Greetings in the name of the “Ancient of Days” (Daniel 7:9) and Jesus Christ – THE Crucified and Risen Saviour! What a beautiful morning after the storminess of yesterday. Our God gives such variety to all he does…even the weather! I trust that you and yours were looked after and sheltered. Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to ‘speak’ to you as you walk the path of Lent together. Why don’t you get a note pad and write down what you believe God is saying to you today?
“We interpret Jesus through our brokenness” – John Eldredge, ‘Beautiful Outlaw. I read that statement a week or so ago and it has haunted me…because I believe it to be true. As you may know, we are in the season of Lent, which is a period of forty days during which we are preparing a time of new growth. One good aspect of Lent that we don’t talk enough about is that Jesus walks into the preparation to so that he can walk out into new growth with us. Jesus wants us to deal with our brokenness, past and present, so that we will grasp what it is he can do through us.
The truth that is revealed in the experience of Lent is powerful…and the author says it best: Jesus has no intention of letting you become whole apart from his moment-to-moment presence and life in you – John Eldredge. We have known, or say we have, for some time that the power of Christianity is not God outside you, but Christ inside you – the hope of glory. Jesus referenced that in John 15:4-5 as he shared the importance of being ‘in the vine’… “apart from me you can do nothing”. Oswald Chambers said, “Our only task is to maintain a vital connection with Jesus Christ, seeing that nothing interferes with it.”
Let me encourage you, during this season of Lent – do the surface work of removing any debris and rebuilding the things that connect you to God and surrender yourself to the ‘under the surface’ work of God. If you look out the window just now, it is hard to believe that under all the snow and ice, God’s creation is working…and under the ‘snow and ice’ of your heart and soul – God is at work! Don’t hinder him!
Be blessed!