What is it about nature that resets the soul? This morning I got up to take a walk along the beach and watch the sun come up. The peacefulness of the morning as the birds were searching for breakfast and the waves were shaping the sands was a reminder that God is mindful of both the minute details as well as the grand scheme of things in our world. He cares for the birds (Matthew 6:26) as he keeps the tides rolling and the waters in place. He provides for his people at all times.

Sometimes that is hard to remember as we are going throughout our daily walk. When difficult times come, we wonder why and ask for it to be resolved quickly. However, have you ever stopped to consider that in that moment of struggle, God is shaping us in His image as the tide does to the sands of the beach? Paul talks about his “thorn in the flesh” in 2 Corinthians chapter 12. He asked for God to take it from him not once, but three times. In verse 9, God’s response is recorded this way, “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’…” (ESV)

This is not what we may want to hear in our moment of crisis. I know that I often think, “I don’t want to be weak, I want a solution, I want to fix it, I want to be strong!” What about the verse that says, if God if for us who can be against us? (Romans 8:31) Yes, that is true as well. God is always for us and the battle belongs to Him, but he needs warriors that are shaped in His image and sometimes that is done through adversity.

In our human situation, we are only able to see our immediate self and a limited future landscape of our life. God, however, is able to see the whole picture. Just as I can only see the beautiful ocean waves from where I stand on the shore, God is controlling the tides of all the oceans the world over. And that my friends, is enough. His grace, His love, and His sacrifice for me and for you is enough. While I don’t like the adversity I may be walking through, if God is the commander of my battle, I know that I will win. And in the end, I will be a stronger warrior for Him.

One of the best parts of my childhood was riding bikes around the neighborhood in the summertime until either the sun began to set, or I heard my mom’s voice calling.  Before cell phones, we were left to our own devices to find adventure on our two wheels of freedom.  But when one of us heard our mom’s voice, we high-tailed it home.  Do you remember what it was she would say to get your attention?  Calling your full name in a tone that left no room for interpretation.  The voice that could be heard three houses down. This is the effect I get when I read the words, “Truly, truly” that occur three different times among the red-letter words of Jesus in John’s third chapter.  These two words act as a stop sign of sorts.  “Truly, truly” – Listen!  This is important.  “Truly, truly” – Pay attention!  Jesus is making a point in his conversation with Nicodemus with these words, and they remain as a reminder to us to also take note and listen.  Nicodemus was the “teacher of Israel” (v.10) but he could not understand the things Jesus was telling him.  “Truly, truly” – a rebirth is needed (v.3) that involves the Spirit (v.5).  Nicodemus was having difficulty understanding that the key to salvation was faith in Jesus as the Son of God. 

I think that sometimes we get so caught up in verse 16 that we forget that at the time Jesus spoke these words, the cross was still to come.

¹⁶ For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 

When Jesus said that God “gave his only Son” the implication of that was still unknown even though it had been prophesied about in Isaiah 53.  His message was a radical one to a Jew – God was providing salvation for all the world, not just the Jewish nation.  Nicodemus’ sight was dimmed by what he was expecting to see and missed the reality of what was in front of him.  I wonder if sometimes we are guilty of the same thing. 

As we continue into the chapter, John the Baptist provides great clarity about Jesus to his disciples that serves as a testimony for us in verse 30, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  John once again displays his great humility for the role that he was assigned – to prepare the way. 

⁹ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete.“

The difference between the two men stands in stark contrast, one who should have known and one who fully knew.  Which one do you identify with?

³⁵ The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand. ³⁶ Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.“

As the temperatures begin their climb into summer, thoughts of sitting poolside or along the shores of a sandy beach begin to entice us.  I can hear the calming sounds of the ocean waves crashing into the shore… Now that you’re there, how do you approach the water?  Are you a toe-dipper or a head-first dive-right-in kind?  Hold that thought for a minute while we take a look at the second chapter of John as it causes us to think about the difference between response (toe-dipping) and commitment (head-first diver).

This chapter spans the bridge between a quietly performed first miracle of Jesus changing water to wine in the presences of a few servants and his disciples to a very public display of temple cleansing of those selling animals and money-changers.  In both instances it is noted that the disciples “believed” (v.11) and “remembered” (v.17).  As the chapter closes though, it is noted that while many believed as a result of the “the signs that he was doing” (v.23) Jesus “did not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people.” (v.24)

When we look at this chapter with the signs and miracle of Jesus as a backdrop and ask ourselves what his purpose was in using them, we can begin to see who were the toe-dippers (responders) versus the head-divers (committed). People who simply encountered Jesus were awed and amazed at the miraculous nature of his signs.  They responded to them and wanted to follow him to see what else he could and would do.  However, Jesus has always desired a more meaningful commitment from those who seek him.  The fact that the author of John noted that Jesus “knew what was in man” (v. 25) tells us that there is a difference between awe and action.

The writer of Hebrews acknowledges that there is a continuum of growth from response to commitment.  We may start out as toe-dippers into the waters of salvation as we respond to the Gospel message, but as Hebrews 5:12-14 expresses, we must grow our faith into a committed walk with Christ and desire to dive head-first into the word.

¹² For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food, ¹³ for everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. ¹⁴ But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.

“Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder.” – E.B. White

This quote sits in a small frame in my kitchen. It is a reminder to keep a fresh perspective on the world. Wonder is a fanciful concept that we often ascribe to things like stars and chocolate. Well, maybe the chocolate part is just me, but it is a wonder how it can fix a lot of things! It stops us for a moment and causes us to be amazed at the world. In a moment, wonder has the ability to fascinate us. This is the sentiment that we find in John 1 as the Gospel account opens on the scene at “Bethany across the Jordan” (John 1:28). “Behold, the Lamb of God!” (John 1:29, 36) John the Baptist was busy preparing the way when Jesus walked up. Wonder. It is the Christ! John was clear on his mission – prepare the way. (John 1:31) Yet, he was still amazed by the presence of Jesus.

We see wonder again in the voice of Andrew telling his brother, Simon Peter that he has found, “the Messiah”. (John 1:41) Nathanael expresses wonder with his proclamation in verse 49 of the chapter, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!” This verse comes on the heels of verse 46 where he had just scoffed at Philip saying, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Wonder. Only Jesus can flip our doubt into faith. Simply look into the eyes of a newborn child and you will see it. Faith serves as the basis for our sense of wonder. Andrew and Philip had open hearts and listening ears searching for the truth of God’s promise, so when they found Jesus they were ready. Wonder may have launched them into action to go and tell, but it was their faith that led them back to Jesus and solidified their place in the Kingdom of God. Only Jesus can perpetuate a faith that leads us through the valleys up to the mountain tops where wonder abounds.

"And he said to him, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.' " John 1:51 (ESV)