NorthStar Community Daily Devotional

January 6

Scripture focus: The Word became flesh and blood, and moved into the neighborhood. We saw the glory with our own eyes, the one-of-a-kind glory, like Father, like Son, generous inside and out, true from start to finish. John pointed him out and called, "This is the One! The One I told you was coming after me but in fact was ahead of me. He has always been ahead of me, has always had the first word." We all live off his generous bounty, gift after gift after gift. We got the basics from Moses, and then this exuberant giving and receiving, this endless knowing and understanding — all this came through Jesus, the Messiah. No one has ever seen God, not so much as a glimpse. This one-of-a-kind God-Expression, who exists at the very heart of the Father, has made him plain as day. John 1:14-18, The Message

After Jesus moved into the neighborhood, he joined the community. He prayed for himself and others. He interceded for the church and his followers. He prayed for his enemies.

Jesus moved into the neighborhood and revealed God to us in flesh and bone. He demonstrated loving care, concern, and a personal interest in all of creation.

It reminds us that we must measure ourselves as human parents against the revealed nature of God.

We would not be true to our own community’s identity if we failed to point out that sometimes believing that God is who he says he is a tough sell, especially if our own earthly fathers (parents) have been absent or abusive.

Perhaps we can make it a communal matter of prayer to acknowledge that just because Jesus moved into the neighborhood doesn’t mean we found our way to his house with a plate of cookies and a willingness to let him join our community association.

It’s my prayer that each of us place before the Father all the experiences of cruelty, abandonment, and abuse that cause us to doubt God. Just lay them at his feet. It’s okay to say that prayer is hard to do unless we find ourselves in a foxhole.

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