true for us. In times when we don't understand why we must wait on something, our Heavenly Father has our "gifts" already wrapped and ready for us, but He knows that there is a time and purpose for everything, and if we'll wait on Him, He will celebrate those gifts with us! What a good God we have to keep our best interest at heart in all He does for us.

Derick and I are in the early processes of adopting a child. It is a long and tedious process. We've just started, and I'm already having trouble being patient. But I am praying, "Lord, help me to trust your timing." If I can realize that God's plan for my life will come together piece by piece in His own perfect time, perhaps one day I will be able to silence this little tantrum-throwing sinful nature in my head as I wait on Him. I am trusting and believing God for His perfect time and the patience to wait for it!

"Yet the Lord longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all who wait for him!" Isaiah 30:18