The God-Weaved Journey - Week 2
One of my favorite things to do is to browse through old photos - of family, my husband and I when we were oh so much younger, my friends, former students, and of course, my children. While looking through photos can bring some sadness, especially if the photos are of people no longer with me, the pictures mostly remind me of how beautiful moments with people are and how blessed I have been to have those people in my life.
There’s a wonderful quote from author Max Lucado which you might have heard before that says:
“If God had a refrigerator, your picture would be on it. If He had a wallet, your photo would be in it. He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning... Face it, friend. He is crazy about you! ”
God looks at us the way we look at the photos of people we love. He absolutely adores us, and honestly, I could hear this every day and it wouldn’t get old. I’m thinking that might be true for you too. I say that because in the same way the distractions of the world can keep us from seeing God, which we focused on last week, those same things can also keep us from remembering how God sees us.
That’s my focus this week – Seeing How God Sees You.
This actually stemmed today from my reading of John 11:1-44, where we see Jesus raising his dear friend Lazarus. There’s so much to discover in this passage, but the part that really got my attention today was the part where Jesus SAW Mary and others weeping, and then he wept too. I capitalized the word SAW because I think it’s so important. In fact, each of the readings I chose this week demonstrate Jesus SEEING people – their hearts, their brokenness, their weakness, their imperfections, and their potential, and then acting in love toward them.
So, this week, read one or any of the following, try one or any of the journal prompts, and notice how Jesus truly knows and sees people. These are only a small sample of readings that show this. There are many more, and if you have a favorite passage that shows this, I hope you’ll revisit it this week. I hope these can be a reminder of how God sees you and loves you each and every day.
This Week’s Readings:
John 11:1-44
Psalm 139
John 4:1-12
Mark 1:40-45
Luke 5:27-32
Mark 2:1-12
Mark 5:25-34
Matthew 8:5-13
Journal Prompts:
· After reading (passage) , I noticed that Jesus . . . . This reminds me that in my life, Jesus . . .
· After reading a passage, imagine Jesus speaking to you about something on your heart. How does he look at you, and what might he speak to you?
· Copy a favorite verse from Psalm 139 and journal your thoughts. Do this for any other verse from any other passage.
· Write a prayer asking God to help you remember how he sees you and how he’s helping you with . . . .
· Look at favorite photos or think of favorite memories and write a prayer of thanks for the people in your life who remind you of how loved you are and who bring you joy.
· Again, through photos or memories, think of a time when you truly felt like you could be yourself. What were you doing? Where were you? Who were you with? Describe this and then write what this tells you about how God loves you for who you are and the purpose he has for you.
· Describe a time you've felt God's love for you either this week or in the past?
Have a blessed week, paying attention to the God who SEES YOU and LOVES YOU.