Making it through.

I'm thinking about process lately. The process of growing up, maturing, the process of becoming our best selves. Friends, it is not a smooth path. It can be quite rocky and if anyone tells you anything different then they are selling something. It's in process where we become our better selves, our truer selves and that's all about growing in character. I can tell you from personal experience that it's not a good time, but even so I'll take all the character-building opportunities that God wants to give me. The honest truth is that we need more character. Greatness is based on that. You can't have poor character and lead any kind of stellar life. Even in the small places we need it, dare I say, especially. More growth is necessary and when we say no to character we are setting ourselves up for ruin. When we resist and go our own way we are likely not only to hurt ourselves, but others even if it was never the intention to do so, and friends, that's collateral damage that no one ever wants to deal with. The Scripture that keeps coming to mind today is John 8:3-11 when the teachers of the law and the Pharisees catch a woman in the act of adultery and drag that private business out into the town square. I find it very interesting that the Bible says they caught her in the act of adultery. They caught her. What an ugly thing it is when people are lurking, without compassion waiting around for others to fall. The Bible says that they set her in the midst of them (alone I might add) and they were like, "Jesus, what do you have to say about this?" It is so clear from the text that in this moment that they didn't know to whom they were bringing her. They were putting her in front of Jesus hoping that they could somehow accuse Him if He didn't pronounce a judgement of death on her. According to the law she was worthy of a stoning kind of death, hitting her with stones until she was damaged beyond repair, until there was no breath left in her. Pummeled. But they put her in front of Jesus who would have compassion on her. Jesus dealing with the heart of the matter in one fell swoop said, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first." And right there those people acting under a spirit of accusation had nothing else to say. Absolutely nothing. Jesus' words were exactly on target. All those people, possibly with stones in their ready hands, instantly had conviction in their hearts that they just didn't measure up, and so they left, leaving the woman alive, and they left her alone with Jesus. She had been snatched into the presence of God. What an unexpected gift to find yourself with Him in person, face to face, it would've been a life changing experience. It must've been electric. What they had meant for harm left her alone with the Saviour of the world, with the Messiah. And He knew she would be there that day even if she didn't and His focus was on her freedom, on her having more life. Her day didn't start out with having a precious moment scheduled with the Jesus, but it ended up that way. Do you think she was the same after that? I don't see how she could be. I wouldn't be. Jesus has been my change maker. All my God moments have marked me for the better, creating in me revelation and hope in the reality and love of God. And I think this can be a picture of what can happen for us on our personal journeys. When situations out of our control come to accuse and attack us whether it is because of our own actions or the actions of others, there is always an opportunity for us to stand in the kindness of Jesus, to stand in His compassion, in His understanding, in His fullness, to be healed by Him. He is our safest place. He is our way through. When we stand with our intentions set on God, we start to feel His presence and His goodness. He knows our hearts and lives and that we are in process, and friends, His heart towards us is always redemption. Always. It's in that close and intimate place that we realize that He is everything that we need and want. It's there where we can cast aside all that hinders and embrace the person of Jesus who somehow changes us from the inside out. He is so worthy of our pursuit. And in the text, when all had left, this is what Jesus said next, "Woman where are those accusers of yours? Has no one condemned you? She said, "No one, Lord." No one. Hard to imagine what that must've felt like with no one left to hurl death and destruction at her, not even Jesus who said to her, "Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more." She went free. Free. God knows where we're going to be ahead of time, knows what we need and He always wants to meet us there, no matter how we got there, no matter what we've done, no matter the state of things. He can meet us and make His life shine through us to make us better than we know, better than we have ever been. This is who He is. He has never changed. He is fullness incarnate and every encounter with Him impacts us with that glorious never-ending life of His. Who wouldn't want more of that? Let us be people who always seek His face so we may become like Him. We can't comprehend what limitless love, forgiveness and life continually awaits us there. There are no more reasons to wait. This is your moment. 

"There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death." - Romans 8: 1,2 

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." - John 14:6

"If you declare with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved."Romans 10:9-10

"This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He sent." - John 6:29

Keep stretching your hands out to God dear hearts. Pour your heart out like a waterfall to Him. The road has surely been rough, but we are mighty in Him. Praise you Jesus. You did it all.

©2024 Elise Ehrenholz