“Yet as I read the birth stories about Jesus I cannot help but conclude that though the world may be tilted toward the rich and powerful, God is tilted toward the underdog.”
― Philip Yancey
MICAH 4-5
He will stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God. And they will live securely, for then his greatness will reach to the ends of the earth. And he will be their peace. (5:4-5)
REVELATION 11
7Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. 8Their bodies will lie in the public square of the great city—which is figuratively called Sodom and Egypt—where also their Lord was crucified. 9For three and a half days some from every people, tribe, language and nation will gaze on their bodies and refuse them burial. 10The inhabitants of the earth will gloat over them and will celebrate by sending each other gifts, because these two prophets had tormented those who live on the earth.
JOURNAL
Reading through Revelation is really bizarre, it is just so dark and confusing. Yet here is a scene which is so central to our lives on earth and relationship with God. These two "witnesses", annointed and sent by God prophesy for 3 years...3 years! Then they are killed and left to rot in the street. Quite a horrible end for doing God's work. Public opinion would say "game over", God's anointed are dead, laying in the street for over 3 days...starting to discolor and smell. Then it happens, God shows up in ways never expected. Turns the table, flips the script, changes the game.
This same story plays out so often in life, not the rotting in the street part, but the part where the cause seems lost and then out of the blue something changes, something no one saw coming. These are the sports stories that I love to watch. The classic underdog story that warms our heart and makes for great TV, or books or posts on the internet. Reality is that it strikes such a chord because it is God's story. Death on a cross or dead and rotting in the street would never have been deemed a great victory...in those moments.
I love this about life and God. Most of the stories from the Bible are unpredictable, Adam and Eve, Noah, Job, Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel, Peter, Jesus, Paul...God defies convention and when he flips a switch it's usually pretty dramatic.
This time of year that same story is what we celebrate...who could ever have predicted that the Messiah...would be born into a smelly dirty barn. Who would have predicted that this boy born into meager conditions would become the savior of us all. These stories give us hope but more importantly they give us a clue as to how God works and his love for defying our predictions, opinions and judgements. It's the truth that guides and directs me to live today, this moment and let God handle tomorrow.
Reading through Revelation is really bizarre, it is just so dark and confusing. Yet here is a scene which is so central to our lives on earth and relationship with God. These two "witnesses", annointed and sent by God prophesy for 3 years...3 years! Then they are killed and left to rot in the street. Quite a horrible end for doing God's work. Public opinion would say "game over", God's anointed are dead, laying in the street for over 3 days...starting to discolor and smell. Then it happens, God shows up in ways never expected. Turns the table, flips the script, changes the game.
This same story plays out so often in life, not the rotting in the street part, but the part where the cause seems lost and then out of the blue something changes, something no one saw coming. These are the sports stories that I love to watch. The classic underdog story that warms our heart and makes for great TV, or books or posts on the internet. Reality is that it strikes such a chord because it is God's story. Death on a cross or dead and rotting in the street would never have been deemed a great victory...in those moments.
I love this about life and God. Most of the stories from the Bible are unpredictable, Adam and Eve, Noah, Job, Abraham, Lot, Isaac, Joseph, Moses, David, Daniel, Peter, Jesus, Paul...God defies convention and when he flips a switch it's usually pretty dramatic.
This time of year that same story is what we celebrate...who could ever have predicted that the Messiah...would be born into a smelly dirty barn. Who would have predicted that this boy born into meager conditions would become the savior of us all. These stories give us hope but more importantly they give us a clue as to how God works and his love for defying our predictions, opinions and judgements. It's the truth that guides and directs me to live today, this moment and let God handle tomorrow.
We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,e 10so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, 12and giving joyful thanks to the Father, who has qualified youf to share in the inheritance of his holy people in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
COLOSSIANS 1:9-14
No comments:
Post a Comment