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Beginning with the story of Abraham, Scripture tells the stories of numerous men and women who were changed because God intervened in their lives and lifted them up to his presence.
We can point to Moses, Joshua, and King David. There are Miriam, Ruth, and Hannah. There are Isaiah, Ezekiel, and Hezekiah. And there are so many more. Each of these people shows us a different reflection of what it is like to be lifted up by the Lord. If we look at the New Testament, we see even more examples: Joseph, Mary Magdalene, Peter, Bartimaeus, the centurion at the cross, and more.
Writing about twenty-five years after Jesus ascended to heaven, St. Paul offered some explanations of what these people and so many others like them experienced as they were lifted up. Surely, in addition to reflecting on his own experience, Paul learned much of what he wrote from talking with other believers and learning their own stories. Thus he was able to show us in a broad,…
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This is a wonderful piece! Glory to God who has chosen to allow for our transformation in Christ. How blessed are we that, by His continual coming to us, especially in the Holy Spirit’s power ( the Holy Spirit is afterall God ! ) we can grow in the knowledge and experience of God’s love unimaginable. Just the realization of the mere fact of the Incarnation does so much for us, lifts us up, sets our gaze upwards to a hope beyond this messy world and towards life eternal wow! God has and does care this much for me and you?
add: I to include that God graciously lifts us up and further transforms us when we are down and suffering… so much has and is written on this....just to say how suffering often is a mode for our entering into a deeper transformation, and thank God for this! It has been said, “ The way up is the way down.”
Yes, the love he has for us all is as great as wanting to lift us to himself, and having us by him all time. For in his presence the rest we long for dewells. Rest from preasures that comes from outside and beyond our control but not beyond Him, as the life of our Lord Jesus revealed in the gospel.
There is much merit in suffering. It lifts us up, brings us closer to God and and infuses us with tremendous power. According to 1 Peter 3:22 suffering in the flesh is a sign that you have broken with sin so as to spend the rest of your life not on the desires of the flesh but the will of God.