2/6/2012

John 3:1-2 There was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.”

Here Nicodemus is coming to Jesus secretly seeking truth. He was the ruler of the Jews holding a very prominent place over society, yet obviously questioning whether the Jewish community’s stand on Jesus was right. He knew there was something more and desired to find it.

However, it is interesting to note that Nicodemus comes to Jesus by night, no doubt because he was risking his reputation and potentially his life. Yet, isn’t this exactly what Christ did for us and more. He was punished a criminal’s death his reputation tainted, yet not because of anything He did. He was completely true and pure, yet He died an excruciatingly painful death for us when we did absolutely NOTHING to deserve it.  This is convicting to me because I am reminded of Psalm 27 where it says “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?” I should not fear for my reputation, my relationships, or even my life if that means choosing to obey Jesus Christ with all of my heart with no compromise.

Lord, I pray that I would fear no one nor anything but You. You alone have the words of eternal life and I desire to seek the truth in You.

2/7/2012

John 3:3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

I love how in verse 2 Nicodemus had not even really posed a question, yet Jesus knew exactly what he was looking for. All Nicodemus had stated was he believed that Jesus was from God because of the signs he had seen Jesus do. I love how Jesus responds with such a simple answer. God knows exactly what we are thinking even when we are having a hard time conjuring it up into understandable words. God has given the Gospel in simplified concepts that we might understand. There are aspects of Him we just won’t be able to fully enjoy until we are actually with Him in paradise.

God, thank you for not lording Your knowledge, strength, and power over me even when you have every right to do just that. Instead, you call me Your daughter providing a simple way that I might become part of your family, to be born again. When I am feeling misunderstood by others and sense frustration rising in my heart, I want to quickly remind myself that God knows all my thoughts and intentions. There is no need for anxiety and fear because God knows ALL even before I speak the words.

2/8/2012

John 3:4-6 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” Jesus answered, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.

Here Nicodemus is only seeing what is visible to the physical eye, yet God is not limited to the physical… He is not bound by time, past decisions, present circumstances, and future decisions. He is outside of all our boundaries things possible and impossible in this world. I love that we can be a part of God’s family by being spiritually born into His family. I am daughter of the King…how incredible this is. Truly, God has been giving me more of a love for Him than I have ever before in my life experienced, and I am so thankful to be a part of His family.

God, just as you have demonstrated Your power in my life to do the impossible by making me a part of Your family, I desire to have that same faith in You to do numerous other miracles in my life and the lives of those around me. These situations may seem impossible in the moment but it just takes a word from Your mouth to speak and it will be done.

2/9/2012

John 3:7-8 “Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ “The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes.

Being born again takes faith. I love how Jesus uses such a simple concept (wind) to help our finite minds understand how our attitude should be of faith. That is what faith is “the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not yet seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) “The evidence of things not yet seen”, God has plans and promises for my life that I might not see the evidence of now but have to have hope for.

For verses 4-6, I emphasized having more faith in the acts of God for my application…His strength to do the impossible. Here in these verses, I want to apply faith in the area of my future. God knows where the wind comes from and where it goes. I don’t and I don’t need to know…all I need to know is to trust Him in the moment and follow the Lord as He leads me.

John 3:12 If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?

Oh, what a helpless case we are sometimes. J  It makes me smile when I think of the immense patience Christ has for us. Truly, I would have given up on the world a long time ago if I was God. Here Nicodemus is questioning and struggling to accept the truth of having the simple faith in God to be spiritually born into His family. At the same time, even though I do struggle at times with faith in different areas of my life at times, it makes me excited as I anticipate all that Christ will show us in heaven. For here it says, “How will you believe if I tell you heavenly things?” There is a whole other aspect of God that we have not yet experienced, a heavenly one. What a gloriously grand day that will be when our eyes are fully opened to see the splendor of God.

God, please forgive me where I have doubted you and not believed in even the earthly things you have shown me. Thank you that you have even greater with more vast heavenly things still yet to show me which makes me so excited with anticipation for that amazing day!