devo//the life APPEARED [1 john 1:1-4]

(last year in November I did a month of thanks, this year the Lord has impressed on my heart to do a devotional study of 1 John. let’s see how it goes…)

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched—this we proclaim concerning the Word of life. ² The life appeared; we have seen it and testify to it, and we proclaim to you the eternal life, which was with the Father and has appeared to us. ³ We proclaim to you what we have seen and heard, so that you also may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ. ⁴ We write this to make our joy complete. [1 John 1:1-4]

The different colors of highlighter and ink pen in my Bible tell me I have read this passage many times… and yet, my heart was assaulted by something completely new this time. Something that I seem to have skimmed over before. It was not highlighted or underlined until this time, when in the reading it assaulted my heart in such a way it won the prize of a box drawn around it. Three little words that changed the world…

The life appeared.

The LIFE appeared.

THE Life APPEARED!

How many times have I skimmed those words? How many times have I instead focused on this eyewitness account, or the desire for fellowship based on common belief in Christ, or the importance of sharing our story. Missing those three words… The life appeared.

When did I lose my wonder that the LIFE, Eternal Life, appeared.  The One who had been with God since thebeginning, through whom all things werecreated, who was not only with God but was God… appeared here… in this fallen, broken, imperfect world.  That He left the company of the Father… to meet me.

When did I start focusing so tightly on the work (witnessing, discipling, sharing, writing) that I could skim over those three LIFE-CHANGING words?

The.Life.Appeared.

I want to change the world. Those closest to me, they want to be world changers too… but sometimes we can get so caught up in the doing that we lose our wonder. The Truth of Jesus Christ becomes almost mundane in our hearts. Taken for granted. Normal. 

But The Life appearing… there is nothing mundane about that!  It should arrest our hearts every single time that the Son of God would leave the unending worship of heaven to be spat on and rejected in this world… out of love for you [for me].

Jesus, who enjoyed constant fellowship with the Father, left His throne… for us. To chase us. To pursue our hearts. To make a way. To justify and reconcile and set things right.

And He changed everything.

Today, let’s focus our hearts on the simple Truth that the LIFE appeared.   The Way. The Truth. The Life joined us here, so that we can also join Him there.  The same Jesus who entered this broken, fallen, failing world also entered my broken, fallen, failing heart… and He changed me. Don’t lose your wonder, friend! Don’t lose your awe and amazement that Jesus came for you. Rest in THAT today, because no matter what you are facing… The Life appeared and brought with Him peace, hope, joy… eternity. All for you.

The Life APPEARED.

[isn't it amazing?]

Father, remind us of the miracle of Jesus today! Renew the awe and passion of our first love… when we first realized that Jesus really DID enter this world… so that He could have our hearts! Let us never, ever, ever lose our wonder at who you are… and that every single thing that you are, you are for US! We LOVE YOU Jesus!!!