Skip to main content

Lessons from John

Lately I've been reading the book of John and have had more reflections jump out of me than I originally thought I would. I've jotted them down in my bible and then realized that I might as well capture these thoughts here too. Out of the four New Testament books about Jesus' birth, ministry, and death, I am most drawn to the book of John. There I can see the beauty in how God's Word is crafted together. John doesn't just tell what he saw, he points out the deeper purpose and connection that Jesus has to the Old Testament, to God, to Israelite traditions, and to the creation of the world! I invite you to journey with me as I chronicle my musings on the book of John!

John 3 - Nicodemus - Born Again
It's interesting how this chapter starts with Jesus teaching Nicodemus about the Spirit - how you need to be born in it and how it moves in ways unknown and unseen - then ends with John the Baptist teaching his disciples that Jesus has the Spirit!

John 4 - Samaritan Woman - Give me this Water
The thought of being filled with living water, and being like a "well" makes me see that being filled with God's spirit is not just for our own satisfaction. Just like a real well is meant to nourish more than one person, our being filled with the Holy Spirit is also meant to satiate other people. As we are filled, we should also be pouring out so that others can experience God too.

John 5 - Do you See Me - Suffering/Glory
I wonder what it must have been like to see a ton of people with disabilities in what may look like a picnic pavilion today or a main city square. The Jews here apparently mixed in and roamed by these people, so the disabled were immersed in their society. The people of this day were confronted by the everyday struggles of others and I find that interesting. Also interesting and sad is the thought that the physically-abled people around them didn't do much to help them. Today, it seems we don't allow those suffering to confront us with their reality - at least not in such a visible way. We have different types of "homes" or shelters for the "undesirables". People with mental illness, the disabled, homeless, elderly... Not to say that it isn't good to have places for focused care. That's a wonderful thing, but I just wonder if it also makes us less likely to see them and to care for their plight in life.

I also wonder about the verse in John 5:44: "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God?" It's a good reminder to do all that we do to make God happy. When we focus on pleasing God, our work is aligned with his purpose and our heart is in the right place. When we strive for our ambitions, only to gain the approval of people and their praise or attention, we reap an empty and shallow victory. People are fickle and change their preferences over time, so aiming to please people can move you from what is true and grounded in God. Seeking to please God builds true faith because it grounds us in something permanent and real and unchanging.

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Please share your thoughts and reflections spurred on by this post. :)

Popular posts from this blog

Insignificance: Parable of the Lost Son

Hello! Women's Prayer Call Series: Parable of the Lost Son Today I want to share my thoughts on the parable of the lost son which is found in Luke 15 verses 11 through 32. When I read through this parable last week, I felt led to talk about the struggle of feeling mentally lost and insignificant because of where you are right now - whatever those circumstances may be. I want you to look at this story and see how Jesus is telling us that God cares a lot about the wellbeing of each and every one of us. I want to encourage you to see how valuable you are to God right where you are. So you know where I’m going with this. Here’s a quick summary of the parable, and I think it’s a good idea to read it in the context of all of chapter 15. Jesus starts with a story of a man losing one of his sheep; he describes how the man leaves the other 99 sheep to go after the 1 that was lost. When the man finds the lost sheep, he puts the sheep on his shoulders, brings it home, and gathers his friends ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Belly Check

I enjoyed reading Proverbs 20 . In Solomon's style of pointing out observations, he reminds us we need God's counsel to be the compass for our soul. I want to highlight my observations of his message to us. Our Compass : Proverbs 20:9-13 Solomon implores us to assess our actions through the lens of what's right in God's eyes. God is our guide and measurement for what is good and evil. Solomon's warning about sleep points to a spiritual slumber caused by not growing in our faith in God. This leads to an impoverished soul. Solomon says to "open thine eyes." We need to be alert and be aware of our spiritual state of being. We need to cultivate our spirit with God's word and direction. Solomon points out that when our eyes are open, we "shalt be satisfied with bread," meaning our soul will be filled. Our Counsel : Proverbs 20:5, 20:18, 20:24 I pondered over these verses for some time because I had a feeling there was something good that ne...
Post a Comment
Read more

Proverbs: Our Teaching Tool

I am going to skip ahead of the many other things I wanted to write about to share what I read in  Proverbs 22 . This chapter became a pinnacle piece of Proverbs because it contains what I believe is an overarching goal of this book:  To give us certainty in the truth we are believing and to respond wisely to those that come our way with questions about our truth. Proverbs 22:17-21  says: 17 Bow down thine ear, and hear the words of the wise, and apply thine heart unto my knowledge. 18 For it is a pleasant thing if thou keep them within thee; they shall withal be fitted in thy lips. 19 That thy trust may be in the Lord, I have made known to thee this day, even to thee. 20 Have not I written to thee excellent things in counsels and knowledge, 21 That I might make thee know the certainty of the words of truth; that thou mightest answer the words of truth to them that send unto thee? Thank God for the wisdom he gave Solomon. The world is benefiting from the truths a...
Post a Comment
Read more