Beginning January 1, we will start a new In His Presence series.
I’d like to invite you to join me as I read through the Gospels in 2017.
The express purpose of doing this is to study Jesus’ personality. The inspiration for this came from page 30 of Lifeway’s, Journey magazine this month; an article by Emily Ellis. The Holy Spirit has confirmed for me that this is the direction we should take and I am super excited about it.
Here’s an excerpt:
For some reason, I’ve never viewed the Gospels as a way to get to know Jesus. I can recite His character traits by heart – He’s good, loving, faithful, and so forth – but His personality? Not so much. How did He interact with others? Was He funny, serious? Did he laugh, cry? What made Him human?
Recently, in order to discover more about Jesus, I decided to read through the Gospels slowly, trying to pick up on details I’d missed before. It didn’t take long to discover some really awesome things. Here’s one from Luke 4: “Then, as the sun was setting, all those who had friends suffering from every kind of disease brought them to Jesus and he laid his hands on each one of them separately and healed them.” (v. 40)
Late in the day, at sunset, when most people were headed home after a long day’s work to eat, rest, and enjoy their families, Jesus took the time to lay His hands on each sick person that was brought to Him, and scholars believe there were a lot.
Being human, Jesus was probably tired from His long day – He had already taught in the synagogue, cast out a demon, and visited Simon’s house to heal his mother-in-law. He could have just done a group healing session that evening to make it quick so He could get home to rest, but He didn’t. He spent time with each and every person that was brought to Him and laid His hands on them individually. What a testament to the personal and compassionate nature of our Lord.
I will be using my In His Presence Journal to record my thoughts and notes. If you’d like to participate, the best way to do it is to subscribe to this blog, where I will post the Scripture reference for the day at 6:30AM each morning. (I like to break the reading into very small chunks so we can really dig in.) We can share our thoughts via the comment box after reading.
I find that it is best for me to do my quiet time in the morning, while the house is quiet and I can have some uninterrupted time with the Lord. Also, I can tell a HUGE difference when I start the day spending time In His Presence. I begin my daily routines spiritually full and my actions and attitude are an overflow of that time with Him and what He’s shown me. I’m able to feed into the lives of those I encounter. I desperately want this experience for all of you!
Whether you choose to get up at 6:30 or not…and whether you choose to go through the Gospels with us our not…please make sure you are taking the time to read your Bible and pray daily.
Don’t dare get discouraged if life happens and you miss some days. Just pick right back up the next day and keep going. The devil would love to lump guilt on you and try to make you quit. Don’t stand for that! We’ll find out when we study the Gospels that Jesus’ personality is not one of condemnation , but of unconditional love and grace!
What might be the benefits of studying Jesus’ personality? Comment below with your thoughts. I think we will discover He is relate-able and it will enhance our relationship with Him. We’ll see the comfort and healing He gives each of us is deeply personal. I think this study will help us to see Jesus’ character as that of a beloved friend and so much more!
Some of you may have participated in our In His Presence series on Mark or Romans. If you would like to learn more about how this works, read about it here.
