As I read the lectionary readings for next week,
Isaiah 6:1-8
Psalm 29:1-11
Romans 8:12-17
John 3:1-17
I was struck not only by the majesty, glory, and love of God but also the response that all of who He is elicits.
Isaiah responds to the holiness and might of God (Is 6:1-4) with the recognition of his own sin and uncleanness as well as that of his people (Is 6:5). When his sin is taken away (Is 6:7), he responds with a willingness to go and be sent out on God’s behalf (Is 6:8).
In Psalm 29, the glory, strength, and holiness of the LORD brings about his praise and worship (Ps 29:1-2, 9)
Nicodemus respond to the miracles of Jesus with recognition of where Jesus has come from (Jn 3:2) and a heart willing to ask questions in order to learn (Jn 3:4, 9).
Our Lord Jesus then encourages, not just Nicodemus but all who would enter the kingdom of heaven, to respond to Him by being born again of water and Spirit (Jn 3:5) and believing in the Son of Man that they may not perish but have eternal life (Jn 3:13-17).
Finally, in light of the righteousness we have in Christ (Rom 8:1-4) and the life we have by the resurrection of the Holy Spirit (Rom 8:9-11), the apostle Paul calls us to live according to the Spirit and put to death the deeds of the flesh (Rom 8:13), knowing that we are co-heirs with Christ if indeed we suffer with Him that we may be glorified with Him (Rom 8:17).
I am reminded of Nik Ripken’s reflection on his interview with the toughest man he ever met in The Insanity of God. This man had endured imprisonment, beatings, and being left for dead due to his faith. When Nik reflected on how he was able to endure, he concluded it was because
He knew for whom he was suffering. This man not only knew Jesus, he was also convinced that Jesus was worth whatever his faith might cost him. (The Insanity of God, 289.)
Though I am still working to discern what God has in store for me after my Master’s program, through all the uncertainty and the difficulty of the program and this year I know that God is far greater than the cost. I want to respond with the willingness of Isaiah to serve wherever God may call me and with the everyday walking in the Spirit to which Paul calls us. For now, I am fighting to put God first in everything I do and to trust him in every step I take.
What part of who God has revealed Himself to be sticks out to you? How are you or do you desire to respond to who God is?
What else sticks out to you from these lectionary readings?