All posts by heyjudeev5@gmail.com

Abba Father

By Judy Villanueva

“I will be a Father to you and you shall be sons and daughters to Me,” says the Lord almighty”. (2Corinthians 6:18)

For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” (Romans 8:15)

The Lord your God in your midst,  the Mighty One, will save;  He will rejoice over you with gladness,  He will quiet you with His love,  He will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

“Let’s go hunt for fire flies!” It was evening and bedtime was fast approaching but there was still time for one more adventure. My son alerted his children that the firefly walk was about to commence. “Grab your flashlights and let’s go hunting!” Off they ventured into the dark with magic on their minds and daddy to lead the way. “Is that one?” his little ones asked excitedly. “Maybe! Let’s go check it out!” their father replied. Flashlights in hand and eyes wide with anticipation, they laughed, told stories and skipped in the night under their dad’s watchful care. Of course, there were no fireflies to be found in this part of the southwest, but it didn’t seem to matter to these three exuberant hunters! Their little hearts were filled with an adventure that was all about being with their dad.

What do you think of when you hear the word “daddy”? It’s a big word that sets off big feelings because dads play a very important role in our lives.

They are protectors, providers, mentors and guides. Dads are storytellers, dream-shapers, problem-solvers and hope-givers.

Fathers have enormous shoes to fill, for as they love, little hearts are tilled and readied to know their Abba Father. Is dad good, faithful, and kind? Does he rejoice over me with gladness? Can I count on him? The tricky part of this, of course, is that however good a dad might be, he will always be a human dad. At best, he is a humble man versed in kneeling before his Heavenly Father, confessing his failures and praying for strength, grace and power to love his family well.

Sadly, many didn’t have a dad “at his best” and may find their hearts tangled and wary of trusting another Father. If that’s you, I pray you’ll consider that our Heavenly Father is divinely different.

The Lord God is in your midst! The Mighty One who saves sings over you with gladness!

It is true! He calls us sons and daughters and rejoices over us! He knows our names and longs for us to know His name as Abba, our dad! The reality of His love surrounds us and is a place of welcome always and in spite of whatever other realities may exist. His arms are always are open, his ears always tuned, his face always toward us, and his heart always ready to give all it has…to have us. The Mighty One is OUR Father! And, He invites us to join Him in light-filled, firefly adventures and the discovery of a life loved and led by Him.

“God, bless dads. Help them to sing with gladness over their little ones. How desperately this generation needs dads and moms who will delight in them. Thank you for our dads and help us to be grateful, forgive them their failures and trust You to meet our deepest needs. Thank you that You are our ever faithful Abba Father! Amen.”

What about you?

What was your relationship like with your earthly father? Have you both celebrated and forgiven him for where he blessed or failed you?

Do you know God as a Father?

Can you relate to calling Him “Abba” or “Daddy”? Do you feel close to God?

How does it feel to know that God delights in you and sings over you with gladness?

Worship:

Bow Down

August 31, 2014Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Practicesheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Nehemiah 8:6 Then Ezra blessed the Lord the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the Lord with their faces to the ground.

Matthew 2:11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh.

Romans 14:11 For it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, And every tongue shall give praise to God.”

Is it fair to say that we don’t bow down much these days as a culture, as a church or as individuals? I can’t help but wonder why? Today, I decided to bow down during my morning prayers and pay attention to what happened to my thoughts and feelings as I talked with God on my knees, with my head down. Bowing seems to invite surrender and reverence. It did…I could feel it! But, praying with my face on the floor also made me feel tearfully contrite and humble of heart. It felt corrective.

I suspect there is something about putting ones body in a bowed position that helps us to feel bowed, submitted, and more in touch with the reality of our finitude and our great need of an infinite and able God.

When I think of the things that literally drive us to our knees, four invitations come to mind: great need, sin, gratitude and God’s felt presence. When loss, illness, or trouble comes our way and we are overwhelmed, we often feel pushed to our knees in desperation. When we have violated our nature, created in God’s image, by behaviors that bring us shame, we may feel the need to lay prostrate in sorrow as we cry out to God for help and freedom. When the sun rises, or we slow down enough to notice beauty around us, when we receive our hearts’ desires or experience God’s provision, we may fall on our faces in gratitude. When God draws near and we feel His breath…when somehow we touch the Almighty or His goodness and love touches us, we may find ourselves waking up from having fallen face first in utter worship!

What’s the point? We need to bow! It helps us pray more completely. We were created for a yielded relationship with a wise and powerful God. It is no joking matter. It necessitates that we regularly lower our heads and accommodate prayerful face plants that can deal a blow to our pride at its roots. A blow that can lead our hearts to proper sorrow, and connect us to our brokenness. We need to fall to the ground in gratitude for the daily gifts of life that we take for granted most days.

Bowing down before God helps us to find our true selves and, astonishingly, the God who bowed down to save us!

Yes, there is a God who washed feet, prayed in a garden on His knees, and bowed under the weight of the cross He carried to Calvary. He hears our prays and cares about our sorrows, temptations and triumphs! In full surrender, Jesus lived, loved and died bowed down before God that we might one day be lifted up!

“Father, help me to bow down. I am aware of my pride and how it interferes with my ability to surrender my heart and life to You. As I bow in the mornings, I ask for correction, grace, and your hand of love to lift me up. Thank you for bowing down low to save me and for caring about my life and loving me every single moment of every single day. Amen.”

How about you?

What prompts you to bow down?

Are you aware of obstacles that keep you from bowing down before God?

How might bowing in prayer change the way you pray, think or act?

Bow and pray. Try it! Put your body in a bowed posture and notice what happens to your thoughts, feelings and prayer. God bless you as you bow before Him.

Worship:

“When I Don’t Know What To Do” by Tommy Walker

“Surrender” by 4 Him

“I Need You Now” by Matt Redman

Seasons and Surrender

By Judy Villanueva

Romans 8:38-39

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.

A friend’s daughter got married a few weeks ago. It was surreal to watch her come down the aisle, a beautiful bride on her daddy’s arm! What happened to that little one who, once upon a time, literally fit in the palms of my hands? That day I watched my friend say good-bye to the daughter she had raised, and to her family, the way it had always been. These milestone moments come upon us almost without warning! Sometimes seasons feel like they will last forever, but don’t blink because all seasons come to an end. Change. It is subtle one minute and shockingly bold the next.

What can we do but love well, feel our endings with joy and tears…and then, open our arms to whatever is next!

My mom has shown me what it looks like to surrender with grace to whatever is next in life. As she approaches eighty, her perspective on this last season of life is remarkable and bright! I don’t think I’ve ever heard her complain or lament growing old. Instead, she says things like, “Growing old sure is interesting!” She seems to be a student of every phase of life and, with a disposition of curiosity, stays positive as health, relationships and realities change. Most pronounced to me is the gratitude that keeps bubbling to the surface of her life. She is grateful for good blood flow, that dad doesn’t have any pain and that she can live these days with the love of her life next to her.

Accepting change isn’t always easy especially if we have loved the life that is changing!

Letting go and saying good-bye is an act of faith. We entrust our life to God each time we surrender to endings and new beginnings.

This seems to be the way of it. Seasons end and new ones begin. Children grow up and get married. Jobs change, friends move away, we all get older and one day, old. Loving and belonging to God is the strongest anchor in life, isn’t it? His love never ends! His hold on our lives is forever faithful. We can be curious and grateful for all of the seasons that come to us because we have a Father who does not change, who will not leave, and who walks with us through every change…all the way, and until we are in His arms to stay.

“Father, it fills me with joy to remember that nothing can separate me from Your love! Help me to be grateful and let go of the things that have ended so that my arms might open to receive whatever is next! Thank You for staying with me throughout my life. Amen.”

What about you?

How are you doing with the changes in your life?

Are you letting yourself feel your endings with gratitude and tears?

Are you surrendering with grace and looking forward with hope?

God is forever faithful. Nothing can separate you from His love!

Worship:

The Lord’s Prayer

August 15, 2014Knowing God, Spiritual Formation, Worshipheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Our Father, which art in heaven, 

We belong! We have a Father in Heaven! The One who made worms and flowers, oceans and mountains, goofy looking fish, giraffe, and elephants… is OUR Dad! Think about it! Our Father really is stronger and smarter than every other dad. He is the King of Kings and our very own Abba Father…Yours and mine!

Hallowed be thy Name. 

“Holy, Set apart, honored and praised!” Our culture does not hallow much and hard as I try, I find my hallowing efforts terribly lacking. Help me, Father, into Your presence because I know that anyone who glimpses Your beauty falls down in awed wonder! I want to be see You better and bless You with abundant and heartfelt praise!

Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. 

I can only imagine the fervor with which Jesus uttered, “Thy Kingdom come”! He knew the beauty and perfection of His Father’s kingdom first hand. He was teaching us to ask for that which we need most…our true home! Let Your kingdom come, Lord God, into our hearts, our heads, our choices, our dreams, our words, and our prayers. We want Your will on earth as in Heaven… and no other!

Give us this day our daily bread. 

We need You! How vast are our daily needs for bread, drink, fellowship, love, work, health, dreams, adventures, comfort and safety! Hear our cries for provision! We lack joy. We are hungry for peace! We ache for Love. We grow weary for lack of knowing that we are Yours!

And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us.

Help us to be sorry. Open our eyes to our failures and give us courage to know ourselves in Your presence. It is unsettling to to see our sins, but Your grace becomes our safe place. Help us to forgive any who has sinned against us. How easy is the temptation to receive Your grace and then to hold offenses against our neighbor. Fill us with the wonder of Grace and let it fill us with grace for others.

And lead us not into temptation,  But deliver us from evil.  

Around every corner there seems to lurk temptations that mean to steal life from God’s beloved children. Jesus came that we might have life to the full, but evil lays traps that siphon off life as it pollute our souls. Lord, have mercy! You can see what we cannot…make a victorious way for us to defeat and overcome temptation. Deliver us from evil!

For Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever.

Yours is the kingdom…absolutely! Yours is the power! Above any other, You reign victorious! Yours is the glory, the wonder, the awe-inspired beauty that never, never ends! We rest in Your power and rise up with praise that Your Kingdom is now and forever! It will not end! It will last forever and ever…and ever!

Amen.

It is true! So be it! Let it be so!!! We agree! Do it!

What about you?

This is a great exercise! Take each part of the Lord’s Prayer and let your mind and heart pause, ponder, and pray. Think about each part, talk it over with a friend, and then, respond to however it speaks to you. Let this prayer become your own.

Worship:

“The Lord’s Prayer” by Tommy Walker (Generations Hymns)

“Victorious” by Donnie McClurkin.

Taking Up the Cross

August 14, 2014Knowing God, Spiritual Formationheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Luke 9:23

Then he said to them all, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.

Kneeling together, our three little ones sound asleep upstairs, we prayed for more of God. “Do whatever you must, Father, to make Yourself Lord of our lives.” I remember a hush coming over the room and looking at my husband with a sense of foreboding at what trial this prayer might usher into our young lives. What had he just prayed? What would it cost, and did I really want more of God at any price?

Following Jesus. It sounds so adventurous, so noble, and good! As Christians that’s what we are on the planet to do, right? To learn how to deny ourselves, take up our crosses and follow Jesus. Weeell yes, this is the goal and certainly it was the inspiration behind the prayer I said “Amen” to that day. But, let’s face it, Jesus leads His followers to mountain tops that, while glorious in their view and magnificent in the beauty they etch in the soul, require traversing some pretty rugged terrain. To coin a phrase, soul-shaping isn’t for cowards!

God’s refining fire burns as it purifies and presses as it fashions His likeness in us.

The next several years brought extraordinary challenges. They were years of holding on by our fingernails and trusting God in the dark. Strangely, on one of the harder mornings, I remember waking up aware that the birds were singing! It seemed an odd thing to notice at such a time, and yet, opening my eyes to the reality of great disappointment, I was also aware that our little ones were safely tucked up in their beds, that love had not left our home, and that somehow,

God was still faithful…regardless of whether or not I understood what He was up to!

He never gave us a blueprint or explained His methods, but God answered the prayer we prayed that day so long ago. Somehow during the trials, He had become Lord of our lives more fully! He had stretched out our capacity to take in more of Him and had helped us to want Him more than our comforts! Suffering loss was oddly freeing and helped us to understand, a little better, that what we need most in this life is Jesus!

“Thank you Jesus, that You hear our prayers and are faithful. Even when we do not fully understand where our prayers may lead us, You do. Teach us to follow wherever You lead. Give us strength and help us to trust You every step of the way. Amen.”

What about You?

What does it mean to follow Jesus? What does that look like on any given day?

How is self denial and cross bearing part of your life in Christ?

Is there a connection between prayers you’ve prayed and what has happened next?

Do you know that you can trust the God who hears your prayers? Do you believe in His good heart and wise ways?

God is faithful always.

Worship:

“Find Me Faithful” by Tommy Walker

“Follow Jesus” by Selah and Nicole C. Mullen

Jump!

July 21, 2014Knowing God, Spiritual Formation, Spiritual Practicesheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Faith is the assurance of things hoped for; the evidence of things unseen. (Hebrews 1:11)

Looking up I could see them peeking over the edge of the cliff to the cool waters below. Quickly, they would move back and “shake it off,” trying to muster the courage to jump! It was a long way down and it would be a breathless free fall! They knew it was deep enough, but could they step off the surety of the ground beneath their feet? Back and forth they’d go, telling themselves they could do it. Just do it! Jump! Whenever we go to the lake we stop at a particular cove surrounded by the most irresistible cliffs, and every time, a handful of our nieces and nephews, kids and friends hop out of the boat and climb to the top! I watch their struggle from below and, if I am honest, bribe them to come down with cookies! But once they’ve gotten to the top and look over, the promise of flight seems to capture their imaginations, and soon, the struggle at the top evaporates into an exhilarating, tummy-turning leap of faith!

Jump! Whether it’s out of an airplane, off a cliff or into a decision, it seems to go hand in hand with faith that acts with resolve to trust God. It may involve relocating or staying put, proposing or breaking up, taking this job or that one, saying yes or saying no.

To be sure, it always includes a moment of truth where we choose to go forward into places unknown, believing that God isn’t just with us, but also remains sovereign over every inch of our lives!

In other words, faith is the assurance that God is always perfectly good, perfectly wise, and perfectly able to cover, use, and work through our imperfect decisions. Faith in God is the sturdiest launch pad for jumping!

Are you peeking over a precipice and considering a leap of faith? Walking to the edge and looking over is a really good idea as it gives us good information about heights and depths. It also stirs hope and shapes vision for the jump! Isn’t it good to know that we are allowed to use our heads as we prepare for leaps of faith? And then — it’s all about trusting that God jumps with us! His faithfulness is the water that surrounds us as we pierce the surface and are swallowed up in its depths. If we’ll relax, the water will lift us up and into new breaths of life! Peek over the edges with God and measure your heartbeat! If God says jump, then, with all the courage you can muster, run for the edge and fly!

“Father, running off of steep cliffs and into murky waters is not my strong suit. But, one thing I know from observing one flight to the water after another is that a leap with You is the ride of a lifetime! Help me to trust that You jump with me wherever you call me to jump! Thank You that You are, always and forever, faithful! Amen.”

What about you?

Is God calling you to jump? Is there a decision pending that requires a “free-fall” and faith in God to be there for you?

Have you looked over the edge and evaluated, with God and others, the depths and heights involved?

Is God your place of rest and assurance? Is He your steady ground and sturdy launch pad?

Our decisions don’t have to be perfect, just submitted and surrendered. God is faithful.

Worship:

“Find Me Faithful” by Tommy Walker

“Faithful” by Chris Tomlin

Straightened!

By Judy Villanueva

Luke 13:1-16

On a Sabbath Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues, and a woman was there who had been crippled by a spirit for eighteen years. She was bent over and could not straighten up at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her forward and said to her, “Woman, you are set free from your infirmity.” Then he put his hands on her, and immediately she straightened up and praised God.

Indignant because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath, the synagogue leader said to the people, “There are six days for work. So come and be healed on those days, not on the Sabbath.”

The Lord answered him, “You hypocrites! Doesn’t each of you on the Sabbath untie your ox or donkey from the stall and lead it out to give it water? Then should not this woman, a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has kept bound for eighteen long years, be set free on the Sabbath day from what bound her?”

“What are you afraid of?” I asked my husband. He turned and looked at me with the most curious expression, almost as though he didn’t understand the question. “Well…nothing really,” he responded. “Nothing? You are not afraid of anything?” I queried. I have struggled with fear for as long as I can remember and God was helping me understand that I was living under the constraint of it…as though it was normal! It felt like God was taking me by the hand and walking me into the light of understanding my condition. Not all at once, but gently, as I could handle the reality of my crippled state. And, as it became clearer and clearer that I was living “bent over” and unable to straighten, a desire arose in my heart…for freedom!

Sadly, we get used to being “bent over” and walk about the planet unaware that staring at the ground is not what we were made for!

Whether it is fear that pushes us downward or something else, God sees our condition and cares. He absolutely and always remembers that the sons and daughters of Abraham were created for freedom. Jesus saw the crippled woman in synagogue and healed her! As naturally as taking the next breath, He simply spoke the will of God over her, “Woman, you are set free.” She then felt the hands of God touch her and immediately straightened up to praise Him!

Dare we look with Jesus at where and how we are bent? It is easier to pretend that we are fine or, hide our “bent” parts so that no one will see our brokenness. We are embarrassed and ashamed but God is not! He keeps seeing who He made us to be and cherishes every bit of us…always! What is curious to me about this healing encounter is that there is no mention of the crippled woman asking for healing. It blesses me to read that

after eighteen years of being stooped over she got up from wherever she was and walked crooked to synagogue! She showed up—bent—and, Jesus saw her!

She had not given up and little did she know that on that day she would leave upright…freed to look up and out, abled to straighten and praise God! Oh blessed breath of God, come see and set us free!

“Jesus, that you saw this woman reminds me afresh of who you are! A Healer, an Advocate, and a Straighten-upper:) Thank you that you never get lost in what you are doing and forget that we need You so! Come and touch me and anyone reading this in need of healing today. Amen.”

What about you?

Have you gotten use to being “bent over”? Do the things that bind you feel normal?

How do you feel about being helped to see, with Jesus, where you are “bent over”?

Can you trust Jesus to take you by the hand to freedom?

Do you show up, even crooked, to healing places where Jesus teaches?

God is the One who lifts up, straightens and breaths freedom! Please don’t settle for a life “bent over”. He came that we might have life to the full! (John 10:10)

Worship:

Presence

By Judy Villanueva

In your presence there is fullness of joy. (Psalm 16:11)

You have searched me God and know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. (Psalm 139:1-2)

Yesterday, my little grandson came over. As he sat at the table eating his lunch, I moved about the kitchen tidying up, all the while hearing his little voice chattering on about this and that. When at last I sat down across the table from him he said, “Nana! I need to talk to you!” “Yes, Sweetie, I’m listening,” I said, realizing that he was asking for my full attention. He leaned forward. His little blue eyes burrowed in on mine from across the table and he started to tell me about whatever precious thing was on his mind. As he spoke I could see that he was not going to break eye contact, for fear that he would lose my attention. I knew that, at that moment, I must not be anywhere but right smack-dab in front of him, listening, nodding, and holding his gaze. After a little while, he seemed satisfied and was ready to take a few more bites of his sandwich and move on to his dump trucks and dinosaurs.

A mentor and dear friend once told me that listening is a divine activity. That when we listen well there is a kind of presence experienced that is healing and deeply satisfying. Can you remember the last time you were with someone who listened to you well? Who was fully present and alert, leaning forward and attending to your thoughts, words and feelings? There is value and honor imparted through this kind of presence. It instills worth.

The human soul wants to be explored, discovered, and intimately known. And, when we are, even a little bit, it changes us.

In and through the presence of people, who listen to us deeply, we feel the Father’s attention. It becomes a sacred place where we experience being known and loved. It reminds us that we matter.

Being present is one of the most beautiful gifts we can offer another person. It isn’t always easy to lay down our need to be heard and focus on another’s story, but as we listen and give ourselves to care about our friend we touch the heart of God. We become co-laborers in the most beautiful work of the universe! Our loving attention and willingness to listen brings God near and in His presence the soul is quieted. When we are listened to deeply, when we notice that we are noticed, we experience a divine blessing…one that satisfies and frees us to take another bite of our sandwich and move on to our dump trucks and dinosaurs.

“Father, thank you that you are always listening to my heart. You know my thoughts from afar and understand me. Help me remember that when I listen to another it brings You near. And, help me to notice all the ways You notice me today! Amen.”

What about You?

When was the last time you were listened to deeply? How did it make you feel?

What gets in the way of being attentive to another? (Tasks, cellphones, worry, preoccupation?)

Where do you go when you need attention?

Are you becoming a divine listener?

Worship

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kOd-23S57SA

Look At Me!

By Judy Villanueva

My son, pay attention to what I say; turn your ear to my words; Do not let them out of your sight,  keep them within your heart, for they are life to those who find them  and health to one’s whole body. ( Proverbs 4:20-22)

I was ready for the challenge! I was twenty-three years old. She was a baby. I had a college education. She had determination! I saw the look in her eyes and knew that sin had entered her tiny little heart. She made her move and crawled as fast as she could for the electrical outlet! She looked over at me and then reached out her dimpled hand in defiance! I sternly said, “Look at mommy! Don’t you dare touch that outlet, baby girl.” We had been here before…many, many times! She seemed to need to have the lines of authority clarified every single day, and thus, here we were again establishing that I was mommy and she was baby! I knew stuff. She did not. To her credit, she looked right at me and stalled for about ten seconds. I can’t imagine what went through her baby brain, but in the end, she touched it!

“Look at Me!” It’s a directive that parents use to get their childrens’ attention. It is meant to entice the child away from one focal point and onto the parent in order to give needed correction or guidance. Babies, of course, do not appreciate the good intentions of the parent and simply want what they want! This remains a challenge throughout life! Submitting our desires to God and turning to Him for direction is essential to maintaining a balanced and healthy life. The problem is not so much that we want this or that, but rather, with the excesses, the points at which our “loves” become disordered. In other words, where occupations become preoccupations, where passions lead to addictions, and busyness to an anxious heart.

Can you hear God when He calls to you? It might be a still, small voice…an internal nudge or a louder invitation, like an ulcer, or a life that is falling apart. If we are not in the habit of “listening”, His might sound like one voice among many. Noticing God in the midst of ordinary life is learned as it is practiced.

There is nothing more profoundly reorienting than looking at God! It finds us!

Being willing to be interrupted and guided by God is necessary if we are to be helped to want what is most worthy of wanting! Do you want God? I do, in theory! But, in reality, I want what I want and depend on His kind, steady voice in my days to help me turn away from things that distract me and look at Him. Discovering how to hear God and being willing to do as He says becomes a holy pathway, one that fills and quiets the soul…one that brings order to all other “loves”. Take a minute, listen for God’s voice and then look at Him. He is the way, the truth and the life…and He loves you!

“Father, I thank You that you are a wise and watchful parent. Help me to hear You call when I am in heading away from Your will. Thank You for all the ways you have made for me to find You. Keep finding me! Amen.”

What about you?

How ordered are the “loves” in your life?

Are you aware of any excesses that have led to an unbalanced, addicted or an anxious life?

Do you want God?

Can you hear God when He calls to you?

Are you learning how to pay attention to God? How to tune in to His voice through His Word? Through prayer and worship? Though silence and solitude? Through community?

God is a faithful parent and watches over us with love. Look at Him.

Worship

Speak to Me by Tommy Walker

Are You The One?

By Judy Villanueva

Matthew 11:2-6

When John heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?” Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news brought to them. And blessed is anyone who takes no offense at me.”

John’s was the voice that cried out in the wilderness “Prepare the way of the Lord!” He is in the guy who wore camel hair shirts and ate locusts with wild honey. We definitely get the impression that he was sold out for Jesus, and bold in his message to repent and be baptized! Yet, here in this passage, we find him in prison sending his disciples to Jesus to ask a curious question. “Are You the One, the Messiah or should they wait for another?” It seems to imply that John might have been off balance and in need of reassurance. It makes me wonder if he wasn’t scratching his head trying to make sense of the life unfolding around him. Was being in prison part of the plan or did something go wrong? No doubt, his circumstances were not what he had expected!

John the Baptist might seem like a hard guy to relate to, but as I witness him straining toward Jesus in need of strength and direction, I feel an immediate connection! John’s question is my question and was my question this very morning! I ask it often during times of disappointment or fear, and certainly, whenever I cannot make sense of how the pieces of my life fit together. You know those times when life is not how we imagined, or when it seems like God is taking forever to answer our prayers? I’m afraid we might find Jesus’ response to John less than comforting. He doesn’t say, “Hang in there, cousin! I’m on my way to break open the prison doors!” Instead, Jesus tells John that the blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised and the good news is being preached to the poor. In other words, “Take heart. I am He! I am the One!”

Jesus’ words might feel both reassuring and disconcerting to the hearer because while it announces His reign as Messiah, it does so right alongside John’s plight in prison. This is always the case!

Jesus is Lord and Messiah, always AND right alongside the life that is ours…the life that we may love, as well as the life that may include the hardest trial we’ve ever faced.

It was John’s challenge, as it is ours, to hear Jesus announce His reign and to trust beyond his own understanding. I need to hear Jesus say, “I am the One!” when life has caused my heart to falter…and allow the reality of His reign to strengthen and remind me, that despite present conditions or anything I may not understand, His kingdom has arrived! It’s already here! That’s what Jesus was telling John! That’s the good news being preached to the poor and that’s the blessed Truth that sets us free today. Take heart. He is the One! Look no further!

“Lord, help me to hear you announce that You are healing, raising the dead and reigning over all! It gives me strength to wait with hope and trust You rather than lean on my own understanding. Help me to lay down my need to know everything and instead, to bow in faith. Thank you that you are the One! Amen”

What about you?

When do you feel off balance and in need of reassurance?

What does the arrival of God’s kingdom mean to you?

Are you able to rest, knowing that Jesus reigns?

Above and beyond whatever circumstances you find yourself in, God is good and He reigns!

Worship

ListeningForLove

Learning to Hear God's Voice

All posts by heyjudeev5@gmail.com

Abba Father

Bow Down

Seasons and Surrender

The Lord’s Prayer

Taking Up the Cross

Jump!

Straightened!

Presence

Look At Me!

Are You The One?