Jesus, the Incorruptible

We brought Greg home from the hospital on Christmas Eve. He was my first baby, so everyone holding him needed clean hands. One of the Christmas stories I used to read him has a scene of baby Jesus visited by the children of a shepherd.  The boy and girl are poor children.  They are dirty from being in the field.  The little girl reaches out to touch baby Jesus with her filthy hands.  She has tears leaving trails down her dirty face.  Mary does not rebuke her or push the dirty hand away from her clean newborn.  I see myself there with all of humanity.  We are drawn to God, to His glory and grandeur.  We reach out to touch Him.  He is perfectly clean.  Instead of pulling away from our condition, the sin on us, He says,

"Come to me all you who are weary and laden..." Matthew 11:28

and

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them..." Matthew 19:14.

We are overwhelmed by the acceptance of one so holy and grand - Jesus the Incorruptible.

Merry Christmas

God is a Time-In not a Time-Out Kind of Father to Me

Isaiah 43:1-2 has been one of my special verses for many years.

But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.

I know God spoke it to the nation of Israel through the prophet Isaiah - not to me, but I feel a special connection to it. In these two verses I hear God reassuring me that no matter how difficult my circumstances are, I'm not alone. He is with me. AND No matter my circumstances, He will strengthen me to endure and persevere through them.

In my quiet time, I recently read through the book of Numbers. This book wrestles with the question of how a Holy God can dwell amid an imperfect people group. The question resonates with me because I'm not perfect and I still want my beautiful, holy God to dwell in the center of my life. Numbers 31:22-23 describes how some items that the Israelites plundered from the Midianites should be cleansed or purified for use in this holy community where God dwells among His people. It talks about passing metal objects through fire and water. This gave me new insight into Isaiah 43:1-2, Proverbs 3:11-12, and Hebrews 12:5-7.

Sometimes difficult circumstances come into my life to cleanse and transform me. They are not to punish me. They produce more Christ-like characteristics in my life. (Is all heartship for this reason? No! Look at Christ on the cross. He suffered heartship and it wasn't to grow His character.) God's intent behind them is to bless me. I'm still His chosen and beloved daughter. And He is with me in this heartship. He doesn't send me to my room or give me the quiet treatment. He's with me in the middle of the difficulty, reassuring me, guiding me, counseling me, and growing me. It's a time-in and not a time-out style of parenting.

Plus, I'm a science teacher, so I like fire!