JESUS in COLORFUL CAPITAL LETTERS!

Quick review! We have learned that Jesus is the rock, the very cornerstone of our faith, the foundation of our temple.We have seen God pour forth water from the rock in the wilderness and provide us with Jesus, the Living Water. We noted that the temple was built on a rock outcropping used for threshing wheat. Wheat is used to make flour necessary for baking bread, and Jesus is the bread of life. We have learned that He desires for us (His children) to be salt to the world to make it thirsty for Him, and a light to the world to reflect all the God-colors of His love. Building our temple seems to come through obedience. He expected it of Abraham, Moses, David, and Solomon, and He expects it of us. Allow me to share a story that I believe will enlighten us. 

God expects much from us, because the world expects much from us. October 2002 my husband and I traveled with friends to Vermont expecting to be greeted by a glorious display of God's artwork in the vibrant color drenched autumn foliage for which He is so famous. What we found were trees whose leaves were turning brown and falling to the ground, but very little of the palette we had anticipated. While we were exploring a little woodcrafter,s gallery, the owner began to share with us about how long he had lived in the area -- 37 years -- and how he believed this was the worst fall season for color he had ever seen. They just had no rain all summer and the leaves were dying and falling off. We had not even mentioned our disappointment. We were oohing and aahing over his sleighs, tiny wooden jigsaw puzzles and other fine hand crafted wood items. He seemed to feel a need to share his sadness that his little part of the world wasn't showing off for its residents or anyone else.

As I was writing the last few posts, I was reminded of that little scene in that carpenter's shop. God brought to mind that when the world looks at Christians they are expecting to see a beautiful radiance of God-colors in our lives just as we had expected to see it in Vermont's fall foliage. Romans 8:19 (NASB) "For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God." The world longs to see something in us that stands out, shows off, and says JESUS to them in all COLORFUL CAPITAL LETTERS. This Scripture from Romans implies its deep disappointment when those God-colors are not evident in us. What I realized is that the foundation for the palette of vivid hues to be displayed in the autumn trees is rain water during the growing season. If we are going to display the intense hues of His very glory and presence within us to the world that is watching and looking for it, we are going to need to have growing seasons with ample supplies of Living Water.

I believe we are only going to be supplied with this water as we spend time with the Bread of Life. Those kernels of wheat were threshed on that rock floor. If we want to harvest the kernels of pure wheat to help us grow we must go to the source. We need the Living Water to grow the wheat. We need the Living Water to paint our God-colors as we mature. Baby leaves are green. Only the leaves of trees that have soaked up the rain water all summer mature to show the vividness of the flaming autumn forest. Jesus said in John 6:35 (NASB), "I am the bread of life; he who comes to Me shall not hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst." 

Full, watered, and growing, built on the Rock -- we've begun to lay the foundation stones of our temples. If mine is going to shake I want it only to be because of the praise of the angels, and God Himself dancing and singing and shouting over me; not because of the wind of a storm blowing through my life that washes me off the sandy land. If I can stand on the Rock through the storm, the world will see His rainbow in my life. Praying you are with me?

Photo from www.multimedia-stock.com
All other material Copyright Lynn U. Watson, 2004, 2011