Sacred Insight: What’s the intention?
As you read, considering the context, determine the intention behind the author’s words. Name all that apply: 1. To show us His truth, 2.To expose our human rebellion 3. To correct our mistakes, or 4. To train us to live like Jesus. (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
Have you ever stopped to consider the many versions of yourself that have existed throughout the years? It’s pretty wild to think about. Just think, that same you that used to lay in a crib, looking up at Grandma peering down at you, wondering if she ever considered trimming her nose hairs, is now sitting at a desk doing trigonometry, or taxes, or eating a peanut butter and marshmallow sandwich. That same you that thought your first boyfriend would be the man you’d marry and always thought you’d grow up to be a circus clown, was and is, still you.
You’ve most likely changed (or lost) your hair over the years. You probably wear a bigger pants size and you have most likely changed your likes and dislikes innumerable times. You’ve squeezed a lot of life into a relatively short time frame, no matter your age. But that person you used to be at any point in time, is still the person that you are now. Every version of you was undeniably just as you as, well, you.
Psalm 139: 13 For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
And then, He was there clapping and blowing airhorns when you came into this world like a cold and slimy reptile; He was with you when you got your first pair of Nike’s, when you lost your first tooth, and He will be there when you lose your very last tooth. He has been walking alongside you every. single. day.
God has been there for all of it – dreaming alongside you, protecting you, calling you to Himself. He knew you like the back of his hand when you were in diapers and and he knows you like the back of his hand now.
Our scripture says that neither death nor life and neither the present nor the future can separate us from God. Now that we’ve taken some time to think about the many versions of ourselves that God has known and seen us through, hopefully these words from our scripture have become a little more personal. God was with us before we knew life and God will be with us when we face death. God was with us in every moment of our past, He’s with us in every present moment and he will be with us in the future – whatever the future may hold.
No matter which way we look, there God is. His presence is constant – from the moment of our inception until the day of our earthly death where we finally get to be with Jesus forever. Let’s read our scripture again through that lens of our past, present and future selves.
Romans 8:38-39
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
These are heady thoughts, huh? Things like past versions of ourselves and the concept of eternity, are hard to wrap our minds around. But in the Bible, we are only asked to live in the present moment with God. So, this week, focus on seizing this present moment with our Heavenly Father.
Begin that practice with Psalm 23. Psalm 23 is a beautiful illustration of what it looks like to walk with our Heaven Father in the present moment, every day. As you read, ponder your present intimacy of Christ through the lens of God’s never-failing presence in our lives.
Psalm 23
1 The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.
4 Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.
6 Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
What is one version of yourself that you can remember very clearly? (Elementary school you, middle-school you, high school you, first-job you, college you, new-parent you, etc.)
What is something about yourself that has changed dramatically over the years—but is still somehow unmistakably you?
How did you think of God during this time? Looking back, where do you see evidence of God in your life during this time?
Does knowing that God has been present through every version of you change the way you think about your past? How?
Psalm 23 describes God as a shepherd who leads, refreshes, guides, comforts, provides, and stays with us. Which of those do you most need from God right now?
Verse 4 says, “Even though I walk through the darkest valley… you are with me.” How does God’s presence change the way we walk through difficult seasons?
What do you think about most when you think about God being a part of your future?
If God has been with every version of you, and He is with you right now, what do you think He might be inviting the present version of you to trust Him with?
Live It Out:
- Write out our scripture in your journal. Add notes, drawings, encouragements and thoughts about its original intention and meaning.
- Journal about where you can see God being with you in the past. How was he working things out in ways you never would’ve thought to do?