“For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say ‘No’ to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope — the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.”
I ran across this picture from a hunting
trip last fall. I was sitting under an old apple tree waiting
for some deer to come by, trying to memorize the verse above from Titus.
In the midst of that great time with God in His word, this butterfly landed
on my leg for a visit. It was a blessing to have his friendship
for a few minutes. His presence spurred me on to deeper reflection
in this Titus passage…..grace, salvation, self-control, godly living in an
unfriendly and dangerous world---a snapshot of pure beauty.
The beauty of the butterfly reminded me of God’s fingerprints
in nature. His bright wings caused me to reflect on the many
colors of God’s grace among the tribes, tongues, and peoples as they follow
Jesus.
That butterfly served as an image of self control, just being the beauty God made him to be and resting even on the leg of one who could have been a danger to him. He wasn’t trying to be peacefully beautiful, he just was. Is there a lesson there for me in terms of godliness? Perhaps it is less about working to be godly and more about just being what God wants us to be. Maybe it is more about submission to the shaping hands of the Father as he makes me more like Jesus, more beautiful in him (Romans 8:28-29). What if the “being” of my inner life was so immersed in Christ that doing good just happened, like the effortless unfolding of butterfly wings. What a wonderful parallel loveliness, doing what is good, just being who God made us to be, reflecting His glory---now there is pure beauty.
That reflection made for a very successful hunt. Saying “no” to ungodliness is a supernaturally empowered choice when the focus is on a “yes” to the amazing grace of God. His grace teaches us to say “no” to the world as our “yes” is fueled by the blessed hope of Christ’s presence and His return.
Lord, as I rest in you today, as I dwell in the shadow of your wings, make me beautiful in Christ. Unfold my wings unto your glory and for doing the good that you prepared in advance for me to do.
That butterfly served as an image of self control, just being the beauty God made him to be and resting even on the leg of one who could have been a danger to him. He wasn’t trying to be peacefully beautiful, he just was. Is there a lesson there for me in terms of godliness? Perhaps it is less about working to be godly and more about just being what God wants us to be. Maybe it is more about submission to the shaping hands of the Father as he makes me more like Jesus, more beautiful in him (Romans 8:28-29). What if the “being” of my inner life was so immersed in Christ that doing good just happened, like the effortless unfolding of butterfly wings. What a wonderful parallel loveliness, doing what is good, just being who God made us to be, reflecting His glory---now there is pure beauty.
That reflection made for a very successful hunt. Saying “no” to ungodliness is a supernaturally empowered choice when the focus is on a “yes” to the amazing grace of God. His grace teaches us to say “no” to the world as our “yes” is fueled by the blessed hope of Christ’s presence and His return.
Lord, as I rest in you today, as I dwell in the shadow of your wings, make me beautiful in Christ. Unfold my wings unto your glory and for doing the good that you prepared in advance for me to do.
Would you like to be on the reminder list? Send us an email, and we will send you reminders when we post new devotionals.
Back to the Main Diehlings Home Page:
