Nature – Anna's Alcove

Whether you’re new to Christianity or believed in Christ at a young age, you’re bound to hear that fact more than once.

But what does it mean?

Granted, it will be different for everyone. I’ve struggled with this verse off and on throughout my walk with Christ and still have yet to come to a full conclusion of what it means for me.

How can we, as humans, have the mind capacity of the Creator? There’s so much about God that we don’t completely understand yet, so how can we understand or comprehend the mysteries and knowledge of Him?

In 2 Peter 1:2-4, it says “Grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord, as His divine power has given us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue, by which have been given to us exceedingly great and precious promises, that through these you may be partakers of the divine nature…”

The first part of that verse is easy to grasp. Peter is blessing the people receiving the letter in the knowledge of God and of Jesus (which is kind of like blessing them in the name of God). But then it goes on to say that through the knowledge of Him, we may be partakers of the divine nature.

What all does that encompass? When you think about your “nature,” what comes to mind?

Your soul, thoughts, feelings, personality, creativity… the very essence that makes you you, right?

Take a moment and realize what that means for us as believers.

Mind blowing, I know… and it gets better:

“Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we also have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.” (Romans 5:1)

It is by faith, and faith alone, that we have a part in God’s nature. There’s nothing that we can do to earn it. We were made in His image (Genesis 1:26-27), so He pretty much imprinted Himself on our souls and being “partakers of the divine nature” and “having the mind of Christ” is a part of following Jesus.

Getting access to all that knowledge doesn’t happen automatically when we believe, but we’re given a key. Once we realize that we have the key to the mind and knowledge of God and claim it for ourselves (fully believe it), that’s when things start happening:

Colossians 2:2-3 gives us a glimpse of what we could experience once we start seeking to know to mind of God and take ownership of our right to the divine nature: “… that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

Wow…

I mean, as believers, this passage says that we have the right to seek after the mysteries and knowledge of God! Too many of us don’t take advantage of it and miss an entire aspect of our faith. God wants to reveal more of Himself to us, His beloved creation, and He’s waiting for His followers to actively start seeking after the divine nature that is rightfully ours.

Like I said, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around this and figure out what it means for me. But I’m working on talking with God more frequently and asking Him direct questions instead of wondering quietly to myself. Diving into His Word and discovering new meanings behind well-known passages has been one of the immediate benefits.

The Holy Spirit will be faithful and will open your mind to more of who God is. Strive toward Him. Claim your divine inheritance. Don’t get stuck in the lie that God won’t reveal things to us because we’re mere human beings.

Remember:

We have the mind of Christ!

Waking up on a Thursday morning can go two ways…

You crack open an eye at the sound of the alarm, groan, smack the “snooze” button and drift back to sleep because you know you still have two whole days to get through before the weekend officially begins. Getting out from your cocoon of blankets is the last thing you want to do.

You open your eyes, taking in the soft sunshine pouring through the window. You stretch luxuriously and yawn, thinking, “The weekend is within reach! Only two more days to go!!” The smell of the coffee brewing downstairs wafts up your nose.. you let out a happy sigh; nothing can get you down today!

Normally, I’m the first option on a Thursday morning. I am not a morning person and some days it just seems extra hard to get out of bed, especially when the weekend is just out of reach.

But this past week, God gave me a pleasant surprise.

As the alarm went off, I stretched and started to hit the “snooze” button, when something caught my eye. The movement of the blankets had sent a small puff of air toward the blind, making it swing back and forth ever so slightly.

I sat up, grabbed hold of the blind, gave it a tug and, as it rolled itself up and revealed the entire window, my jaw dropped:

I stared at it for a while, in awe of the many intricate designs that were all over the bottom window pane, and then I kicked off the blankets and dove for my camera, snapping a few quick pictures while the lighting was just right.

It’s moments like these that reaffirm the fact that there is a Creator and that He delights in making beautiful things, which is evidenced in the words repeated over and over again in Genesis (1:4, 10, 14, 18, 21, 25 and 31):

“And God saw that it was good”

Everything God created, down to the last miniscule detail, was and is considered good by His standards (which is pretty awesome if you think about it. I mean, this is God we’re talking about, and if He says it’s good… well, it must be really good!).

As Creator, God enjoys making new things, perfecting each detail, and making it beautiful.

This is also seen in Matthew 6:28-30:

“And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow.

They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon

in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.

If that is how God clothes the grass of the field,

which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire,

will He not much more clothe you?”

If it pleases God to spend so much time on the designs on the petals of the flowers in the fields or the frost on the window that is here one moment and gone the next, how much more time will He spend on you… shaping, molding, breaking and strengthening you to become all that He wants you to be?

Let that sink in for a moment.

“O Lord, You have searched me and You know me. You know when I sit and when I rise;

You perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down;

You are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue You know it completely, O Lord… My frame was not hidden from You when I was made in the secret place.

When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, Your eyes saw my unformed body.

All the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”

(Psalm 139:1-4, 15-16)

The next time you start feeling overwhelmed by life or that things are careening out of control, just take a look around you.

“The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands”

(Psalm 19:1)

Look at all of creation and remember that there is a Creator who is orchestrating your life down to the last detail. He’s got everything under control and He won’t let you down. Take the time to get to know Him more and He will reveal Himself to you in ways you never expected or experienced before.

Spend time in His Word.

Spend time enjoying His creation…

… and give Him the glory!

Anna's Alcove

Let's do life together!

Category: Nature

We have the mind of Christ! (1 Corinthians 2:16)

We have the mind of Christ!

The heavens declare the glory of God

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