The John Squad
(Please click here to chart your own progress!)
My Progress:
I officially finished Chapter 1 - Hip Hip Hooray! I am now working on the very end of Chapter 2 and I think I'll have it down within the next couple of days. I LOVE this chapter. I think I may have slowed my pace down a little, but that is not because of lack of effort. I have been spending just as much time as I was before, but I seem to be running into more questions with this chapter. I've used my time to study deeper into the words, talk with my Pastors, and read through different commentaries to gain a better understanding about what all this means. I glanced at Chapter 3 and am feeling a little nervous about it because it looks quite challenging, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.
Below is a video of my husband and me reciting Chapter 1. We messed up in a couple places, but that just makes it more authentic, right?
Some Thoughts:
I could not be happier with my experience thus far. I knew this would be rewarding, but I am absolutely astonished at how much I have learned and grown in just a few short weeks. I was confident that God was going to do a mighty work, but I had no idea all the wonderful things He had in store for me. What a true honor to have the privilege of basking in His word. There is something special about memorizing His words that has made my relationship so much more intimate and personal. While I am reading verses that I have read for most of my life, it's as if I'm truly hearing them for the very first time. I realize now that I had become all too "familiar" with the Bible. I would skim through passages because I knew I had read them many times before. But what an incredible difference now that I have taken the time to sit down and meditate on every single solitary paragraph, sentence, word, and letter. It sounds rather silly, but I feel like I'm meeting Jesus for the first time. I mean, really getting to know Him. And I'll tell you something: He's pretty awesome!
Some questions I've encountered through my meditation:
- Why did Mary go to Jesus when there was no more wine? Some say it's because Joseph had died by then and as the eldest son, she would've approached Him first. Some say she had seen Him do great things before. Others say she knew exactly who He was and that He was going to handle the situation accordingly.
- Why does Jesus respond, "my time has not yet come" and then He goes and does it anyway? Some say it was out of respect for His mother. Others say that it was because of Mary's faith.
How sweet of Jesus to perform this miracle. The fact that He would take the time to do this astounds me. (I don't know how full the jars were to begin with, but if there were 6 jars holding 20-30 gallons each, it may have taken quite some time and effort to fill them!) It just shows how much He cares about us. He spared this family the embarrassment of running out of wine. He allowed the festivities to continue so that people could have enjoyment in the celebration. Anybody who says God is a kill-joy who takes the fun out of life is sorely mistaken!
I also got to thinking about the water turning to wine. How Jesus can take nothing and make it into something. This is incredibly encouraging to me because when I'm feeling like a hopeless, lost cause that will continue to slip into perpetual sin, I know that God can transform my heart. I know that He can take my garbage and turn it into something marvelous. Just think about that for a moment. He can take our emptiness (nothing - like water) and turn into something wonderful (sweet - like wine).
What an amazing God.
Thank you, God, for revealing Yourself more to me each day and for allowing me to see just a glimpse of your goodness. How I enjoy our time together! I am grateful for what You've taught me and pray that through Your strength, I will become worthy of the honor to have these words stored in my heart for the rest of my days.
Truly, an Amazing God.
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