It is day two, and I have already learned a couple dozen words and phrases that cause me to pause and look them up.
That makes me grin.
I remember a day when that would have caused me shame. A girl who has been in the church since the womb should know...what?...ALL things?!?! Ludicrous. Yet for years I have believed that lie.
I digress...
Our Triune God - God who is three in one. The Trinity.
Deep. Sigh.
This past Saturday I was reading ahead to Day 2's lesson here and I made it to the bottom of p.21 and then suddenly felt the Holy Spirit urged me to go back up the page and re-read "...He said, Let us make man in OUR image, after OUR likeness."..." {emphasis added by me}
Our image.
I have probably read that verse a thousand or more times...but this time something clicked...OUR.
That means that we were made in the image of the Holy Trinity - God...Jesus...and the Holy Spirit. Let that sink in for a minute. We have a bit of each of them in us and the power of the synergy created by all three. Suddenly I felt a little bit like Superman with a ball of power in his hand and beams shooting out of it....and placing that over someone....and that power seeping into them....restoring them. That is what I see for each of us.
I was made in their image.
Pick. Me. Off. The. Floor.
I suddenly want to treat my body a little bit better.
We each have the Trinity - individually and collectively - in us.
That is some powerful stuff.
Then I go back and re-read Romans 4 - it speaks of Abraham's faith and then it all explodes for me on 4:19 - faith does not refuse to face reality but looks beyond all difficulties to God and his promises.
I want the faith of Abraham.
Why?
Because I love you so Jesus....
and I want faith that is as deep as the love that I feel in my heart for you...
I don't want what others have...but what you have for me....
Is that it? Is it that we covet other's faith when what God is calling us to is an individual...a personal....faith - one built on the walk he has given us and the relationship he has/is cultivating with us. So in some respects my faith will look different than each of yours...no less true...just different?!?!
...and isn't that the gift of the technology most who read this will be accessing??? An app that allows each of us to express our faith and walk on the most individual of levels as we wrestle with creeds and verses and simply asking ourselves the basic question of Why? What IF? Then what?
For three years Jesus walked with the disciples teaching and preaching - he literally walked it out with them. He used story and imagery. He was personal, intentional, and loving. We have the opportunity every day to walk out the love of Jesus with people through story and imagery. To be personal, intentional, and loving.
To come to know Jesus is to engage that ball of power placed in us when we were made....instantly things are clicking into place. It is the feeling of coming home and being home and knowing home all wrapped up in one.
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| Rainbow in Haiti, October 2014 |
Every day we have that power...the power of the promise. God invites us to be a part of his heavenly court. We have a role. We belong. We are his beloved.
He is our one God.
...and we are his.
There is richness in knowing and believing that to be true in our lives.
John 17:21 "...Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one; I in them and you in me...."
If you would like to study with IF - I Believe, The Nicene Creed - you can learn more by going to www.ifequip.com or www.ifgatheringapp.com and you can order a study (though you don't need it) at IF Gathering Shoppe.
Sunshine Dreams to You ~ Today and Every Day! :) Labels: Genesis, I Believe - The Nicene Creed, IF, IF:Equip, IF:Gathering, IF:Gathering App, ifgatheringapp, Romans, Superman
