It made me realize just how little I have dipped into this ocean of fullness and miraculous that is following Jesus Christ.
It made me realize that I have not even come close to realizing what this whole grace thing is.
He shows me in gifts daily, and sometimes I don't even see it.
This week's verse said the Word became flesh.
The Word.
God Himself.
I picture Him as Isaiah encountered Him, just for a moment overwhelmed at this God whose very presence forced Isaiah to the ground crying out in utter realization at his hopeless sin.
I picture my Jesus who is the one John saw with eyes that blazed like fire, wielding a two-edged sword, with a voice roaring like a waterfall-- a fierce warrior who I have the gift of intimacy with.
I am even more overwhelmed that this is the same God whom I was chatting with walking back from chemistry lab pouring out my exhaustion, praising Him for His complex creation.
Floored, to say the least.
And He came in fullness of grace and truth, the verse goes on to say.
Nothing had ever come like this before.
In fact, those who saw this glorious Savior King in gracious flesh form--walked the same streets He did, breathed the same air He did, looked into His very eyes-- they didn't even recognize Him.
And I asked myself-- do I?
I thought back to that dinner with friends over Christmas break, and the girl who asked me, "What is grace? I don't know what it is?"
Before I could utter a prideful line about the definitions I'd gotten in my fancy Christian college courses,
before the mouth could raise up pompous plumes trumpeting my own intelligence,
the Lord said-- but do you know the fullness of grace and truth?
Because that's God.
Grace and truth.
That's Him.
Knowing grace and truth is knowing Him.
I've missed it often-- distracted, doubtful, believing lies, seduced by the world, played by sin and playing in sin.
But the good news is, He gives one blessing after another out of the fullness of His grace--
God, that Mighty God-- He made Himself known by becoming uncomfortable, gritty, weak, lowly flesh-- all so we could see Him, full of grace and truth.
What a gift.
His grace covers my lack of acknowledgment of what His grace really is--
that He is loving always though I did not love Him always,
that He is always with me though I ran from Him for so long,
that He has made me His friend though I try so hard to be bound by earthly expectations that whisper lies in my ear, lies that I'm still His enemy, that I don't have the victory,
and like a good shepherd He reigns me in and whispers the Truth and that is grace to the full.
I don't want to miss that grace,
because He gives it abundantly, everywhere, bursting like fireworks in moments of a mundane day and rushing toward me like a joyous fountain ever increasing in refreshment as I ever increase in thirst for it.
And that fierce Savior warrior I read about in Revelation,
the one who became flesh,
do you know what He said when John fell at His feet?
"He placed His right hand upon me and said,
'Do not be afraid! I am the first and the last, I am the living one! I was dead but now I am alive forever and ever. I have authority over death and the world of the dead.'"
-Revelation 1:17b-18
Could you imagine the touch of the one who is so mighty and holy words fail to capture it?
Could you imagine His urging you not to fear?
No need to-- He does this for you and I who know Him in His fullness of grace and truth.
He helps us conquer the grave and the sin and the things that are stopping us from seeing the fullness of His grace all around.
It's everywhere indeed.
Let us be hunters of grace by following the grace-giver, the one who fights furiously for us, the one who pleads on our behalf,
the one who became flesh for us.
Join me in writing more grace and truth on my heart,
indulge in this verse for the week,
let it nourish:
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