Category Archives: Spiritual Formation

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

Do You Love Me?

By Judy Villanueva

John 21:15 “Do you love Me?”

Stuck in the bathroom, I attempted to muster the courage to go back out into the party. It was a gathering of people with whom I felt out of place and misunderstood. Granted, they were just feelings and likely not even true, but it is how I felt. Overwhelmed, I slipped into this awkward space to pray. “Lord, I thought I would do better today! I prepared beforehand. I prayed, read the Word, determined to love well, and yet, here I am, stuck in the bathroom feeling so defeated. Help me to be strong!” What I heard in reply surprised me. “I am here. It’s ok. Return to love in weakness. I am with you.” This felt strangely freeing, mostly because the only place I could love from, at that moment, was from weakness. So, I returned to the party and loved…weak and a bit scrambled up inside, but freed to love!

The only thing that keeps me from loving on any given day is me.

For sure, many things threaten to box me in and block God’s flow of love. I might be tired, irritable, or anxious. I might be constrained by the pressure of feeling insecure, less than, or judged. It might even be that the person in front of me is just plain unloving! Each and every time, I have a decision to make to either step back from loving or, to pause and ask for God’s help to move forward. When I am in these situations, my first taste of freedom often comes from simply deciding to love, and the next ones from giving myself fully to this decision. In other words, as I act on believing that God is able to empower me to love beyond my fatigue, insecurity or dread, grace begins to flow!

Here is the incredible thing about any decision to love. When we love, we bless and honor Jesus! We answer His question, “Do you love Me?” with a resounding “Yes! I love You, Jesus!” whenever we avail ourselves to be filled and poured out for another.

Can you imagine that it is possible to bless the heart of God when and as we love?

That is quite a notion! And, thankfully, it counts even when we love imperfectly and in weakness. We must never forget what it means that the Spirit of God lives within us. We walk around with access to an inexhaustible spring of deep and bountiful love! We may feel boxed in and scrambled up, but when we find our way out of our awkward spaces and cry out for help, we discover that wide and rich waters of love await us. Come, drink and love Jesus!

“Lord, I bump into mini-crossroads every day where I am aware of my love-limitations. I am selfish and in need of Your well that is inexhaustible! I want You to hear my “Yes, I love you!” as I love others. I want to bless You! Fill me and free me to love. Amen.”

What about you?

Do you feel free to love others? Are you aware of what closes off your heart?

Have you considered that in loving others, you bless the heart of God? I

What do you think Jesus meant by asking “Do you love Me?” How would you respond?

Worship:

https://youtu.be/hPlOQk-Rr8U

Folding Socks

By Judy Villanueva

As a deer longs for flowing streams, so my soul longs for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. (Psalm 42:1)

God, you have made us for yourself and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you. (St.Augustine of Hippo)

Surrounded by of pile of socks, I hunt for two brown ones with stripes, matching grey argyles, and strain to decipher the subtle differences in the solid blues! I suddenly feel a familiar pang that I recognize as my soul becoming restless. Existential angst. Does my existence have meaning? Does folding socks matter to God or is there something more important that I should be doing? It alerts me to beware of what I think, pray and do next. I’ve been here before and am learning that when my soul feels restless it wants to be fed (or medicated). Feed it with a cookie, a trip to the mall, a tv show, a glass of wine or with frenetic doing that will offer distraction. Instead, I decide to pray and bring my soul to Jesus.

My husband and I have been reading a book called “Soul Keeping” by John Ortberg and the last pages invite the reader to the deathbed of a remarkable man, Dallas Willard. Reading out loud, we find ourselves overhearing the last words he whispered to God, “Thank you. Thank you.” My brow furrows as I consider the implications of these words uttered in the midst of great suffering. I feel curious to know more about him and hungry to learn how to live so that when I breathe my final breath, my soul will exhale in gratitude. Dallas lived a life that cultivated a contented and grateful soul and when pressed hard, what flowed from the depths of him was gratefulness.

There is something about the finality of death that is focusing. It seems to clear the clutter that gets in the way of living well. At death, all chances to be kind end. Any and all opportunities to love are over. At life’s end, grudges feel ridiculous and time, too precious to waste on petty complaints.

In the clarity of death’s wake, worry about mattering yields to loving and being loved by God.

It invites a vision of generosity, grace and energy to bless others while there is time. It is a reminder that a life lived well is fed and formed by God, and that last breaths are exhaled from whatever has been shaped over a lifetime. Learning to love and be loved by God infuses all of life with meaning…it quiets the soul, plants seeds of gratitude and makes, even folding socks, yet another moment of His grace.

“Father, help me to find meaning in Your arms and let it calm and fuel my soul for blessing others. Help me to cultivate gratefulness and care for my soul so that in each day of my life I might give you glory, and upon my death, give thanks. Amen.”

What about you?

Do you ever struggle with restlessness of soul?

What do you tend to feed your soul to calm it? Food, tv, shopping, or something else?

Have you discovered that meaning comes from being loved by God? Have you felt the rest that happens in Him alone?

What do you think cultivating contentment and gratitude looks like?

Spend time with God. It will feed and bless your soul.

Worship

Wonder

By Judy Villanueva

The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders; where morning dawns, where evening fades,  you call forth songs of joy. (Psalm 65:8)

Covered in blankets with our faces pointed toward the sky, we watched for magic! “Glory!” our friend’s little daughter cried out, “I saw one!” Under a canopy of stars we laid out on the deck, shivering in the cool night air determined to witness wonder! “Glory!” another shouted, “Glory! Glory! Glory!” Shooting stars showered us with delight and time seemed to stop as we watched wide-eyed and awed by each brilliant starburst! It was the peak of the Perseid Meteor shower and there, gathered with family and dear friends, wonder gave way to worship and before we knew it, we were singing songs of joy in the middle of the mountains!

I am so grateful for wonder. It is different than knowing or understanding a thing….there is something about wonder that points us beyond the comprehensible to unique and magnificent possibilities!

Wonder confronts our finite natures and asks us to reach beyond our grasp and dare to imagine beauty beyond our disappointments. It signals us to hope!

It opens up soul-space and encourages us to watch for life. Wonder reminds us that there is a God…a good and wonderful God.

“Wonder-ing” becomes more natural as we practice noticing and tuning into its invitations to stand still and behold. Beholding helps us to see, feel and hear God in the midst of shooting stars, rainbows, and shimmering aspen trees…to name a few favorite wonders! To behold is to stop, move toward and then look closely with all of oneself. It is to allow wonder to speak and teach of God’s glory…glory found all around us, every day...in sunrises and sunsets, in wildflowers and waterfalls and, in sitting amongst friends with faces pointed upwards, singing songs of joy for each moment spent together watching for glory!

“Heavenly Father, help me to notice your invitations to be drawn into wonder. Life can be hard sometimes. Help me to trust You and stay open to whatever You will next for me. Thank you for lights in the sky, for dear friends, precious children, for beauty, wind and wonders too many to count that help me reach beyond disappointment and fear, to hope. Thank you for daily reminders that You are…and are good. Amen.”

What about you?

What fills you with wonder?

Are you aware of how beholding wonder moves your heart?

How are your hopes?

Do you need a reminder that there is a God…and that He is good?

Lay down, look up and watch for His wonders.

(Thank you, Tommy Walker, for leading worship that night and helping us lift up beautiful songs of joy!)

Worship

https://youtu.be/oscF-IBd5D8

Justice

May 9, 2014Character/Virtues, Knowing God, Spiritual Formationheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Jonah 3:10-4:4

When God saw what they did and how they turned from their evil ways, he relented and did not bring on them the destruction he had threatened.

But to Jonah this seemed very wrong, and he became angry. He prayed to the Lord, “Isn’t this what I said, Lord, when I was still at home? That is what I tried to forestall by fleeing to Tarshish. I knew that you are a gracious and compassionate God, slow to anger and abounding in love, a God who relents from sending calamity. Now, Lord, take away my life, for it is better for me to die than to live.”

But the Lord replied, “Is it right for you to be angry?”

Aren’t you glad that judgment is in the hands of God…and not ours? If it had been up to Jonah, Nineveh would have gotten what it deserved and paid for its sins with death. He, personally, would rather have died than see this city receive grace. Justice. We are each born with a sense of it and naturally lean toward evening up scores, paying debts owed, and making sure evil is not rewarded. We feel better when justice is served! Right? Then, there is our just God who always seems ready to believe for the good in us…to be touched when we are sorry and turn toward Him…and, whose love keeps reaching for us with grace and second chances.

Have you ever thought about the heart of God? I read passages like this one and marvel! It is a glimpse into breath-taking glory! Time after time, God’s creation defies Him and goes its own way. Time after time, God creates magnificent scenarios to entice and rescue His beloved from their propensity to run away from His presence, jump out of boats, and get swallowed by large fish. It is almost amusing to “hear” Jonah scold God for being gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love! “Oh I just knew you would relent from sending calamity.” Amazing Grace. Glorious and heart-stopping Love! It convinces me afresh that God’s commitment to His creation is tenacious, unrelenting and more patient than we can fathom.

Sitting in the stench and slime of a whale’s belly gave Jonah the needed pause to reconsider God’s request to preach salvation to the Ninevites! Coughed up on the shore, he finally obeys, and God’s offer of grace is accepted by the people. But, Jonah is angry that God’s plan has worked! “Is it right for you to be angry?” God asks. A question designed to prompt Jonah to reflect, repent, and reorient. Had he gotten too big for his britches, thinking he knew better than God? Jonah’s story makes me all too aware of my own tendency to seek justice over mercy. I can feel God’s question offering a needed correction. In contrast, God’s patience and generosity with both Jonah and Nineveh invites me in close for a look at His beautiful heart. There is power in reflecting on God’s heart! Each peek is transformative, each glimpse giving new vision…each drip helping my heart to feel the beat of His, oh so amazing, Grace!

“Lord, I wish I could say that I cannot relate to Jonah. Help me remember that You are God and I am not! I want to be humble and pliable…ready to obey You. Touch my heart, Lord, and enlarge my capacity to love others more like You. Amen.”

What about you?

Is there a “whale belly” in your life that might be a pause, meant to help you obey something that God has asked of you?

Do you seek justice or mercy for others? Are you bothered when someone gets a second chance?

How are your britches fitting lately? Do you need to take time to reflect, repent and reorient?

Mercy, Lord. We pray for Your touch that creates Divine capacity to obey, forgive and seek mercy for ourselves AND others.

Worship

Like a Spring Rain, by Colporteur

Sacrificing Isaac

April 6, 2014Knowing God, Lenten Reflections, Spiritual Formation, Worshipheyjudeev5@gmail.com

By Judy Villanueva

Genesis 22: 1-2

Some time later God tested Abraham. He said to him, “Abraham!”

“Here I am,” he replied.

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

It was an unimaginable ask!

After years of infertility and waiting…after finally giving birth and looking into the face of sweet joy…after cradling a heart’s desire, God asks what? Every mother’s heart stops beating at the thought of harm befalling her child but, to think of harm coming at the hand of his father is unthinkable!

Why does God ask Abraham for Isaac? I’ve always understood this passage as pertinent with regard to idols and placing anything or anyone higher than God. This makes sense, of course, but this story pushes us to an almost untenable limit. My child?

Take my dog. Take me. Take anything, but please don’t take my child! And yet, a child is what God gave…

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son…” It’s a familiar story and stories begin to have a fairy-tale quality to them once we’ve heard them a time or two. But, this story is real and invites us to the most beautiful act of love ever demonstrated.

Before Abraham knew a ram would be provided, he said “yes” to God.

This astounds me! It makes me curious about Abraham’s relationship with the Father. Over a lifetime he had come to know God intimately…through trials, long periods of waiting, personal failures and great acts of faith, he had learned to trust God. Obedience on the mountain of Moriah would require a deep and unwavering confidence.

Love held Abraham and Love held Isaac as the knife was raised! Love saved Isaac and provided for Abraham another sacrifice.

But, think of it!

Love let go of His most treasured Son—and held us as our Savior hung on the cross and died. Love spent all He had to have us!

It was an unimaginable gift!

“Father, I don’t know how to take in the wonder and beauty of the gift You gave on Calvary. Yours truly is a love beyond reason and invites me into its healing power. To think that I am loved with such vigor and might fills me with hope and deep, deep gratitude. Don’t let me forget this moment, not for one minute! Amen.”

What about you?

Is the story of the cross real to you? Or, has it become a fairy tale without any real impact on your life?

How does it change the way you think of yourself? Think of God?

Do you know that you are deeply and greatly loved?

ListeningForLove

Learning to Hear God's Voice

Category Archives: Spiritual Formation

Jump!

Straightened!

Presence

Look At Me!

Are You The One?

Do You Love Me?

Folding Socks

Wonder

Justice

Sacrificing Isaac