Last year my spiritual mentor, who is 87 years old, shared with me a phrase that gripped me – “beholding is becoming”. I mulled over this phrase many times and concluded that this ought to be the description of every disciple of Jesus Christ.
The profile of a disciple is to become more like his/her Master, Jesus Christ. How do we become more like Christ? It is not something that happens immediately after we become Christians but rather it is a gradual process. It begins when we commune with our Master, day by day. The disciple of Christ encounters his/her Master daily through the reading of God’s Word and through prayer. The disciple also meets with God’s people (other disciples) regularly in corporate worship and in small groups. This process of “becoming” may not be evident to us initially but we must continue to keep on “beholding”, and unknown to ourselves, people around us will begin to see this “becoming”. We call this transformation of life and character. The more the disciple fellowships with God personally and continues to meet with God’s people corporately, the “beholding” is taking place! As the disciple continues to behold the “beauty of the Lord” and “inquire in His temple”, he/she will become like the one he/she beholds!
But what does it mean to commune with God or to “behold Him”? When we read God’s Word and apply God’s truths into our lives, God, through His Holy Spirit will change us little by little. In our small group, we were reminded of the importance of spending time with God regularly. As we looked at the various Scripture references during that week and recorded in our Devotional Journal the meaning of the verses, we also made some personal application for our own lives.
So far we have covered 10 principles and we are actually getting to know God better. Our faith in God has been strengthened and we have greater confidence to entrust our future into the hands of the God who knows all things, the God who is in control of all things and the God who is utterly reliable and trustworthy.
One of our small group members shared in our last meeting that she experienced God answering her prayers three times in that same day! We were encouraged and reminded afresh that Elisha’s God is our God and He is the same today and forever! Our daily communion with God through the study of His Word and our personal reflections and application of God’s Word into our lives helps us to trust God both for the good things and also the bad things that could happen to us. God tells us in His Word “that all things (the good and the bad, the joyful and the painful) work together for good to those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose” (Romans 8:28-29).
In the Psalms, David expressed his one deep desire: “One thing have I asked of the LORD, this is what I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to seek Him in His temple.” (Psalm 27:4). David longed to behold the LORD. He continued to do so all his life and as he did so daily, he was transformed bit by bit to look like his LORD! David wasn’t perfect by any means. In fact he fell into deep sin when his eyes strayed away from his LORD. But he returned to the LORD and was restored and once again resumed his “gaze on the LORD” and his love for God was rekindled.
My desire this year is to grow deeper in my love for Him through intentional communion with Him and the study of His Word. I also desire to deepen my love for God’s people and for the lost through intercessory prayer. I want to be ready and available to share the hope that I have in Christ Jesus, with compassion, love and sensitivity!
The small group materials are an excellent resource to deepen our walk with the LORD and to keep our daily appointments with Him. Let’s be intentional in “beholding” the LORD and feasting on His unchanging Word. As we do this, we will slowly but surely become more and more like Him, radiating the love and fragrance of Christ for all to see. Yes, 2013 is all about intentional “beholding” and “becoming”, all for His glory!
– by deaconess Violet James, YCKC bulletin 26 & 27 Jan 2013