Completely Overtaken

Published on by Christine Wyrtzen2 Comments

Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. John 14:9

God speaks and things materialize where there was once nothing.  God pushes galaxies around with the tip of His finger. He breathes over a silent, colorless world and it wakes, breaking out in green and light and birdsong. Such power cannot be measured or managed; it is limitless, uncontainable, beyond the reach of our imagination. And yet this same God wrapped Himself in skin, took shape in the hidden darkness of a virgin’s womb, and stepped into our timeline as a fragile, crying child. He did not simply reflect the image of God the way we do; He was—mysteriously, wholly—God Himself in human flesh.

Jesus showed us what happens when God lives through a person. Jesus restrained His power with wisdom, but when it was unleashed, the dead were raised, storms ceased, and the blind were made to see.  His power was not limited because of the effects of the Fall and the cancer of sin.

I am limited, however.  I am narrowed and weakened by the effects of the Fall, marked by the slow corrosion of sin. And yet, as one made in the image of God and redeemed, washed by the blood of the Lamb, I have become a dwelling place for the Spirit of God. His presence lives in me. Is there evidence of that indwelling for others to see? Is there a shimmer of His glory in my words, my choices, my way of moving through the world?

When He prompts me to speak, am I willing to open my mouth and let words of healing and truth come out, trusting His power to move through my frail frame? Or do I shrink back, forgetting that I am not empty—that I am, in fact, inhabited? Perhaps my hesitation reveals not humility, but amnesia: I have forgotten that I can be possessed, fully and beautifully, by the Holy Spirit.

Help me fully understand what Your incarnation means for me. It’s so loaded with implications and I know I haven’t begun to grasp it. Amen

Little Shepherd and Overseer

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For “you were like sheep going astray,” but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.  I Peter 2:25

When an ancient king planned to journey through a desert landscape, the way was prepared beforehand by his advance team.  The road was inspected, repaired where needed, and all that would obstruct his journey was addressed.

Jesus was our advance team.  He came to prepare the way for us to walk the path to His kingdom.  The infant Shepherd who napped in the manger was also the One who made crooked paths straight.

And not only is He the little Shepherd but He is also the little Overseer of our souls.

That means He is the caretaker of our inside world.  He exposes sin and inspires repentance.  He encourages us to examine each crooked place in our hearts so things can be made straight.  He saves us from painful detours.  He cheers us on when we limp. He picks us up when we’re lame.  He helps us when we’re emotionally and spiritually feeble.

We have a deep desire to be known by One who loves us and has earned our trust.  Because we were wired for this divine connection, our souls strain to be under the care of One who sees it all, the good and the bad. We want to belong to the One who can craft an environment where we will thrive.  But there is a caveat ~ we must first give up our lives to Him in surrender.   

You are the perfect Shepherd and perfect Overseer.  I’m going to let you define what is best for me without limiting Your influence.  Amen

The Little One Who Reversed The Curse

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Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a pole. … When he was hung on the cross, he took upon himself the curse for our wrongdoing.  Galatians 3:13

Jesus wasn’t born to be just a teacher, or to just tell stories about the kingdom, or just to perform miracles, or even to be king of Israel.  He was born to reverse the curse pronounced in the Garden of Eden. 

The curse came upon Adam and Eve when they failed to believe God about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  When they fell for the serpent’s deception and sealed it with an act of disobedience, they ushered in immense consequences for them and every one of us who descend from them.  Is it any wonder that Jesus grew up to say, “Whoever believes in me, though He dies, yet shall He live.”  Unbelief brought the curse upon us.  Belief in Jesus would free us from it. 

The sin of unbelief was carried out in a garden.  Thirty-three years after little Jesus was born, He would enter another garden to deal with the weight of our curse.  He knew what it would mean to die in our place.

Everyone who embraces this Savior and believes in Him, with their life, is no longer cursed ~ but blessed.  The theme of our life is not ‘paradise lost’ but ‘paradise restored.’  Barren landscapes, once brown and decayed by sin, are now lush and green.  In kingdom places, we dare walk barefoot in tender grass without fear of cutting our feet.  We dare drink water from any pond or water source without fear of contamination.  Wherever God is ~ is paradise, and this little Savior, who slept in the hay, shook our world to lead us there.  Condemnation was instantly banished with His words, “It is finished.” 

I still believe You and choose to live by faith every day of my life. Amen

When You Remember Moments

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And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Luke 2:9

The shepherds were doing their ordinary work in the dark, watching sheep on a hillside, when the unmerited favor of God intersected their story, giving them an experience they would carry with them for the rest of their lives. Nothing in their future would ever eclipse the night when the heavens opened, and for a brief moment, the veil over their spiritual sight was drawn back.

Are such defining moments still possible today? Yes. Not because we can demand them, but because the same God still delights to reveal Himself. There are days that become spiritual mountaintops, places that become a personal Bethel. We are not meant to settle into a gray monotony of going through the motions. We treasure yesterday’s manna, but we shouldn’t live on memories alone. We seek Him in His Word, we listen for His Spirit’s whisper, we pursue Him with a steady hunger, and in His timing, often when we least expect it, the glory of the Lord brushes close.

An ordinary day can be turned upside down when the eternal breaks into the ordinary: a conversation, a car ride, a quiet room, a hospital hallway. In a moment, His presence falls and everything changes. Others around you may not notice anything unusual. They may keep scrolling, talking, and rushing. But you will know. Inwardly, you will slip off your shoes because you recognize holy ground.

For a while afterward, you may move through your routines with a kind of spiritual disorientation, caught between this world and the one you just tasted. You will find yourself returning to that moment when you remember the God who came so close.

Lord Jesus, make my heart like those shepherds. I want to be awake in the ordinary, ready to be interrupted by Your glory. Amen

When Gifts Must Wait To Be Used

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After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. Luke 2:46-47

Was it difficult for Joseph and Mary to give Jesus a normal upbringing? Was he a normal villager’s kid? In this one account from Luke, Jesus goes to the temple when He is twelve, asks a few questions, offers some insights in response, and the scholars are amazed.

How do you hide the Light of the world in a dark and oppressive Roman society? In Nazareth, there very well could have been stories among the villagers about Jesus. Though His first public miracle was at the wedding at Cana, did things happen earlier that could only have been explained by the word ‘miracle’? We’re not told but I find it interesting that Mary turned to Jesus at the wedding and casually asked if He would do something about the wine that had run out.

I wonder if the presence of God, resident in Christ, caused cataclysmic reactions at various points in His childhood. Surely something extraordinary happened in the temple when Jesus was twelve. His divinity was on display that day.

Thirty years of age is a long time for Jesus to wait to be released into public ministry. In God’s wisdom, there were thirty years of preparation for three years of ministry.

You and I may be aware of spiritual gifts that lie in waiting. We strain to exercise them and second-guess God’s wisdom of how long it will be until the door of our calling is opened. Could there be a lifetime of preparation for a few short years of ministry? Yes. John the Baptist was a flash of Light for a very short time, but never, according to Jesus, did anyone burn brighter.

I submit to Your wisdom and timetable. Amen

Prophets And The Present

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Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an Apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God, which he promised before hand through the prophets in the holy scriptures. Romans 1:2

Nearly every time Paul stood to defend the gospel, he did not begin in Bethlehem with a manger. He began in Genesis, in Abraham, in Moses. Speaking to Jewish leaders, he was intent on showing that Jesus was not an unexpected interruption to their story, but its long-awaited fulfillment. The Torah they loved and knew by heart had already whispered His name. The law they cherished, the sacrifices they offered, the prophets they revered—all of it was preparing the way.

Why was this so important for the Jews to grasp? Because it is hard for any of us to walk away from what is familiar, even when God is clearly moving us forward. Yet in truth, they were not being asked to abandon their story, but to see it fulfilled. In the Torah and through the prophets, they already possessed a partial revelation of Christ. To believe in Jesus was not to betray Abraham, but to stand where Abraham stood: looking ahead for the Lamb of God and finally recognizing Him in the face of Jesus.

God is the consummate storyteller. The cry of a newborn in Bethlehem was not a random beginning; it was a long-promised chapter in a story that started in Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned, a promise was planted of a Seed who would crush the serpent’s head.

In God’s plot line, there is no such thing as ‘wasted’. Not even our mistakes. Though we know the end of the story revealed in Scripture, the redemptive twists and turns take us by surprise. May I not be like the Jews who failed to recognize Jesus when He stood in front of them. As He orders the events of my day, I ask for the eyesight to see His fingerprints.

In God’s plot line, nothing is wasted—not even our failures. The redemptive twists and turns still take our breath away. He weaves glory through what we thought were only ruins. The danger is to be so bound to what I already know, or to be so absorbed in my own pain, that I do not recognize Jesus standing right in front of me. I do not want to miss Him because I expected Him to come in a different way.

I bless the storyline You have written for me. I see now that my life is not a collection of disconnected episodes, but a thread woven through Your larger story. Amen

Lock Your Eyes!

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Wise men came from the east to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who was born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” Matthew 2:1-2

Scholars disagree on the length of the wise men’s journey to Bethlehem. The shortest calculation is forty days. The longest, and the one most everyone agrees upon, is approximately two years. Whether a 40-day journey or a 2-year voyage, it took considerable planning.  

Had they always been looking for the star that appeared in the night sky? How did they know its significance?  How could they be sure it wasn’t something of lesser significance? But they knew.  And as they traveled, they would have recalibrated continually to ensure they were still on track. Eyes fixed, they were led safely to their destination.  

Symbolically, each of us embarks on a similar journey. We see the glory of God revealed, not in the skies, but in the face of Christ. That event means more than what we can convey in a dinner conversation. It holds such significance that we are willing to stop everything, count the cost, and embark on a journey that takes a lifetime. Ultimately, we won’t arrive in Bethlehem to see a baby but in heaven to see a risen, glorified Jesus. Along the way, we need to keep our eyes fixed. We need to recalibrate. If our gaze remains on Jesus, the north star, we follow a direct path home. 

Jesus understands the sojourn. He made it Himself. Eyes fixed on His Father, He was led safely to glory. 

Jesus, I’m looking at the horizon and not at my feet. Amen

When Glory Invades My World

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And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. Luke 2:9

The shepherds didn’t ask to see the glory of God. They hadn’t done anything to earn the privilege. They certainly didn’t expect it. Yet, God’s favor punctuated their evening and brought an experience they would never forget. Nothing in their lifetimes would eclipse the night on the hillside when heaven opened. Do such miraculous moments still happen today? Sometimes. 

A pastor we knew well suffered an aortic rupture…. something you don’t usually come back from. While clinically dead on the table, he witnessed a battlefield. He saw evil forces and God’s angelic forces engage in a confrontation. When God brought the pastor back from death, he told everyone….. “If you could see what I saw, how outnumbered the enemy was, and how fearsome the angelic warriors were, you would never be afraid of anything ever again!”  I think of his testimony every time I battle fear. 

I know that most of us will not have a near-death encounter and come back to speak of it. But we still witness the glory of God. Sometimes there are angelic visitations. Sometimes Jesus will appear to someone in the night. He bears witness to Himself and brings the most unsuspecting convert to the kingdom. It’s happening all over the world. And what about the times when the heavens open and God’s Spirit brings illumination about a scripture we’ve never understood before! It is cataclysmic to our spirits, is it not? These comprise the ‘Bethel Moments’ that define life in profound ways.

 It is easy to separate the times of scripture from the times in which we live. Sadly, our skepticism can obscure the supernatural appearances of God’s glory. The supernatural is meant to punctuate my life with unforgettable moments. 

My trust in You does not depend on the miraculous, but every miraculous encounter changes me forever. Thank you for every single one! Amen

When Glory Collides With Evil

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Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1

The darkness of this world has always been overwhelming. No matter where we study history, there are stories of unspeakable cruelty. Our lasting shred of innocence is shattered by what we see on the evening news. 

The differences between the darkness of evil and the light of the glory of God are incomprehensible.  I don’t understand the full extent of God’s holiness, nor do I understand Satan’s villainous nature. I can’t even grasp the evil of my heart or the power of what it means to be created in the image of God. If I knew the possibilities of what it really means to have His Spirit inside, wouldn’t it culminate in a blazing fire?  Wouldn’t passion drive out all vestiges of a numbed-out existence? 

The Light of the world entered our violent world quietly. His light was only visible to some, contrasted by the darkness of the Roman Empire, a corrupt and vicious dictatorship. The nation of Israel suffered in the shadows of evil and languished for a Messiah to deliver them. His birth was preceded by 400 years of interminable silence. The one they had been crying out for, Jesus, arrived, yet they didn’t celebrate.

God loves to reveal His glory. And how much more so at Christmastime is the wonder of heaven revealed! I want to take part in the celebration. I’m asking God to open my spirit wider to feel the impact of heaven and earth colliding. 

Let me hear the music. In Jesus name, Amen

When The Veil Thinned

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There is none like you, O LORD; you are great, and your name is great in might. Jeremiah 10:6

Long before Bethlehem’s star pierced the night, God made Himself known through names that echoed His sovereignty—The God Who Sees, The God Who Hears, the Lord our Banner. These names were powerful, yet still veiled. Then Jesus came, and there was a seismic shift in how humanity understood God.

Immediately after Jesus’ birth, the shepherds learned His identity: Savior and Emmanuel. And as He grew, His names became windows into the Father’s heart: Bread of Life, Good Shepherd, True Vine, Lamb of God, Precious Cornerstone, and Last Adam. Each name peeled back another layer of the mystery. Each one gave believers new glimpses into the complex and unfathomable depths of God.

There is nothing more important for me to learn than the names of God. The ones that are most precious to me are those I had to embrace out of great need. They became fluent in my soul only when I needed them to be. Some still remain theological to me, shimmering with beauty but not yet inhabited. Others are now as essential as breathing because they were forged in seasons where I had nothing else to stand on.

On my next quiet journaling day, I want to gather these names, both ancient titles and New Testament revelations, and write them out like stepping stones of grace. And after the ones that have carried me, I will jot down the memories associated with them: the moments of fear, surrender, healing, and hope that opened my heart to who God truly is.

Before life is over, I want to know You within the context of all Your names. Amen