Christian Counseling Service -- Devotions

And it comes to pass

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Luke 2:39-40
When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was upon him.

And the next thing we know, Jesus is twelve years old and discussing thorny theological questions with the priests in the temple. His family returned to Jerusalem every year for Passover, and this visit was very different from the first so many years ago. Simeon and Anna have both passed on. Joseph and Mary are growing older. And Jesus continues to grow.

I often remember the verse from 2 Peter: "With the Lord, a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years is like a day." I feel my body relax as I remember God's version of time is so different from mine. The urgent needs of the day aren't so overwhelming as my perspective takes an eternal turn.

Jesus' thirty years in Egypt and Nazareth sped by like an instant of earth time. I wonder how Jesus experienced time during these years. How naturally did he see his life the way his Father did? During his ministry, in his calm assurance he quieted storms, walked on water, brought children back to life, confronted Pilate ... he was certain of God's point of view, and shared it completely.

In Garrison Keillor's fabled Lake Wobegon, "all the women are strong, all the men are good looking, and all the children are above average." That would also be true in the Garden of Eden, a place where Jesus would have fit right in. But in Nazareth he must have been a stranger in a strange land in spite of his goodness, in spite of his inner peace; or rather, because of his inner peace. Most of us have trouble relating to someone who does not worry, does not seem to experience stress, does not second-guess himself. Because we do all of those things!

This is a day for new beginnings. Of course all the days we have are days for new beginnings, and Jesus waits for me on each of them. He teaches me patiently that God's love lifts me out of the problems I too often feel acutely in my mind, on my skin, all over my life. He shows me how to celebrate and how to rest, and how to live my life well.

Happy new year, Jesus. I can't wait to follow the path you forge through 2009.

Devotions Archive

And it comes to pass

Thursday, January 1, 2009