Birth

​I love to watch newborns.  They are so helpless and dependent upon their parents. And as they grow there is an absolute trust in the one providing care.  A baby doesn’t say, “Put me down!  You might drop me you blumbering giant!”  Babies don’t enter the realm of doubt.  They may exercise stubbornness or wail like fire trucks but always from a position of need or will and never doubt.  

Meditation
John 3:3,4—In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”  
“How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked.  “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!”
 
Jesus challenged Nicodemus, a studly Pharisee, to be born again.  He was not insulting this learned scholar who didn’t get it.  Nor was He being clever in a game of wits.  Jesus’ point was simple.  If you want to get into God’s kingdom, you must let go of everything you so dearly hold on to and put your trust in Me!  To be born again is not a surgical operation.  It is like leaping off the stairs as my youngest son loves to do, into the arms of the one you know will catch you and never let you fall. It means listening to the Holy Spirit who whispers to our hearts “It is all about humility and trust, dying to selfish adultery to follow after God’s Son, who died on the cross for you.” Jesus said, “For God loved the world in this way: He gave His One and Only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life.”(John 3:16).
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By the way, Max Lucado in his book 3:16 shares a marvelous truth about the word “again” in John 3:3.   There are two Greek words that mean “again”--palin and anothen.  Jesus chose the word anothen which denotes a repeated action but requires the original source to repeat it.  Anothen means “from above, from a higher place, things which come from heaven or God.”[1]  Conversely, palin just means to redo an action committed before.  Even in the simple choice of the word “again,” Jesus illustrates the power of God at work in birth!   Something to think about . . . in reveration!
 
Inspiration
The characteristic of the new birth is that I yield myself so completely to God that Christ is formed in me.—Oswald Chambers in My Utmost For His Highest
 
©1997 Daniel York  ARR. Reveration is the weekly devotional ministry of First Cause.  If you would like to receive these devotionals go to www.firstcause.org and click on the “Click here to receive weekly devotionals” box.  Unlimited permission to copy this devotional without altering text or profiteering is allowed subject to inclusion of this copyright notice.      
 
Ecclesiastes 12:10-The Teacher sought to find delightful sayings and to accurately write words of truth.  (Holman CSB)


[1]Max Lucado in 3:16 The Numbers of Hope   ©2007 Max Lucado  Thomas Nelson,  2007 p. 7, Quote taken from The New Testament Greek Lexicon, “anothen,”