God Reaches Out To Us - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:13a,

“I write to you, fathers, because you have known him who is from the beginning.”

In a poetic chant declaring why he writes to them, the apostle John enumerates the many wonderful things we believers have in Jesus Christ. In this verse he says he writes because the fathers have known him "who is from the beginning".

One of the aspects of God that I take for granted way too often is that God has made himself knowable. As opposed to keeping himself shrouded from sinful and rebellious mankind, our righteous God of perfection has revealed himself to us in many ways.

The apostle Paul notes that God is knowable through the creation around us, “…what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.” Romans 1:19-20.

Beyond this, God has taken steps to reveal himself to us in special ways. The writer of Hebrews observes, “In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe.” Hebrews 1:1-2.

In making himself knowable to us, he reaches well beyond just providing us information. He invites us to know him! He reaches out to us that we might find him and receive the wonderful gift of eternal life through knowing him.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-29. Even to the rebellious, to those who refuse to come to him that he invites, “Isaiah boldly says, ‘I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.’ But concerning Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.’” Romans 10:20-21.

There is something tremendously wonderful about a Creator who reaches out to his creation after they have spurned, rejected, rebelled and sinned against him! In spite of our sin he loves us, wants us to know him, wants us to take hold of the life he offers us so graciously.

What a God this is!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Believers Have All They Need From God - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:12-14,

I write to you, dear children,
      because your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.
I write to you, fathers,
      because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
      because you have overcome the evil one.
I write to you, dear children,
      because you have known the Father.
I write to you, fathers,
      because you have known him who is from the beginning.
I write to you, young men,
      because you are strong,
      and the word of God lives in you,
      and you have overcome the evil one.

Here, cast in a poetic rhythm of thought, John gives his readers a set of two triplets of encouragement. “Dear children”, “fathers” and “young men” are thought by many commentators to address believers of either gender, the “fathers” and “young men” being a distinction between the spiritually mature and newer believers, the “dear children” referencing the fellowship as a whole.

The important aspect of this passage for me is that, as these false teachers were attempting to draw followers after themselves from within the ranks of the fellowship of believers, John encourages them with the reality that they have no need of anything anyone else might have to offer. Just look at what John tells them:

“Your sins have been forgiven on account of his name.”
“You have known him who is from the beginning.”
“You have overcome the evil one.”
“You have known the Father.”
“You are strong.”
“The word of God lives in you.”

What “special knowledge” might these false teachers have that any believer would need, who already possesses these wonderful things John mentions? So it is with us today!

Just look at what our loving heavenly Provider has bestowed on us!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Jesus Christ Is The Light Of The World! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:9-11,

“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.”

This world we live in is a lost and fallen world following Adam and Eve’s rebellion against God in the Garden of Eden. After sinning against God, mankind was driven from the environment God had created for them.

Lost, fallen, and now estranged from God, they faced mortality as they lived out their lives in this cursed world. Where mankind was originally created in God’s image to enjoy God's fellowship, his life and the quality of existence of his life was considerably reduced.

Now mankind labors under the fog of a sinful nature in his lost and estranged existence from God – often refusing to even acknowledge the presence and reality of the God who created them. Scripture often refers to this as “darkness”.

But a piercing brilliance of light has come and invaded this darkness. As Isaiah prophesied twenty eight hundred years ago, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2.

John tell us, “In him [Jesus Christ] was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it.” John 1:4-5. In verse 9 he says, “The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” Jesus said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12. And, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.” John 12:46.

Because Jesus Christ burst forth in the darkness of this lost world as a piercing light, John tells us those who have embraced him, those who have become God’s children, now reflect that light in their lives as it is manifested through love.

Just how wonderful is that?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Eternal Life: A Wonderful Quality Of Life! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:9-11,

“Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness. Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble. But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him.”

As we are born into God’s family, we receive what the Scriptures call “eternal life”, see verse 25. It is called “eternal” as a reference to time. We will live forever with God and one another in his kingdom.

But many commentators point out there is a fuller understanding in the Scriptures as to what is represented in this term “eternal life”. Since we know that those who do not embrace Jesus Christ in faith will suffer an eternity apart from God, they live forever as well.

For the believer, “eternal life” speaks to a quality of life, as well as duration of life. A life of joy with our Creator in the resurrection, deliverance from suffering, pain and death, no sorrow, sharing in the inheritance of Jesus Christ together with him. There are many wonderful things to understand as we speak of eternal life.

In 1 John 2:9-11, John speaks of one great aspect of the eternal life we now possess. We no longer walk around in “darkness”. We have been quickened to spiritual things and now begin to recognize spiritual realities that we had not been able to comprehend before. We begin to live “in the light” of a newly acquired perception. We begin to see the things we used to stumble over - things we never saw before.

Additionally, one sure aspect of eternal life that John points to, is that if we live in the light, we love our brothers and sisters in the Lord.

With our new life in Jesus Christ we now have new spiritual acuity, new dimensions of perception and insight. Paul calls this becoming a “new creation” in 2 Corinthians 5:17.

How wonderful our God provides us this!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

Jesus Christ: The Light Of The World - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in 1 John 2:8,

“I am writing you a new command; its truth is seen in him and you, because the darkness is passing and the true light is already shining.”

The old command was to love. The new command John speaks of is to love, but with a newness: light. John tells us, “… the true light is already shining.” In looking ahead to the coming Messiah, Isaiah prophesied, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” Isaiah 9:2.

John, in speaking of Jesus Christ, tells us in his gospel, “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. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He [John the Baptist] came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.” John 1:4-9.

As Jesus told Nicodemus, “This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.” John 3:19-21.

In John 8:12 we read, “When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” And in John 9:5 Jesus tells us, “While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” Jesus also tells us in John 12:46, “I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.”

One work of God in each of our lives is that Jesus Christ becomes light for us when we embrace him in faith. In addition to being the light we come to as our Savior and our God, he does not leave us in spiritual darkness and confusion: our loving God brings illumination to each of us! As the Holy Spirit dwells within each of us he illuminates the Scriptures to us. We begin to become spiritually quickened as we see things around us in a new light… the light of Jesus Christ.

It is Jesus Christ who brings us wisdom. It is Jesus Christ who brings us understanding. It is Jesus Christ who brings us discernment. It is Jesus Christ who brings us a new way of viewing the things of our lives more accurately and decisively! He becomes the light to our path, he shows us the way!

Our Savior Jesus Christ is truly “the light of the world”!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.