Quest for Hope
A Heart for Jesus 2-11-16
John 1:14-17
Lent is a time for honest reflection. It is a time to be reminded of humanity’s ongoing sin against God’s selfless love; humans prefer selfishness and this choice separates us from the divine presence. God is pure love and cannot occupy the same space as selfishness; He is Light and in Him is no darkness. Each of us enters the world born with selfish and self-exalting inclinations and because of Grace, we are now invited into the redemptive process as children of God—children learning the ways of holy love. Because of Jesus we can know the truth of our original identity—created in the image of God—receive the forgiving mercy of God, and grow in the power of Grace (God’s Riches at Christ’s Expense). Do you long for truth about yourself wrapped in tender mercy?
Israel cried out to God for a Messiah; God’s people were waiting for their savior to come riding into town, rescue their nation, and heal them through the Torah observances and Temple worship. When Jesus Messiah arrived; however, very few recognized him as his image was humble, gentle, meek, and lowly. John the Baptist proclaimed Jesus as the One they had been waiting for over the generations, but Jesus did not come to rescue the nation or use religion as a healing mechanism. Jesus came to restore humanity’s relationship to the Father; to be Truth wrapped in tender mercy. Jesus came to reveal truth about ourselves and to close the gap between humanity and God. Jesus came to be the Bridge, so we could invite divinely guided change and restoration for our misguided and self-centered souls. The Word (Jesus) became flesh—a Living Expression—and lived among us to show us how to glorify our Creator.
In the power of God’s grace—His unmerited favor—we can understand our true identity as children of God. Grace is what causes us to become those loving new creations made in the image of God.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for sending my Savior, Jesus Christ. Thank you for the mercy You extend and the Truth you release into my life. Restore me to my proper image, Holy Spirit, by keeping my heart fixed on Jesus who is the Living Expression of selfless Love. Today is a new day for Truth to permeate my life. I place my hope in Your redemptive grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.