Revelation 22:1-5 (NKJV)
Genesis 1:9-10 (NKJV)
Matthew 3:13-17 (NKJV)
Philippians 2:8-11 (NKJV)
The Beginning, Part 4
God has certain recurring themes in scripture and I don’t think that’s an accident. I also don’t believe it’s a man-made occurrence. I believe the Spirit of God leads us when we listen.
One of the themes that pops up again and again is water...rivers, lakes, and seas. It’s no accident that In Genesis 1:9-10 God brought order to the chaos of the water and in Matthew 3:13-17, Jesus stepped into the water to be baptized by John the Baptizer. “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
In Genesis God brought the waters together and in Matthew Jesus divided the water opening heaven and earth. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus continued to command water. He turned water into wine. He quieted the storm. He walked on water.
God created water for life, and in Revelation 22:1-5 we read about what God will create for us.
Revelation 22:1-5 says, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”
The River of Life is pure, clear as crystal, and flows from the throne of God.
In the Genesis account about water we read about the mass of water that had no order, and in the Revelation of John we read about a perfect order where the River of Life flows out of God.
Throughout the Old Testament we see remnants of order and meaning from water.
In Isaiah 48:18 water is an example of peace.
In Zechariah 14:8 water is living water that sustains.
In Ezekiel 48:1-9 water is provided as it flows from the Temple of God.
We know from those examples that water is life and provision (physical and spiritual) come from God. As we turn to God throughout our days and weeks, we experience peace. We know that it is God who sustains us. Each day, God provides for us, but still we experience and we witness suffering and pain.
When I watch the news from around the world each evening I am often heartbroken when I see our chaos everywhere. Images from this week in particular were difficult because of massive sickness and turmoil. Today, the turmoil is real. We are restored but we are not restored.
In theological terms, we are living in a time of ‘Now and Not Yet.’ God is here now but there is more to come.
In Revelation 22:2 John reveals the tree of life on either side of the river and tells us the leaves on the tree are for the healing of the nations! In that, we know that God provides a way for perfect communal order. The NATIONS will be healed. That is to come.
This scripture reminds me that the end will be the beginning of healing and perfect restoration. For a time, we are in chaos but that will not last for God will heal and restore all!
Paul wrote in Philippians 2:8-11 that Jesus, “being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Notice that not only will every knee bow in heaven and on earth, but EVERY knee of those under the earth will bow.
EVERY KNEE will bow!
In Revelation 22, verse 3 we are told the curse will be broken for Jesus will be there. We will see the face of Jesus and we will belong to Him forever. The only light we need will come from God, and because God is always present there will be no darkness.
I’ve written before about the day I had a vision that the Spirit took me to the heart of God. Prior to then I had suffered terribly from a past relationship and what I discovered that day is that my suffering was nothing in comparison to how much God hurt FOR me. When I felt God’s pain i knew it was more than I could bear. It was more than 1000 greater than my pain. Thankfully, God only allowed me to feel His pain for a short time. What I know now is that God still carries my suffering.
And so it is with you.
Whatever you have suffered, God carried the bulk of it FOR you. God still carries it FOR you. The good news is that in the beginning of the end, all will be made right in God. Every hurt, all our pain will be healed. The River of Life will wash away all our pain and sorrow.
FOREVER.
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Your Pain
Give your pain to Jesus. If it is severe, it may take several times (or several hundred times), but you will find relief each time you give it to God. And remember...God’s pain for you is many many many times greater than what you carry. That’s because God is carrying the bulk of the pain FOR you!
In God, Deborah
acrazyjourney.com
Genesis 1:9-10 (NKJV)
Matthew 3:13-17 (NKJV)
Philippians 2:8-11 (NKJV)
The Beginning, Part 4
God has certain recurring themes in scripture and I don’t think that’s an accident. I also don’t believe it’s a man-made occurrence. I believe the Spirit of God leads us when we listen.
One of the themes that pops up again and again is water...rivers, lakes, and seas. It’s no accident that In Genesis 1:9-10 God brought order to the chaos of the water and in Matthew 3:13-17, Jesus stepped into the water to be baptized by John the Baptizer. “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
In Genesis God brought the waters together and in Matthew Jesus divided the water opening heaven and earth. Throughout the Gospels, Jesus continued to command water. He turned water into wine. He quieted the storm. He walked on water.
God created water for life, and in Revelation 22:1-5 we read about what God will create for us.
Revelation 22:1-5 says, “And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits, each tree yielding its fruit every month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there: They need no lamp nor light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”
The River of Life is pure, clear as crystal, and flows from the throne of God.
In the Genesis account about water we read about the mass of water that had no order, and in the Revelation of John we read about a perfect order where the River of Life flows out of God.
Throughout the Old Testament we see remnants of order and meaning from water.
In Isaiah 48:18 water is an example of peace.
In Zechariah 14:8 water is living water that sustains.
In Ezekiel 48:1-9 water is provided as it flows from the Temple of God.
We know from those examples that water is life and provision (physical and spiritual) come from God. As we turn to God throughout our days and weeks, we experience peace. We know that it is God who sustains us. Each day, God provides for us, but still we experience and we witness suffering and pain.
When I watch the news from around the world each evening I am often heartbroken when I see our chaos everywhere. Images from this week in particular were difficult because of massive sickness and turmoil. Today, the turmoil is real. We are restored but we are not restored.
In theological terms, we are living in a time of ‘Now and Not Yet.’ God is here now but there is more to come.
In Revelation 22:2 John reveals the tree of life on either side of the river and tells us the leaves on the tree are for the healing of the nations! In that, we know that God provides a way for perfect communal order. The NATIONS will be healed. That is to come.
This scripture reminds me that the end will be the beginning of healing and perfect restoration. For a time, we are in chaos but that will not last for God will heal and restore all!
Paul wrote in Philippians 2:8-11 that Jesus, “being found in appearance as a man, He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Notice that not only will every knee bow in heaven and on earth, but EVERY knee of those under the earth will bow.
EVERY KNEE will bow!
In Revelation 22, verse 3 we are told the curse will be broken for Jesus will be there. We will see the face of Jesus and we will belong to Him forever. The only light we need will come from God, and because God is always present there will be no darkness.
I’ve written before about the day I had a vision that the Spirit took me to the heart of God. Prior to then I had suffered terribly from a past relationship and what I discovered that day is that my suffering was nothing in comparison to how much God hurt FOR me. When I felt God’s pain i knew it was more than I could bear. It was more than 1000 greater than my pain. Thankfully, God only allowed me to feel His pain for a short time. What I know now is that God still carries my suffering.
And so it is with you.
Whatever you have suffered, God carried the bulk of it FOR you. God still carries it FOR you. The good news is that in the beginning of the end, all will be made right in God. Every hurt, all our pain will be healed. The River of Life will wash away all our pain and sorrow.
FOREVER.
Today’s Spiritual Practice is: Your Pain
Give your pain to Jesus. If it is severe, it may take several times (or several hundred times), but you will find relief each time you give it to God. And remember...God’s pain for you is many many many times greater than what you carry. That’s because God is carrying the bulk of the pain FOR you!
In God, Deborah
acrazyjourney.com
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