John 13:3-5, 12-16

Happy Wednesday, y'all! :)

---

John 13:3-5, 12-16

Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into His hands, and that He had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside His outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around His waist. Then He poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around Him.

When He had washed their feet and put on His outer garments and resumed His place, He said to them, "Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him."

 

I don't want to "over-spiritualize" this story and command from Jesus, nor do I want to insinuate that He didn't mean that there are times when we are to literally wash one another's feet. However, as I read this story the other day, I was struck with some parallels to a different kind of "foot washing".

Just as Jesus "laid aside His outer garments", we must lay aside our pride in order to serve. And, joined very closely to that, we also must take up humility and wrap it around us, like Jesus taking the towel and tying it around His waist. This isn't a false humility that looks down on self, it's a useful humility that enables us to serve with the gifts God has given us.

So then what of the water in the basin? Well, here's how I see it: the "water" is the word of God, able to cleanse and sanctify the most hidden parts of any life (Ephesians 5:16-17). We pour it out into a "basin" by reading it, studying it, memorizing it until it fills our entire being and is so ingrained in us we are able to use it in our lives, and speak it into the lives of others (Colossians 3:16). And so we wash the "spiritual feet" of those God may bring into our lives to minister to! Every time we share God's words with another person or group of people, it's like washing their feet as we share with them the words that have the power to bring life and cleansing.

 

Father, give me eyes to see the needs of those You bring to me, wisdom to know how best to meet those needs, words to speak when words are called for, courage to act when action is needed, and humility to serve as You served.

 

May the Lord richly bless you as you "wash the feet" of those He brings into your life!

 

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
If this e-mail was forwarded to you and you would like to receive the Mornin' SunShine e-mails on a regular basis yourself, you can e-mail me at mornin_sunshine@psalm686.com with "subscribe" in the subject line. If you would like to unsubscribe, just e-mail me at the address above with "unsubscribe" in the subject line and I will take you off the list.

John 10:9-10

Hey, everyone! :)

---

John 10:9-10

I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

 

There are four things offered to the person who "enters by Me [Jesus]", that is, comes to the Father through faith in Jesus Christ and lives by this faith: 1. salvation--"he will be saved"; 2. liberty--"he will...go in and out"; 3. peace and provision--"he will...find pasture"

On the other hand, the world and the counterfeits it offers only bring death, deceit and destruction; the comparison seems pretty easy to me! I'll go for that "life...more abundantly" deal! :)

 

Father, as if just being Yours wasn't blessing enough, You heap blessings upon blessings on those who trust in You! Thank You!! Help me to live fully in the abundant life You have given to me.

 

May the Lord richly bless you as you walk with Him!

 

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

John 12:20-26

Mornin', y'all!! :)

---

John 12:20-26
Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast. Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus." Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus. But Jesus answered them, saying, "The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there My servant will be also. If anyone serves Me, him My Father will honor."

Although I was familiar with this passage, it wasn't until the other day that I connected the fact that this was Jesus' answer to the statement, "We want to see Jesus". What does it take to truly see Jesus?

• dying in order to bear fruit
• not clinging to life on this earth
• serving Jesus wherever He is and has called me to be
• following Jesus--all the way to the cross

Father, I want to see Jesus! No matter the cost, wherever it may lead, I want to see Him and His glory!

May the Lord richly bless you as you seek to see Jesus!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

John 17:20-23

Hey, y'all!
I'm kinda having a little trouble today communicating what's in my heart and mind from these verses, but hopefully it's a bit clearer than mud. I just can't think of another way to put it!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
John 17:20-23
“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me."

I think the most intriguing phrase in these verses is the last one: "as You have loved Me". Wow, how amazing is that?! The Father loves us just as He loved Jesus! He loved Jesus so much, He placed Him in a loving earthly family, and gave Him all power in heaven and earth. God loved Jesus so much, He proclaimed to all the world that this was His son, in whom He was well-pleased. He loved Jesus so much, He let Him walk through the anguish and agony of Gethsemane and Calvary.
Whoa, wait a minute! That sentence doesn't seem to fit; it feels a little like one of those "which of these doesn't belong" kind of riddles. But it does belong. Because God loved His Son Jesus, and He knew that Jesus' greatest desire was to glorify the Father and accomplish His will, He did not shelter Christ from the pain of the cross.
And you know what? God also loves us so much, He will let us will walk through our own garden of Gethsemane, our own Calvary, if that is what it takes to accomplish His plan in our lives and bring Him glory.

Father, thank You for Your love! More than anything, I want to bring You glory, to know that my life is all that You want it to be--whatever it takes!

May the Lord bless you richly with His overwhelming love!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

John 11:34-45

Good morning, everyone!
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
John 11:34-45
And He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, “See how He loved him!” And some of them said, “Could not this Man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?”
Then Jesus, again groaning in Himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?” Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.” Then many of the Jews who had come to Mary, and had seen the things Jesus did, believed in Him.

This little story is all about belief. First the Jews questioned--"couldn't He have kept Lazarus from dying?" Then Martha questioned--"are You sure You want to do that, Jesus? By now, the body stinks"--and Jesus patiently reminded her of their earlier conversation. And then Jesus raised the dead and a lot of those who had doubted now believed.
I think my favorite part, though, is Jesus' prayer. Have you ever heard someone praying and known that they were actually talking to *you*? Like when my dad would pray at family devotions when I was a kid, and we'd be wiggling or whispering or whatever and he'd throw in a sentence like this: "And I pray that You'll help the kids to be still and pay attention." (By the way, those prayers always seemed to work amazingly well. :D) Well, I think Jesus' prayer here is rather similar to that. “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” It doesn't get much more direct than that! Jesus wanted to make sure the people standing around knew where His power came from. He wasn't just some "good teacher" or "prophet" who happened to be able to raise the dead. His power, His authority even over death, came straight from God Himself. If He had that God-given authority over death, shouldn't He have authority over life--our lives?

Father, You are sovereign, not just in theory but in reality. You orchestrate the entire universe, yet You wait for me to yield to Your authority in my life. Well, I am Yours--completely and unreservedly!

May the Lord bless you richly as you trust in His sovereign authority!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website

John 11:28-33

Good morning, y'all!
I'm trying a new way of doing the Mornin' SunShine e-mails. This is actually published to a blog, then e-mailed to you. It allows me to schedule a post to publish, which means I can set it up to still send out the devotionals when I'm going to be gone. It will also automatically archive all the posts/e-mails for me. The old archives will still be on the main Mornin' SunShine website, though. (http://www.psalm686.com/MorninSunShine)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
John 11:28-33
And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary her sister, saying, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you.” As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly and came to Him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met Him. Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, “She is going to the tomb to weep there." Then, when Mary came where Jesus was, and saw Him, she fell down at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, He groaned in the spirit and was troubled.

Look at the difference between how Jesus responded to Mary and how He responded to Martha. They both say almost the exact same thing, but He has a "deep" conversation with Martha, whereas He just starts crying with Mary. Why? It's not because He likes one more than the other, or because one is better in some way. They're just different. But who says different is bad? Jesus grieved with both Martha and Mary, each in their own way. He meets each person where they are, the way they are.

Father, thank You for always meeting me where I am, with just what I need, giving me the freedom to be "me" in Your grace!

May the Lord bless you richly with His grace and joy!

Dancing in the rain,
Haley "SunShine" Miller
"Exhort one another daily while it is called 'Today'" (Hebrews 3:13)
Mornin' SunShine Website