SCRIPTURE: I will make those of the synagogue of Satan who say that they are Jews and are not, but lie—behold, I will make them come and bow down before your feet, and they will learn that I have loved you. Revelation 5:9 ESV
THOUGHT: Imagine feeling like an outsider just like new believers in the early church might have. After all, the Jewish roots of Christianity were much stronger than its Gentile branches back then.
I can imagine those feelings because I came back to faith so broken in my 40s. I remember sitting in a Bible study, surrounded by these really wonderful women and feeling like an outsider, wondering how I could ever “fit in” with people who hadn’t experienced childhood abuse, broken marriages, and multiple other losses that came along with that baggage. I remember hearing that one of my pastors had said, “well, the one thing you can say about Amy is she is authentic.” That didn’t exactly make me feel celebrated. It made me feel different. Unlovely. But I took it as a badge of honor anyway. Authenticity is good.
It would be interesting if God allows me to see that pastor’s face the day I am welcomed into the throne room. Like all the Jews of Jesus’ day, so certain that they – as the apple of God’s eye – were the only ones he loved, there will be a few surprises as we gather there. A few people we treated as outsiders despite their official adoption will be elevated a few notches in our estimation. God forgive us, and help us love the outsiders.
PRAYER: Oh God, to feel your love and approval, despite my imperfections, is a revelation in itself. Thank you that you love the stranger and foreigner who come to you in faith. Help me love them too.
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ABOUT ME:
Blogger Amy Clemens is the author of Walking When You’d Rather Fly: Meditations on Faith After the Fall. In it she explores childhood sexual abuse and how it impacted her faith (or lack thereof) for four decades. You’ll find not only her story, but better yet, the Big Story of God.
Check out Walking When You’d Rather Fly, and learn more about the book and Amy’s other ministries. You will also find her devotional work at Words of Hope.
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