Seeing Clearly...yet again..

The latter part of Luke chapter 9 covers the story of Christ's transfiguration. Peter, James and John were invited to a special place to Jesus to see Him in a way they have never seen Him before.

Beth Moore, on a devotion on the same subject in her book, Jesus the One and Only, talks about how we can get so comfortable with Jesus, as we perceive Him, yet, if we are open to new revelations, He is longing to readjust our vision and show more of Himself to us. In that same section she prays:

"Transfigure [Christ] before my eyes and then give me the courage to adjust my life to what I see." (p. 115)

As I read, I thought:

What have I seen lately? What have I seen new and fresh from God lately and am I adjusting toward it or just enjoying the view?

Hell. Uncomfortable topic...but through the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn, I have seen that hell is a real place, that many, many people I know and care about will spend their eternal existence there.

I do not comprehend truly the magnitude or fully understand the justice of it-- Which shows me that I truly do not grasp the pure holiness of God, the vast putridness of our sin and rebellion, the truly inconceivable benevolence of His grace to give His very son to make a way of that I can be rid of that sin and touch His holiness ant the incredulous insult and audacity of not accepting that grace, His Son.

If I really understood the magnitude of those 4 things:

• God's purity
• Our sin
• Grace through Jesus
• Impudent arrogance to reject Him

I would understand that the punishment fits the crime. I may not fully comprehend, yet I have seen anew, like never before, that Hell is a real place with an eternal hopelessness. And now I have a different attitude toward my fellow man... and prayer.... and priorities. Adjusted.

Parenting Purpose. The other thing I have seen recently is through a book by Wes Haystead on Proverbs called The 3000 Year Old Guide to Parenting. I have seen that my purpose as a parent is to produce "people of quality" in my children via their personal relationship with Jesus and their application of His word and life.

Although all the daily things I grapple with are necessary -- lunches, chores, hugs, homework, dinner, laundry, squabbles, toys, etc, etc, etc, --I miss it big time if I major on the details and miss the things that will raise my children with a love for God and a nurturing of His qualities in their makeup. So I focus on those things. Adjust.

Love Big. I wrote on this one yesterday, but the third thing I have seen lately through just one line from Beth Moore's is that it is ok to LOVE BIG.

That I am meant to feel these emotions I feel about my children, my parents, my brother and family, orphans, my friends... All different textures of emotions and different intensities of love. Strong emotion does not equal "bad". That I have God's blessing, even commandment, to LOVE BIG. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul with all your mind (that is pretty big) and love your neighbor as yourself.

So my perspective and my occasional tendency to hold back is adjusted and I love big openly. Adjusted.

Christ was transfigured before me by:

• showing me a glimpse at how holy He is and how great His gift or redemption is by realizing what it would mean to reject it.
• showing me His qualities and desires for me as a parent to instill in my children.
• showing me how BIG He loves (death defying love) and letting me love BIG too!

Jesus reveal yourself to us. Adjust our vision of you. Make us more willing to see a greater revelation of you and then give us the courage to adjust to what we see. Amen.

What have you been seeing lately?