ODJ: startled
November 27, 2009
READ: Isaiah 52:13-15
From His appearance, one would scarcely know He was a man (v.14).
No matter which country you visit, when places of power come into view, you generally find what you would expect: foreboding architecture, opulent surroundings, symbols of strength and prowess. Whether it’s the Kremlin, the Pentagon, or Red Square, governments exert massive expense and energy to send the visible message that they are powerful and ought to be feared. It’s the same for those who hold positions of power. Rarely do we see a leader on the world’s stage appearing disheveled or out of control. Image is power says common wisdom.
Into this reality (which was no less true in AD 30 than in AD 2009), entered Jesus: the carpenter, the man from the backwater town of Nazareth, the one who would come to be known as the suffering Servant (Isaiah 52). There was absolutely nothing about Jesus’ family connections, educational pedigree, or life station that commanded respect or projected the image of worldly power.
No wonder, then, that the prophet Isaiah tells us that Jesus would “startle many nations” (v.15). The nations of the world (and their leaders) would be flabbergasted at the prospect of such an unassuming, unbecoming man holding any claim to be the King of kings. It makes sense that the mighty and the powerful would “stand speechless in His presence” (v.15).
I’ve come to believe that God’s movement in His world will most always startle us. We see so little. We understand so little. Truthfully, we hope for so little. We are so little. We need a God larger than ourselves, far larger than what we could imagine. A God who will come and redeem us in ways we could never have dreamed.
But herein lies our true hope. When God comes to us in His way, we “understand what [we] had not [even] heard about” (v.15). —Winn Collier
How has God startled you? Where is God overturning what you expect (or even demand)?
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Loading ...ODB: loved well
November 27, 2009
READ: Ephesians 3:14-21
That you . . . may be able to comprehend . . . what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ. —Ephesians 3:17-19
We were gathered with family for Thanksgiving dinner when someone asked if each person would share what he or she was thankful for. One by one we talked. Three-year-old Joshua was thankful for “music,” and Nathan, aged 4, for “horses.” We were all silenced, though, when Stephen (who was soon to turn 5) answered, “I’m thankful that Jesus loves me so well.” In his simple faith, he understood and was grateful for the love of Jesus for him personally. He told us that Jesus showed His love by dying on a cross.
The apostle Paul wanted the believers in the church at Ephesus to understand how well God loved them, and that was his prayer: “That [they would] be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height—to know the love of Christ” (Eph. 3:17-19). He prayed that they would be rooted and grounded in that love.
To ground ourselves in God’s love, it would be helpful to review these verses frequently or even memorize them. We can also take a few minutes each day to thank the Lord for the specific ways He shows His love to us. This will help us to grow in our belief and be thankful—as Stephen is—that Jesus loves us “so well.” — Anne Cetas
To renew your love for Christ, review Christ’s love for you.
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