[Tweet “That is why we never give up.Though our bodies are #dying, our #spirits are being #renewed daily.”]
II Corinthians 4:16 NLT
photo credit- @Jesuswhosavesme
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Maybe it’s my mid-life musings, but I’ve been thinking about how much crud, sin, and brokenness I still deal with! Uggh! (or should I say ugly š ?) Ā I was 8 when I asked Jesus to be my Savior, and I was sure I’d be almost the perfect Christan by the time I was 20!Ā *Crazy Misinformed Gal! LOL
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Now, I’m convinced life is a perpetual dance of death to self and life to God’s Spirit.Ā This is the process that will take me; a broken, carnal, gal into the likeness of my Savior.Ā The “veil” may be lifted but change takes time- and dying.
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So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord–who is the Spirit–makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image.Ā NLT II Cor. 3:18
[Tweet “Shrouded in God’s #Spirit, the miracle of #transformation unfolds.”]
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Bethany and I were studying Monarchs and the life cycle of the butterfly.Ā I’m sure God created this process of metamorphosis (going beyond form) as a real life illustration to blow my mind!
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Every caterpillar has a butterfly inside it.Ā Each caterpillar has 2 complete sets of DNA. (How did God ever think of that?!)Ā When the caterpillar is safely cocooned in its secret shroud, the miracle begins. Over 1,000,000 DNA codes will have to die so over 1,000,000 new DNA instructions can unfold.
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[Tweet “To be #transformed requires death to the old form to give way to the #new. #metamorphosis”]
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When the transformation is complete, the pupa bursts open and the new creature emerges into it’s new, glorious, heaven bound form. The dance with death and life is finished. Life and the Spirit have triumphed. The earthbound body forever gone, the butterfly spreads it’s wings and soars into a new kingdom.
Oh, friends! Aren’t you as relieved and excited, as I am? We are born caterpillars, doomed to stay earthbound unless something- SOMEONE- outside of ourselves can transform us! (Here’s where I’m doing my happy dance š ) When we realize we are trapped inside an earthbound caterpillar body- we can yield to the power of our Creator- who holds the plans to completely transfigure us!
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My “cocoon” is each time I meet with God, where deep calls to deep. I don’t want to “die” to my old self, but I do want to be transformed.Ā And that’s where the struggle is.Ā My old “caterpillar” DNA (my sinful nature) has to be eradicated; so my butterfly (spiritual nature) can arise and triumph over the old.
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Brothers & Sisters: Our sinful DNA is dying through the power of the Spirit and God’s heavenly DNA is arising!!! We are dancing with death and life daily, unaware of the magnificent miracle God is working within.
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[Tweet “Daily we dance with life and death; but by God’s power, #Life will triumph over #death.”]
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God has ordained transformation through redemption.Ā And transformation comes with 1,000,000 little deaths as a 1,000,00o new life codes are reconstructing our essence.
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Soon the dance of death will be over and the dance of resurrected life will begin.Ā Life will triumph- our resurrection guaranteed. We have His promise, sealed by His blood.Ā Friends: someday we’ll be completely changed.Ā We’ll be able to spread our wings and soar to new heights in His new kingdom of love!
Surprising Treasures: II Corinthians 4:16 MSG
16-18Ā So weāre not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. Thereās far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we canāt see now will last forever.
āWho have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the veil.ā (Hebrews 6:18-19) This passage was my devotion yesterday morning… A hope that will never cause us shame or embarrassment… a certain hope. Certified by God. Great post sweetheart!
May His Spirit of Life and Power- reign in our lives!