The One who comes from above is above all. The one who is from the earth is earthly and speaks in earthy terms. The One who comes from heaven is above all. He testifies to what He has seen and heard, yet no one accepts His testimony. The one who has accepted His testimony has affirmed that God is true. For God sent Him, and He speaks God’s words, since He gives the Spirit without measure. The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hands. The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who refuses to believe in the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him. John 3:31-36
My words…
Praise
One hundred twenty-one words. Simple words connected to express a simple, compact truth. All I need to know about You, I find in these words. You come from a place where I must lift my eyes to see – a heavenly place, a place above me. And in that hallowed place, You, Your Son, and Your Spirit existed perennially, immaculately. Pure truth and righteous wisdom filled Your infinite heaven. No earthly place could contain it. What was spoken in Your throne room didn’t stay there. Your Son embodied those words and brought them to us – holy conversations poured forth. Perfect words for an imperfect world. And although the words were from the complex mind of Almighty God, they formed a simple message: Believe in Me, and eternal life is yours. Love in a nutshell.
Prayer for me
Bring me back to Your simple truth, Lord. I get distracted by the mountain of biblical commentary, confused by the traditions man has woven into scripture, and weighed down by the unbelief of others. Help me step inside the nutshell and stay there.
Forgive me
I need to be forgiven of my faithlessness. I have been praying to You for a long time, laying the needs of a loved one at the foot of Your throne, and there those needs remain. I cry out to You over and over, yet my loved one is still in pain. I know You hear my prayers. I know You have a plan for him. But my faith is tested by waiting. Forgive me my lack of long-suffering.
Prayer for others
Jesus often said, “Verily, verily…I speak the truth.” How many times did He clench his fists in frustration and cry out to those around Him: “Don’t you understand? I am pouring over you the very words of God, words I heard, words I spoke, words that will ensure a life beyond the dust of this planet!” Yet so many did not – do not – bother to listen. And many who do listen, don’t believe. They are convinced they don’t need to. They hold in their hands the glitter of this world, and they are mesmerized by its sparkle. Lead them to a place where they will turn from the glitter and look to the cross.
Thank You
Thank You for giving me a simple message to understand. I couldn’t have embraced it otherwise. And thank You for holding onto the secret things that would overwhelm my faith until a time when I am able to perceive them.
More praise
The Apostle John, the unschooled fisherman, understood Your abiding words spoken in angelic surroundings before the world was formed. He grasped the simple message and, through Your Spirit, shared it with the world. He knew, as do I, that the simplicity of Your gospel does not diminish Jesus’ sacrifice and its impact on humankind, nor does it cast a shadow on the radiance of heaven. It’s just the only path from me to You – a path made up of one hundred twenty-one words.
