Yes, today is the first day in my entire like that I would actually pray for stretch marks. Of course, not the physical kind but based on today's sermon by Tim Woodruff (sp) I would be referring to the spiritual kind. The sermon was taken from John 16: 12 - 15.
He (Tim) actually had a unique way of reading those verses to the congregation. First he read it the way we would normally read it but then afterward he broke down the verses and read each verse backward (not word for word but verse by verse). The context of the verse is when Jesus is praying in the garden before his crucifixion.
I can't go into all of the sermon but the one anology he had really stuck with me. It goes like this:
V 15. - All that the Father has is mine; this is what I mean when I say that Spirit will reveal to you whatever he receives from me.
He used an analogy of a suitcase and is giving it to Jesus. What is in the suitcase is all of God's glory, majesty, everything He created and is passing it over to him.
V 14. - He will bring me glory by revealing to you whatever he receives from me.
Since Jesus has been given the suitcase with all of God's glory, majesty, and everything that God created Jesus will now take that suitcase and bring it with him to earth. His purpose on earth is to share with you all that is in that suitcase.
V 13. - When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not be presenting his own ideas; he will be telling you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future.
V 12. - Oh, there is so much more I want to tell you, but you can't bear it now.
Jesus wants to share with us all that is in the suitcase but to share all of it would be unbearable to us. We cannot handle all that God has in store for us.
Tim later went on to challenge us to pray to stretch and grow that we may take in all that God wants us to enjoy and flourish in His glory.
Lord, I pray that You will stretch me farther than I can imagine. That I will learn more of Your truth and grow deeper in Your knowledge. My fear is that with these requests will be things that will challenge me and with challenges can come tears or hurt but I know You will be with me. You only give us small bite-size amounts because we can only handle so much so I pray that I can take on more of what you want me to be and strive to become. Lord, I pray for spiritual stretch marks so people can see the change in me because I'm growing faster than if I was complacent in my life.
3 years ago
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It was a good sermon and you summarized that analogy well...helps to visualize it that way.
ReplyDeleteSo, I've been thinking about this whole "stretch mark" analogy. I like it. I like it a lot. I was thinking of it in relation to my body (because, you know, it's all about me- haha). I've got literal stretch marks. I don't like them. They were uncomfortable when they were forming. I, personally, look at them and think they don't look very nice. Jeff, however, thinks they are beautiful. He told me they remind him of the beautiful thing that came from having stretch marks!!! So, not that I'm comparing Jeff to God or anything like that (he's got a ways to go), but, I wonder if the Lord looks at us in much the same way. Perhaps our stretch marks seem uncomfortable and unsightly to us at the time, but maybe God looks at us and thinks, "That is my beautiful child whom I am growing to be more like me!" And when I think of it like that, maybe I could almost kinda sorta actually LIKE my stretch marks- the ones on my body and the spiritual ones. Thank you for your thoughts and for challenging me today.
ReplyDeleteGlad I could help. And I agree, it can be beautiful. Beauty is in the eye of the Beholder, right?!
ReplyDeleteThank-you for sending me the link to this Becky! Wow! It's so cool how God speaks through people just when you need it. I'm in the place of allowing myself to be stretched right now. Because I've surrendered my "stuff" to him through the process I am actually experiencing joy through the journey, something I never imagined possible for me. I like how you said he gives it two us always in chunks that we can manage and always gives us what we need and more to get through. You are such a blessing girl!
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