31 Days Toward Passionate Faith Hardcover - 2007

Excerpt

When I was working on my third book, Choices…Changes, there was one episode I especially enjoyed writing.

You guessed it. It was the last episode, about my husband.

It was great fun to sit at the computer with my friend and describe Ken Tada. How he looked the first time I saw him…how he talked…how he smiled…how he carried himself…how he moved when he played racquetball. The words about our dating days flowed effortlessly.

Day 1

Writing about our wedding day and marriage was pure joy. Obviously, I didn’t need a thesaurus to think of adjectives. I wanted to go on and on.

And sometimes I did! My friend would have to say, “Uh, Joni, don’t you think you’ve talked enough about Ken’s muscles?” Or, “Joni, that’s the fourth time in this chapter you’ve told us how handsome Ken is.”

Isn’t that funny? I just couldn’t say enough good stuff about my husband.

I’ll bet it’s the same with those you love, too. You want others to know how special that person is–whether it’s your mate, your friend, your child, your niece, your nephew, or your grandchild. The best part is finding someone genuinely interested in listening to your glowing descriptions. It actually multiplies your pleasure.

Listen in as the author of Hebrews talks about his best Friend, Jesus. It’s as if someone approached him and said, “You seem to put a great deal of stock in this Person, Jesus Christ. Just who is He, anyway? Why are you so excited about Him? Can you describe Him?”

Could he ever! Having found a listening ear, the writer can’t say enough. Just look at the seven descriptive phrases he uses in the first four verses of his book.

Jumping right in, the writer tells us Jesus is the “appointed heir of all things” (v. 2). Right off the top he lifts Jesus to where He belongs–over all things.

But that’s only the beginning. Next the writer reminds us that through the spoken word of Jesus, “he made the universe” (v. 2).

Warming to his subject, the author declares Jesus the very “radiance of God’s glory” (v. 3). Just as the brilliance of the sun cannot be separated from the sun itself, Jesus cannot be separated from the glory of the Father–He is God Himself.

Not only does Jesus share in the glory of God, He is “the exact representation of his being” (v. 3). Like a stamp that leaves its impression on warm wax, Jesus is the exact representation of the character and nature of God.

The writer can’t stop. Superlatives keep pouring from his pen. He affirms that this mighty Son of God is “sustaining all things by his powerful word” (v. 3). He created the world by the word of His mouth, and now He holds it all together.

But Jesus Christ is more than some awesome, distant Deity, the writer hastens to add. He took notice of our helpless plight and became our Savior. He “provided purification for sins” through the sacrifice of His life on the cross (v. 3). By His death, Christ paid the incalculable penalty for our sins and satisfied every just demand of a holy God.

His work of redemption complete, Jesus “sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven” (v. 3).

With the ink flowing fast on his parchment, the writer goes on and on. Chapter 1, chapter 2, chapter 3, chapter 4…Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

How is it with you? Are you looking for listening ears, anxious to go on and on about the Lord Jesus and what He means to you?

If you find you don’t have enough adjectives to describe Him, I’d like to introduce you to the author of Hebrews. Sorry I can’t give you his name; he got so excited about his Subject he forgot to introduce himself. Maybe the two of you can get away together for a few minutes today.

There’s nothing that excited writer would love more than a listening ear.

The Glorious Pursuit

Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again….We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors.

2 C o r i n t h i a n s 5 : 1 4 — 1 5 , 2 0

Jesus is the reason for everything–not just everything in our lives, but everything in the universe and throughout all of history. Of all persons and topics, He is the one most worthy of our words. Share a few of those life-giving words with someone else. And keep coming back to the writers of Scripture. They long to tell you more, so you can know Him better. So you can sound His praises still more, and more, and more…