Having a light case of laryngitis is a good thing, at least in my case. It makes me listen more than talk, and in order for God to answer my prayers yesterday, He had to shut me up just a bit.
My granddaughter and I had a long talk. Well into it, she said, “I’m amazed. You and I don’t see things the same way at all, but we have had some remarkable conversations.”
For that, I praise God. He lined up a series of events that led to this remarkable conversation. Thinking back, I know my weak and raspy voice forced me to listen, not just to her, but to His inner voice that was guiding my responses. He gave me words that I’d not normally say.
Whether it shows or not, I’m personally aware that Christ lives here. My normal self is black and white, quick with opinions and advice, and annoyingly dogmatic. But with Jesus in control, I don’t jump into judgment and advice. He puts a guard on my mouth (even if He must use a sore throat to do it) and give me thoughts other than my own.
Today I read in John 14 a conversation Jesus had with His disciples. I’ve always loved this passage because in it He makes clear the way of salvation. He also talks about His relationship with the Father: “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. . . . Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me? The words I say to you are not just my own. Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the miracles themselves.”
Christ is fully man, visible, with a heartbeat, sweat, hunger and fatigue, yet fully God because the Father lives in Him. How can God be confined to a body? He isn’t; He is everywhere, but the Bible says His fullness dwells in His Son.
This is not like polytheism. God is not in trees, stones, wood, animals and people. The Bible does not teach that. Instead, God is “other than” and apart from His creation. He made humans in His image, but does not live inside of them. He was not in them before they sinned in Eden, nor in sinful man after Eden . . . until Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus is called the “only begotten Son.” He is unique.
This is amazing enough, but then Jesus speaks about the Holy Spirit: “The world cannot accept Him, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for He lives with you and will be in you. . . . On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you. . . . If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”
I’m so humbled by this. Not only did He come to earth a live in a human body so we might know Him, and so He could die in our place for those sins, but this same God, the God who created the world, choose to live in those who have sinned against Him! The only stipulation is that we must confess our sin and open the door.
On a much less global scale, I’m deeply humbled that He would gently stop me from speaking so I could (and would) listen to Him talking, then repeat what He said to a crying young woman.
Jesus said that the Father in Him did the works. His humility is amazing. He could have taken the credit. But I also understand what He means. He knew, and I know, who is running things.
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