Good morning, y'all! :)
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2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
Growing up in an ultra-conservative, Biblically centered homeschooling family, I had a LOT of "Bible knowledge". I was the little kid in Sunday school that the teachers loved and the other kids were not so fond of--I knew all the answers and loooooved impressing the adults in my life with that fact. As I grew older, of course my Bible knowledge had to grow, too. What impressed people when I was 7 is no longer impressive now that I'm 25!! Somewhere along the way, I started putting a lot of pressure on myself to find deep, amazing things in the Bible. Now, of course there are deep, amazing things in the Bible, and they are certainly worth finding! But sometimes, the things God wants me to see are the simple things; and I miss them when I'm after my own idea of "amazing"--mainly, stuff that will "wow" other people.
God is not complicated. Complex, mysterious, paradoxical, and impossible to wrap my little finite brain around, yes--but not complicated. There is a "simplicity that is in Christ", the reality that God makes Himself very accessible to us when we are willing to approach Him with open hearts and eyes, willing to throw aside our own ideas and preconceived notions and just see Him. In all His glorious simplicity!
Father, I'm coming back to the sweet simplicity that is in You. Teach me from Your word what You would have me learn; help me to keep my eyes and ears and heart open to You alone.
May the Lord bless you richly as you delight in the "simplicity that is in Christ"!
Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website
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Showing posts with label 2 Corinthians. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2 Corinthians. Show all posts
Monday, June 6, 2011
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
Good morning, y'all! :)
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2 Corinthians 4:6-7
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
So often in my life, I can't help but wonder: why me? Why would God choose to use me as a vessel to communicate His message to the world? I'm just an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life. I just serve an extraordinary God! And then I read these verses in 2 Corinthians, and I realize: the answer to my "why me?" is just this--because God. Because God wants to use me. Because God called me, chose me. Because God loves to use "earthen vessels"--ordinary, everyday people--to show His extraordinary love. Because that way, it is clear that all the excellence is God alone. Why me? Because God.
Father, I still wonder sometimes why You would choose me. But the fact is--You did. You do. And I am humbled and amazed! May You and You alone flow through me and get the glory!
May the Lord bless you richly as you let Him pour His love out through you!
Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
2 Corinthians 4:6-7
For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.
So often in my life, I can't help but wonder: why me? Why would God choose to use me as a vessel to communicate His message to the world? I'm just an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life. I just serve an extraordinary God! And then I read these verses in 2 Corinthians, and I realize: the answer to my "why me?" is just this--because God. Because God wants to use me. Because God called me, chose me. Because God loves to use "earthen vessels"--ordinary, everyday people--to show His extraordinary love. Because that way, it is clear that all the excellence is God alone. Why me? Because God.
Father, I still wonder sometimes why You would choose me. But the fact is--You did. You do. And I am humbled and amazed! May You and You alone flow through me and get the glory!
May the Lord bless you richly as you let Him pour His love out through you!
Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website
Thursday, May 28, 2009
2 Corinthians 11:2-3
Good morning, y'all!
I'm so sorry for the really long silence (hopefully nobody else has been counting the days I've missed writing a Mornin' SunShine e-mail...). Things have been extraordinarily busy, even for us, but that's not really a good excuse. :P
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2 Corinthians 11:2-3
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The phrase in this passage that gripped my attention was "the simplicity that is in Christ". There is just something so sweet and refreshing about the way Paul states that, the reminder that our faith is, really, based on a sweet simplicity. Of course, with my love for words and their meanings, I had to look this one up, and that led to looking up some others in this passage, and I found some fascinating stuff.
First, "simplicity"--the Greek word here means "singleness, that is, sincerity (without dissimulation or self seeking)", or as Thayer's puts it, "singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty; the virtue of one who is free from pretence and hypocrisy; not self seeking, openness of heart". It's taken from a root word that means "simple, single; whole". So...Paul is seeking to keep the church from being corrupted from the wholeness, the sincerity, the freedom from pretence and self-seeking that is in Christ. Wow...that right there is a lot to think about!!
But wait--there's more! :) Seeing the word "singleness" in the definitions for "simplicity" drew my attention back to verse 2, where Paul is talking about betrothing the church to one husband (Christ) and desiring to present her (the church) as a chaste virgin. The phrase "one husband" is loaded without having to look up any words. It just doesn't get much simpler than the word "one"! We as believers are in a covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ; He is the ONE to whom we should be faithful! We tend to get distracted, pulled in different directions, trying to split our allegiance between Christ and the things of this world, and we need to come back to this simple, foundational truth: we are committed to just One.
That also got me to looking at the "chaste virgin" part. The word here for "chaste" means, according to Strong's, "clean, that is, innocent, modest, perfect". Good stuff, but not really anything overly exciting. Thayer's definition, however, puts it in a different light..."exciting reverence, venerable, sacred; pure--pure from carnality, chaste, modest; pure from every fault, immaculate". And then the root Greek word here is hagios, which means "sacred (or consecrated)" or "a most holy thing". Something that is sacred or holy has been set apart for a special purpose, and it is worthy of reverence and honor. What blows me away is that Paul is using these words to describe the church. Us. Me. He is saying that, as part of the bride of Christ, I have been set apart as a precious, sacred thing worthy of honor and value--and therefore worthy of jealously guarding. To see myself in that light--the way Jesus sees me--makes me more eager to guard myself from sin, to strive to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Not so I can earn my salvation or brownie points or jewels in a heavenly crown, but as a reflection of what He has done for me and the value He has bestowed on me.
Father, thank You...what more can I say?! You are so good and so wonderful to me! Help me to live a life that is sacred, set apart for You, striving to please You alone in all that I do!
May the Lord bless you richly as you seek to live in the simplicty that is in Christ!
Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website
I'm so sorry for the really long silence (hopefully nobody else has been counting the days I've missed writing a Mornin' SunShine e-mail...). Things have been extraordinarily busy, even for us, but that's not really a good excuse. :P
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
2 Corinthians 11:2-3
For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
The phrase in this passage that gripped my attention was "the simplicity that is in Christ". There is just something so sweet and refreshing about the way Paul states that, the reminder that our faith is, really, based on a sweet simplicity. Of course, with my love for words and their meanings, I had to look this one up, and that led to looking up some others in this passage, and I found some fascinating stuff.
First, "simplicity"--the Greek word here means "singleness, that is, sincerity (without dissimulation or self seeking)", or as Thayer's puts it, "singleness, simplicity, sincerity, mental honesty; the virtue of one who is free from pretence and hypocrisy; not self seeking, openness of heart". It's taken from a root word that means "simple, single; whole". So...Paul is seeking to keep the church from being corrupted from the wholeness, the sincerity, the freedom from pretence and self-seeking that is in Christ. Wow...that right there is a lot to think about!!
But wait--there's more! :) Seeing the word "singleness" in the definitions for "simplicity" drew my attention back to verse 2, where Paul is talking about betrothing the church to one husband (Christ) and desiring to present her (the church) as a chaste virgin. The phrase "one husband" is loaded without having to look up any words. It just doesn't get much simpler than the word "one"! We as believers are in a covenant relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ; He is the ONE to whom we should be faithful! We tend to get distracted, pulled in different directions, trying to split our allegiance between Christ and the things of this world, and we need to come back to this simple, foundational truth: we are committed to just One.
That also got me to looking at the "chaste virgin" part. The word here for "chaste" means, according to Strong's, "clean, that is, innocent, modest, perfect". Good stuff, but not really anything overly exciting. Thayer's definition, however, puts it in a different light..."exciting reverence, venerable, sacred; pure--pure from carnality, chaste, modest; pure from every fault, immaculate". And then the root Greek word here is hagios, which means "sacred (or consecrated)" or "a most holy thing". Something that is sacred or holy has been set apart for a special purpose, and it is worthy of reverence and honor. What blows me away is that Paul is using these words to describe the church. Us. Me. He is saying that, as part of the bride of Christ, I have been set apart as a precious, sacred thing worthy of honor and value--and therefore worthy of jealously guarding. To see myself in that light--the way Jesus sees me--makes me more eager to guard myself from sin, to strive to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Not so I can earn my salvation or brownie points or jewels in a heavenly crown, but as a reflection of what He has done for me and the value He has bestowed on me.
Father, thank You...what more can I say?! You are so good and so wonderful to me! Help me to live a life that is sacred, set apart for You, striving to please You alone in all that I do!
May the Lord bless you richly as you seek to live in the simplicty that is in Christ!
Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website
Thursday, April 16, 2009
2 Corinthians 3:16-18
Hey, y'all!
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2 Corinthians 3:16-18
Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
When we turn to the Lord for wisdom and understanding, the veil that kept Old Testament believers from seeing Him is removed and we are able to behold His glory. And as we gaze at Him and His glory, we are transformed into the same image! It is in looking at Christ that we become like Him, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord!
Father, help me to keep my eyes on You, beholding Your glory and being transformed into Your image!
May the Lord bless you richly as you fix your eyes on Him, becoming like Him!
Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
2 Corinthians 3:16-18
Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
When we turn to the Lord for wisdom and understanding, the veil that kept Old Testament believers from seeing Him is removed and we are able to behold His glory. And as we gaze at Him and His glory, we are transformed into the same image! It is in looking at Christ that we become like Him, from glory to glory, by the Spirit of the Lord!
Father, help me to keep my eyes on You, beholding Your glory and being transformed into Your image!
May the Lord bless you richly as you fix your eyes on Him, becoming like Him!
Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website
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