Jonathan Merritt says in Jesus is Better Than You Imagined, that "hiding behind my disguise was crushing and conflicting because at my core - at everyone's core - is a desire to be fully known" (p.89). Would others really like me if they fully knew me? Can God even really fully love me? In Genesis 3:10, the man, Adam, says: “I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid.” It is human nature to want to hide when we feel exposed or vulnerable. But what if God has something beautiful waiting for us in our honesty? First, when we are honest about our own stuff, we can see that we are sinners undeserving of God's grace just like everyone else. Because of this grace He has for us, we can show that grace to others. Merritt recalls that his honesty has "bred compassion in [him] toward others who wrestle with the baggage they carry in life" (p.88). Second, honesty allows us to be "fully used because [we] are ready to be honest about who [we] have been and who God has created [us] to be" (p.92). Friends, we can encounter Jesus in honesty because it is there we find freedom. It is there that we can answer confidently, 'yes, God really does fully love me'. Are there any areas of your life and heart that you can be more honest about? If you're not sure, pray for God to show you the hidden areas of your heart and allow Him in. Maybe you too will experience what Merritt realized: "that the ultimate key to move from secrecy to honesty is not telling the whole world, but rather letting God have access, giving Him permission to speak into the dusty recesses of the hidden places, and letting Him become a conversation partner as I sorted through the rubble" (p.96). Have there been times that your honesty drew you closer to Jesus?
3 Comments
In chapter 4 our our book, we are challenged to encounter Jesus in the impossible. Have you limited God like I have? Too often I have put my Jesus in a nice neat box and asked Him to stay there until I had things under control. "Like many God followers, (I) claimed to serve the God of impossibility, but (I) confined Him so tightly, the belief could never be tested." (p. 68)
"O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!" Jeremiah 32:17 Do I really believe this? What obstacle(s) in my life have I not given God the chance to overcome? "When I am not daring to believe God for the impossible, am I missing out on miracles?" (p. 70) God, help me pray for the impossible, fully trust You for the impossible, and be willing to JOIN YOU in the possible. Help me to "become like a child: imagining a better world and praying for it, believing God for it, and stepping into it myself." (p. 78) Is there an obstacle in your life that you need to lay at Jesus' feet? Are you willing to pray, asking Him to work through the hurdle, and then fully believing He will and participating in that with Him? Then Peter called to him, “Lord, if it’s really you, tell me to come to you, walking on the water.” “Yes, come,” Jesus said. So Peter went over the side of the boat and walked on the water toward Jesus. But when he saw the strong wind and the waves, he was terrified and began to sink. “Save me, Lord!” he shouted. Jesus immediately reached out and grabbed him. “You have so little faith,” Jesus said. “Why did you doubt me?” Matthew 14:28-31 This week in Jesus is Better Than You Imagined, we read chapters 2 and 3 that helped us focus on encountering Jesus in His Sanctuary and encountering Jesus in Mystery. Let's face it, until we actually encounter Jesus for ourselves, this thing we call Christianity can feel pretty empty. But, can we really encounter Jesus Christ? Page 41 reflects on God teaching Jonah the lesson that "(we) cannot escape God." Psalm 139: 7-12 declares: Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me and the light become night around me,” even the darkness will not be dark to you; the night will shine like the day, for darkness is as light to you. Friends, do you try to constrain God? Geographically? Chronologically? Theologically? Intellectually? (p.42) These constraints only limit our relationship with Him and our ability to experience Him. A couple springs ago, I was in a beautiful season of experiencing God in His sanctuary. I regularly ran outside, sometimes listening to worship music and other times to the quiet sounds of nature. One particular day, I glanced to the trees and stopped still to turn back and stare at this incredible turkey vulture with wings spread out wide. For me, in that moment and season, God was showing up to tell me how incredibly powerful He is and incredibly taken care of I am. But, what if I only went to that place each time I wanted to experience God? What if I limited Him geographically doubting I could hear from Him during work or in the mundane of the grocery store? I may then miss all the other times God is trying to show up and allow me to experience Him. In chapter 3, Merrit goes on to describe the mystery that sometimes is our God. He confesses, "I often struggle to sit in life's messiest moments, to trust God for what He's given me or allowed to flood my life." (p.49) He goes on to quote Soren Kierkegaard who wrote in his journal, "There are many people who reach their conclusions about life like schoolboys. They cheat their master by copying the answer out of a book without having worked out the sum for themselves." And so, the question is, Are you seeking to experience God for yourself? "He is mysterious, which is to say He can be known but not comprehended, experienced but never fully explained." (p.51) We each are invited to experience God. And yet, "humans have resisted such an interaction with God since humanity's dawning moments." (p. 56) God offered to Adam and Eve to eat from the tree of life... but they wanted the knowledge and answers more than the experience God offered. Why is this our tendency? Do you resist? This week, challenge yourself with these questions. Is Jesus really better than you imagined? We'd love to hear your responses or what you took from the reading this week! Comment below. For those who are joining us in reading Jesus is Better Than You Imagined (and for those who aren't!), let's highlight chapters 0-1 this week. (Click here for our reading plan.) Each week we will highlight scripture that the author references, and will throw out a couple questions for thought/discussion (feel free to comment below).
In Chapter 0, Jonathan Merritt describes a felt distance from the God he grew up with. "The God who had once seemed to breathe on my neck was now a ghost in the distance, blurry & noiseless." (p. 3) He describes a heart "hardened, clogged by the traditions of religion and the cardboard God I had created." (p. 11) and he yearns to meet the God of the Bible, who loves surprises and "makes a habit of showing up in unexpected ways and unpredictable times." (p. 12) In Chapter 1, Merritt finds His first unexpected way to encounter Jesus: 60 hours at a monastery in the desert. Here he experiences first-hand what it means to "Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10). While uncomfortable with it at first, Merritt ends up relishing the opportunity to "turn off the noise in order to tune into God." (p. 20). The concept of sitting quietly in the presence of God has actually been on my mind lately. I've been trying to take a 'daily pause'...literally setting my phone timer for 5 minutes, sitting in a quiet place and repeating "Be still and know that I am God" when my mind starts to wander. I can attest to Merritt's experience that he describes on p. 23 "But best of all were the times when I just listened. This was a new way to pray for me. In His presence, my silence conveyed my trust in and dependence on Him. Sometimes God spoke to my heart and at others He remained as quiet as I." "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28). Friend, are you weary? God offers us rest, and it takes only ONE STEP on our part--COME. Come to Him. In order to grab hold of the rest He offers we have to intentionally COME. Will you try this? God won't disappoint. Give Him 5-10 minutes of uninterrupted quiet time. No agenda. Just sit, open your ears, and listen. "...being in a silent state helped me to hear, unclogging my ears. Without the raucous world around me, I could discern God's voice." (p. 28) This week, we challenge you to take this 'daily pause'--a time of active silence, where your "ears are open and palms are turned toward the sky" (p. 34). Share your experience below in the comments...was it uncomfortable? Welcomed? What did God say? Or did He remain silent and just provide you with Rest? Will you commit to making this part of your routine? "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength, but you would have none of it." Isaiah 30:15 Let's not miss the opportunity God gives us to lean into Him and hear from Him in the silence. |
Kaylee & HeatherWe were just two moms who started abiding in Christ and praying together weekly. Find out more about Our Story. Archives
September 2020
CategoriesWeekly EmailsWould you like to be added to our email list? We send out emails weekly with encouragement and thoughts on our current study. Email us and we'll get you on the list!
|