Our role in calling into being the original intention of the Creator

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 2
The emerging message + reflections

Proverbs 8:1 and 22–31

Wisdom is described like a personality, and as the first of God’s works, involved in Creation.

1. Wisdom and folly can seem all too similar — and man’s wisdom can all too quickly turn out to be no wisdom at all. How do we recognise and choose God’s wisdom?

Psalm 104:26–37

Praise to God for His provision and His purpose.

2. Are we more inclined to point out how everything is going wrong, or how God is over all the affairs of our world, “renewing the face of the ground”? Which is more like agreeing with Him?

John 1:1–14

Introducing His gospel, John tells us how the Word who was with God before Creation, later chose to become a human being to show us God’s grace and also glory.

3. What is your understanding and experience, expressed simply, to start to recognise the true light of Jesus (verses 9–10) and to receive Him and be born of God (verses 12–13), and come into a new identity as a child of God (v.12)?

4. Do you have a story of this kind of encounter with Jesus that you could share very briefly with another person?

Colossians 1:15–20

A quotation from a hymn of praise to Christ, Lord of creation and redemption.

5. Knowing Jesus is an exciting discovery but also a call to His purpose, to reconcile to the Father the world that doesn’t know Him, before it’s too late. How do we identify that purpose and respond to that call?

Our role in calling into being the original intention of the Creator

God’s original design and intention, distorted by man’s pride and independence, remains the objective of His reconciliation.

As believers, we have experienced our reconciliation, and it is the source of our joy, whatever is going on around us. We know that God has this purpose, to reconcile all things to Himself so that they return to His good design in Creation.

Jesus, we learn, was involved in Creation, and we have life in Him — and a whole new identity in Him, as children of God. So we are not so powerless after all. The heavenlies, both good and evil, have to listen to our words and songs of praise and truth. The angels join in and the demons hide. The creation spirit at the heart of Father, Son and Holy Spirit is still creating and renewing. Jesus, in whom all things were created and hold together, is now risen and ascended to the place of all authority, seated in the heavenlies. His Spirit has been poured out on His church, and He is the active Head of His body of ‘little Christs’ or Christians, anointed ones.

Our oneness, our praise and worship, our declarations and words of blessing are what God is relying on to bring what is fragmented and disordered, back into His creation order. It’s another facet of the same plan He had at the beginning.

Originally published at The Living Word.