Perfect Gift

Finding the perfect gift can be so frustrating yet very rewarding.  I don't know how many times I've seen something and thought, 'That would be perfect for 'so and so' I should buy it,' and didn't.  Then when it's time to get a gift I can't find it or anything else that would be as perfect.  I'm so glad God doesn't do that.

He says every good and perfect gift is from Him.  I think of the perfect gifts He has given.  First and foremost His son, Jesus.  He comes wrapped in a swaddling cloth.  Angels rejoice, wise men bring gifts, Shepherds stand in awe and a heavenly star brightly declares His glory.  We celebrate this gift and call it Christmas.

Thirty years later the man, Jesus, comes to fulfill the law and prophets by setting captives free from sin.  This time He is wrapped in blood.  A severe lashing becomes the stripes of healing.  Thorns are the crown He so majestically wears as King of kings and Lord of lords.  The weight of sin is placed on His back and He carries it through the streets of a city whose name means peace.  Hands and feet are pierced becoming the cross of salvation.  We celebrate this gift and call it Easter.

Since the dawn of creation God has given many gifts; such as free will to call Him friend.  With His very breath He wrapped us in the gift of the Holy Spirit.  Everyday I unwrap this gift when I produce fruit of the Spirit rather than desires of the flesh. Finally the perfect gift, unconditional love, which for the joy set before Him God willingly purchased with His blood. We celebrate this gift and call it eternal life.

That Voice

Whenever I edit someone else's writing I listen for the voice within the piece.  I'm careful that any changes I make don't sound like me. I remember a few years ago a friend had talked with another friend; she then said; "Rhonda you are spending entirely too much time together!  You sound alike!  I thought I was talking to you!"  At the time I laughed, but the Lord had been trying to get the same point across to me and I hadn't been listening.  I spent a lot of time with that person and I did sound like her.  I had to step back and restore my voice; which was a process.

Remembering this prompts me to wonder;  "Do I let the Word made flesh, Jesus, speak in His voice or edit it to sound like my own?"  Jesus said: "My sheep shall know my voice."  At Mt. Sinai the people were given the choice to go up and hear God's voice, they chose not too and wanted Moses to listen for them.  Do I choose to have ears to hear?  Or do I want others to listen for me?  Am I abiding so that I know the nuances of His voice?

I soooooooo desire to hear the voice of creation!  What words did He ponder on, then chose to create dirt?  I imagine a math equation of words that formed the dust of the earth.  It was important to get dirt just right because after all it's what formed man in God's image. When the breath entered in how long did it take to activate the eardrum?  What were the first words heard? 

I wonder such things because I want to know that I know it's His voice when speaking.  I train my ears to listen because He's not just my Savior, Lord, God and King but my Friend.  I want to hear when there's something He wants to talk about.  When the still small voice that directs, encourages, corrects, and just wants to chat calls my name; I want to make sure I hear that voice.

Finish the Course

For the joy set before . . .  Run the race . . .  I've been told I run like a girl; Duh, I am a girl.  Yet when it comes to the joy set before me I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength, even run.  But there are times I become weary; especially if I'm running with out joyful endurance.  Then I need to walk and not faint.  If I don't take the time to walk I'll end up crawling to the finish line, if I'm lucky.  But I don't want to depend upon luck; I want sufficient grace to help me with what I can't do for myself; put my eyes back on the prize of joy unspeakable and full of glory.  Marvelous, intangible glory which strengthens my soul.  Not pride or reward but shekinah glory; the evidence of God's enveloping presence that manifests itself as a cloud by day and fire by night. They reveal the prepared way and then I can finish the course.

One

Heaven awaits!  Jesus greets me with a smile that rivals a glorious sunrise.  I humbly fall to my knees in awe of what He's done for me.  His outstretched hand clasps mine; He raises me up and with a kiss on the cheek says, "Rhonda meet your Father!"  I gaze into the sapphire eyes of the great I AM.  He draws me in, cupping my face in His hands as He kisses my forehead.  Strong arms envelope me; my heart melts as tears of joy flow down my cheeks.  I am Home!  He is the mansion prepared!  Time no longer exists as I spend an eternity knowing the heart of the father as He knows mine.  Curiosity is sparked for I know the mysteries of creation hidden within a gentle hug.  Words remain elusive yet everything is said.  I pull back and His smile, oh the light that emanates from His smile, soothes the scars on my wounded soul.  The cool warmth of His touch restores my image to its sin free state.  My fearfully and wonderfully made spirit soars throughout the heavenlies.  Finally! I and the father are one. 

Questions Anyone?

Been thinkin (Imagine that! :):)) about heaven!  Where is it? What in heavens name, pun intended ;), will I do there for an eternity?  Who is there? Other than who I already know. The biggie, when will I get to go?  Don't worry I'm not in a hurry.  Why? There are a bazillion whys I want to ask.  I find 'how' to be the most interesting of all questions.  So how ..... (fill in the blank)?  The How's out weigh the Whys ten to one.  When I was a child I thought like a child, meaning at two the questions are why, why, why.  As childish things pass away I want to know how!!

I anticipate heaven, to state the obvious, will be exceedingly abundantly above all I could ask or think. Then abundant thinking it is! I know it's not possible to be disappointed so why not!  Hm mm, which makes me think (I know quit thinkin so much:) is that when Thy will be done on earth as in heaven becomes a reality?  Don't have the answer, just the question.  How exciting!  To know there is an eternity of discovering HOW! To paraphrase Job; I wasn't there Lord, so just how did you make a Leviathan? Questions anyone?

The Tutor

Curiosity; a desire to learn or know.  Miss Lashbaugh encouraged curiosity by rewarding me with trips to the library.  Her tutelage developed in me a passion for reading, learning and writing.  Jesus sparks curiosity by sending the Holy Spirit to teach all things about the Father. Biblical teachers are to equip disciples with curiosity.  A tutor is provided to temper curiosity so we can excel in growing from grace to grace, strength to strength, glory to glory, faith to faith.

I become curious when my Teacher, the Holy Spirit, introduces a subject for study.  I begin to ask questions: Who? What? When? Where? Why?  Recently He tickled my passion for learning with a lesson about faith to faith.  As I began to ponder and study the teacher sent me to the library, in this case the book of Galatians. There a tutor, the Law, reminds me a learning process involves growing pains which requires letting go of old favored ideas and embracing new.  With that in mind I seek out the tutor for the law of faith! 

As the lesson progresses I learn that faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.  I'm taught by the Word that the righteousness of God is revealed faith to faith.  So I've just learned the tutor for faith is righteousness. Christ redeemed me from the Law's curse so I know it's the blessing of the Law that will tutor. God promises the righteous man shall live by faith. What a relief! I'm more than willing to let righteousness tutor all it wants about faith.  I know faith's curiosity will be satisfied because learning God's promised righteousness is a glory filled adventure.

Now rather than becoming anxious about a list of don'ts based on "The Law"; righteousness's promise will tutor me as I grow faith to faith with what I can do through Christ, which is all things. As a result I'm free to let old knowledge pass away and faith knowledge become new.  I'm beginning to understand why there would even be the need to go from faith to faith.   If I don't grow; I feel entitled; then I become subject to that faith's law, which quenches curiosity. I'm blessed Miss Lashbaugh was and the Holy Spirit is an excellent teacher in sparking curiosity. Thankfully I've been given the Law's tutor of righteousness to keep faith to faith's curiosity from getting out of hand.  Because after all without a tutor; look at what curiosity did to the cat.

His Compassion

I've often wondered why Jesus was moved to compassion when meeting the needs of the multitudes.  The simple definition of compassion is loving concern.  He personified love incarnate and yet had to be moved to love. Why?  Perhaps because He knew they needed unconditional love; they are distressed and downcast because they do not have a shepherd and He is moved to compassion. The people received little, if any, compassion from their leaders.  Jesus said; 'Do unto others AS you would have done unto you.'  The religious leaders twisted that into; 'I will do for you but only after you do according to the conditions of the Law.'  Jesus' response was to fulfill the law by loving His neighbor as Himself; the overflow of loving God with all His heart, mind, soul and strength.


He begins the Father's business by turning His neighbor's water into the best wine they'd ever had.  He makes His way to the Temple at Passover, desiring to honor the memory of how his Father saved Israel from Egypt's death.  Only to discover His Father's house has been turned into a marketplace.  With passionate zeal He overturns tables and runs them off, so that the people could again know God's holiness in their place of worship. Then He encounters a teacher of Israel, Nicodemus, and tells him what it means to be born again; that God loves the world so much He's giving His only begotten Son so that whoever BELIEVES, not just follow the conditional Law, would have eternal life.  Next is a woman at a well and He asks her for a drink of water.  She's surprised such a man would even speak to her.  He proceeds to tell her all about herself and then reveals He is Messiah.  I love how excited she was for she leaves her water pot at the well and dashes back to town announcing "Come, see a man who told me all the things that I have done; this is the Messiah is it not?!"  They believe her testimony and follow her back to Jesus. 


Lepers are healed, blind are given sight, deaf begin to hear, demons are cast out and many are fed with nothing more than a few loaves and fishes.  Upon seeing the multitudes He feels their pain, understands their heartache, finally He can love them as God's son.  He is the wine that will quench their thirst.  They can freely worship in the beauty of holiness; because He is the temple. Eternal life is possible simply by believing in Him.  Excitement grows because people now know someone who loves them in spite of themselves, a powerful testimony to the masses.  Humanity knows Jesus speaks with authority and manifests loving concern for them.  His love was so great and yet He was moved to love all the more, even before He'd lovingly laid down His life. Amazing!  Mankind still needs Jesus to be moved to compassion. The thing is it happens when WE love the Lord our God with all our heart, mind, soul and strength and our neighbor as ourself.  Why?  Because WE are His compassion.