Sons – Joel's Travels https://www.joelstravels.com Theology | Bible Study | Leadership Sun, 21 Aug 2016 00:49:20 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.6.28 4 Ways My Affections For God Were Stirred Through Lucas’ Birth https://www.joelstravels.com/4-ways-my-affections-for-god-were-stirred-through-lucas-birth/ https://www.joelstravels.com/4-ways-my-affections-for-god-were-stirred-through-lucas-birth/#respond Sun, 07 Dec 2014 02:43:14 +0000 http://www.joelstravels.com/?p=128 It feels like it was just yesterday that I was in a hospital in Roseville, CA waiting for my first son Liam to be born. Fast forward four years and I found myself in a hospital in Bellingham, WA on December 2nd at 8pm waiting for my third son Lucas. And then he came. My […]

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It feels like it was just yesterday that I was in a hospital in Roseville, CA waiting for my first son Liam to be born. Fast forward four years and I found myself in a hospital in Bellingham, WA on December 2nd at 8pm waiting for my third son Lucas. And then he came. My wife is incredible. As I learned early on, she is not the norm in terms of child birth. Actually, her first doctor in Roseville said that she was designed to have babies. Brittany’s active labor’s have all been under 10 minutes. This recent one was 7 minutes.
 Lucas Baby
I have been contemplating what occurred in those seven minutes, and found that at the end, in the beginning, and during, my affections for God were stirred. When I say that I mean, I found myself in awe and wonder of God through the process of Lucas coming into this world. Lucas’ birth did following within me:

1. It magnified the creative brilliance of God

It literally blows my mind to consider that two people can come together to produce life. Even more incredible, is that our ability to produce life is predicated on the creative brilliance of God to create us in a way to allow this. Often times we are short sited in our perspective of the incredible. Its incredible that Brittany and I could produce life, but that is just the tip of the iceberg. The real magnificence is the one who designed humanity. From conception, 39 weeks of pregnancy, labor, and finally the entrance of Lucas, I can’t begin to imagine that this was not with design. That by chance molecules, genetics, and DNA all came together to allow child birth doesn’t really make sense. Rather, we are forced to consider that there was a master creator that designed all this to work in such a perfect way to allow life come into existence. And it leaves us with a sense of appreciation for the creative brilliance of this creator. Its in these moments that we can relate with the psalmists as they declare
Psalm 8:3-4
3  When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
4  what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?
Psalm 33:6-9

By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host
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7  He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap;
he puts the deeps in storehouses.
8  Let all the earth fear the Lord;
let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him!
9  For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
The creative brilliance of God is constantly on display throughout all of creation. Next time you walk outside take a moment to enjoy the experience. If you are in Chicago in the bitter cold and snow, appreciate the concept of snow, and how cold the environment needs to get to sustain snow. Even, better, have hope for the fading of snow and when the sun shine and warmth returns. Jonathan Edwards was famous for scheduling times in the day to go on walks and horse back riding. These times were devoted to enjoying the beauty around him and to be reminded of the grandeur of God and his creative work.

2. It stirs the affections of human wonder of God

My affection for God were stirred. When I say affections I mean a multitude of emotions. My love, sheer awe, wonder, fear, reverence, respect and so much more. Some of you may find it strange that I include fear in my list. However, it seems right to be in holy fear and reverence of the one who is able to speak existence into being and fashioned man kind in His own likeness and image.

It is not possible to experience the creative brilliance of God at work and NOT be moved
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As my affections are stirred I am reminded of the goodness of God. This remembrance causes me to worship and bring to recollection the goodness of God in all of life. It also causes me to have right perspective of our God. I am reminded of the line in the C.S Lewis novel The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe as the children begin to learn the character and nature of Aslan. The kids did not have a full perspective of who Aslan really was. And when they considered him to be “safe” Mr. Beaver responds,

““Safe?” said Mr. Beaver; “don’t you hear what Mrs. Beaver tells you? Who said anything about safe? ‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good. He’s the King, I tell you.”

― C.S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

C.S Lewis masterfully captures the tension that lies in the goodness of God and his “otherness”. At times we only look at a specific attribute of God and view that as who He is in totality. But God is much more complex. As my affections for God lead to worship, it becomes clear that we need a full perspective of the greatness of God which results in a multitude of emotions (awe, wonder, fear, amazement) as we enter into worship of who He is.
Ready for the next 2 ways? Be on the look out for the next post!

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