He Marvels
Sometime last year, I had a thought that I'd love to know Jesus the way the disciples did, and I made a commitment to spend time regularly looking at Christ in the gospels, taking in who He really is. Not long after, I found a 90 day study written by Beth Moore which takes on the life of Christ. I've been taking it tremendously slowly through this study because there are just some things that have to sit and weigh in my heart for more than a day.
Yesterday, I tackled a new passage - not new to me, just new in this particular journey. You might want to read it before you dive into this blog just by way of background. Luke 7:1-10
Verse 9 of that passage always strikes me. It says the following: "Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, 'I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.'." I don't know about you, but when I read that I have to stop and take in the fact that JESUS - Creator of the Universe, Savior of the world, Omnipotent Lover of mankind, Omniscient Lord of All Things, King of Kings - marvels at this Soldier. As I read this yesterday, I stopped and found myself puzzled at this. How could God respect and be 'impressed' in a way with this man.
As I sat and thought and let God kind of take my heart and marinate in that passage, that the faith demonstrated was a submission, an ability to see Christ as who He really is - in ALL if His ability, a belief in that truth. And I sat there, I began to long for God to have that kind of "marvel" at my own faith, and then I concluded that God marvels at us more than we realize.
And that truth that EVERY act of extreme, humble faith makes Jesus marvel at His children - marvel with pleasure. Every time we believe in impossibilities. Every time we stake all on Christ's Resurrection power in us. Every time we choose love our enemies when we don't want to. Every time we choose to love God first above all else. Every time we serve someone selflessly because He's asked us to. Every time we truly worship. Every time we surrender to His will over our own. Every time we choose to believe in grace over condemnation. Every time we accept and declare Christ to be Lord in our lives. Every time we say "yes" to Him.
Take that in for just a minute and recognize that EVERY SINGLE TIME those things are true He marvels at us. He dances in delight because of it. Leaves me speechless, actually. Soak in that tonight, loved ones.
Yesterday, I tackled a new passage - not new to me, just new in this particular journey. You might want to read it before you dive into this blog just by way of background. Luke 7:1-10
Verse 9 of that passage always strikes me. It says the following: "Now when Jesus heard this, He marveled at him, and turned and said to the crowd that was following Him, 'I say to you, not even in Israel have I found such great faith.'." I don't know about you, but when I read that I have to stop and take in the fact that JESUS - Creator of the Universe, Savior of the world, Omnipotent Lover of mankind, Omniscient Lord of All Things, King of Kings - marvels at this Soldier. As I read this yesterday, I stopped and found myself puzzled at this. How could God respect and be 'impressed' in a way with this man.
As I sat and thought and let God kind of take my heart and marinate in that passage, that the faith demonstrated was a submission, an ability to see Christ as who He really is - in ALL if His ability, a belief in that truth. And I sat there, I began to long for God to have that kind of "marvel" at my own faith, and then I concluded that God marvels at us more than we realize.
And that truth that EVERY act of extreme, humble faith makes Jesus marvel at His children - marvel with pleasure. Every time we believe in impossibilities. Every time we stake all on Christ's Resurrection power in us. Every time we choose love our enemies when we don't want to. Every time we choose to love God first above all else. Every time we serve someone selflessly because He's asked us to. Every time we truly worship. Every time we surrender to His will over our own. Every time we choose to believe in grace over condemnation. Every time we accept and declare Christ to be Lord in our lives. Every time we say "yes" to Him.
Take that in for just a minute and recognize that EVERY SINGLE TIME those things are true He marvels at us. He dances in delight because of it. Leaves me speechless, actually. Soak in that tonight, loved ones.
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