John 1:1-5, 9-14
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God—children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
For many of us, it’s rather hard to see past ourselves. It’s hard to get out of our own heads and our own junk. The challenge is not academic at all. I believe that most of us believe in the right things and that our hearts are pointed in the right direction. How we get there might be as different and unique as we are.
For those who have this sense that there’s more to all of this than we can see and that there’s something to this faith thing beyond children’s stories and legend…
For those who are genuinely trying to align with that and change our hearts in the hopes that somehow that helps fix the brokenness that we see in this world…
For those who truly serve and sacrifice and whose prayers rise with sincerity and authenticity…
I truly believe that you are pointed in the right direction. If you can read those lines and find some agreement with them, I believe in you. If you can look back at Jacob and Abraham in this series and relate, I believe in you. If your understanding of how God has been present and participating in your life over these past 5 weeks has grown, I believe in you. He is a bigger God. John recognized Him as a bigger God.
Bigger than time. Bigger than life as we know it. Bigger than the rest of creation. Bigger than even the how of creation. Bigger than life itself and bigger than the darkness around it.
Bigger than doubt and disbelief. Bigger than rejection. Bigger than what we are on our own. Yet even in all of that bigger-ness. In all that eternity and infinity and holiness, God is not too big for us. Not too big to hear our cries and see our suffering. Not too big to walk away when we get obnoxious. Not too big to leave us to our own ends. Not too big to be with us.
So that’s what God does. He becomes flesh and dwells among us, with us. And all that glory, grace, and truth shows up in our neighborhood one day, in our grocery store or supermarket, in the mall and the movie theater, in the park and on our hikes, at the playground and in the cafes. In our friendships and workplaces. In our marriages. In our singleness. In. Our. Lives. God just shows up.
The One who made it all and continues to make and remake it in His image. The One with plans to redeem and restore all of it. The One who invites us to join into a bigger purpose. The One who is beyond all measure just shows up with all the glory, grace, and truth that we can handle.
May you be dwelt with today and this week. May you know His presence.
Reflect:
On today’s scripture. On the “For those who” statements. Which one/s do you relate to most?
Journal:
On a moment or situation in your life when you needed God. On the darkness, doubts, despair, desolation that you felt in and through that. And on the ways that the Light has shined through.
Pray:
To see God clearly. To see God’s glory, grace, and truth once again, or perhaps for the first time, grow in your heart and your life. Pray to dwell with the One that dwells with, and within, you.