I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. Eph. 1:17 NIV
Traditionally, the Christian celebration of Epiphany occurs on January 6th, twelve days after Christmas. The word epiphany means manifestation or appearance, particularly one in which the divine nature of Christ is revealed.
Jessica Van Roekel in her article What is Epiphany? explains how the following manifestations of Christ provided different perspectives of His divinity, helping us to understand Him more fully:
At his birth, the angels bore witness, and the shepherds, representing Israel, bowed before Jesus. The visit of the Magi revealed Jesus to the Gentiles. The Holy Spirit descended at His baptism, and God declared Jesus’ identity. The first miracle at the Wedding in Cana revealed Jesus’ divinity over nature. God disclosed himself to humankind through the person of Jesus. He made himself known so we might know him.
Additionally, the American Heritage Dictionary defines epiphany as “a sudden insight or intuitive understanding.” Perhaps you have experienced this kind of epiphany when reflecting upon an impactful experience, recognizing a pattern of behavior that affects you positively or negatively, accepting wise counsel from a trusted friend or relative, or reading, listening to, or viewing something which inspires or resonates with your spirit, such as the watercolor my friend “CSC” allowed me to use as the image for this devotion.
What We Can Learn…
See if some of the following epiphanies I’ve experienced are meaningful to you as well:
Taking time for self-care is NOT selfish; it’s essential!
For every formidable foe we face, God provides the wisdom, the resources, and the stamina we need. Guaranteed!
When we offer our availability, God offers His opportunities to use the gifts, desires, and whimsy He has planted in our hearts (See Bob Goff’s newest book Catching Whimsy).
Accepting the “real” while aiming for the “ideal” paves a path to healthy, joyful living and relationships. Dr. Henry Cloud’s Changes that Heal provides practical insights and action steps for this process.
The less I say, the more I am likely to listen and learn.
Everything I ingest, whether physically or mentally, has a ripple effect!
If I follow my wise mother’s counsel to “Start sooner; go slower,” I will enjoy the journey and my traveling companions to a much greater extent!
Father,
Thank You for the many ways You manifest Yourself to those who seek You.
Thank You for the meaningful insights You offer through Your Word and through a multitude of people and experiences You provide.
Please open our eyes and hearts to “All, but Only” the epiphanies You know we need in our lives.
Quiet our minds and help us to hear Your voice above all others in this new year.
In the name of our wise and wonderful Savior, Jesus. Amen.
Note: This week, instead of the typical “Wobbly Warbler” rendition, I am sparing you and trying something new! I hope you, dear readers, will participate and enjoy a bit of whimsy by sharing and learning from each other.
Please respond to one or more of the following “Questions to Ponder” in the Comment Section below:
In what way(s) does the artwork featured in today’s devotion speak to you?
How has God impressed upon you a fresh insight or perhaps confirmed a previous one?
What epiphany have you experienced that helped you understand yourself, others, or life more fully?
Thank you for caring and sharing. May you be blessed with epiphanies all year long!
Love the beautiful watercolor by CSC! I felt energized looking at it.
Both a fresh and renewed insight I had today was that I have been enabling a friend whom I was trying to help. He has been resistant to making any significant changes to the things he is complaining about. I have done the legwork to research possibilities, which he always seems to have an immediate response of how that option won't work without even exploring it. I've been afraid that he would not make it through his tough situation, and I got a clear insight today that I am a loving friend and perhaps the best way I can love him now is to step back and let him do the legwork and initiative to "save" himself. I will continue to be his friend in a supportive way, but I'm now releasing feeling responsible for helping him make good decisions for himself. I think that is perhaps the most loving way I can be in the friendship now.
Thanks you, Dalene, for always encouraging us to be our best and most healthy selves. Happy New Year to all you co-readers! :)
I've been struggling for most of my life about setting boundaries. Feeling it's my responsibility to say yes all the time to requests being made even when totally hard on me physically or emotionally. But am learning that if iI set appropriate boundaries that my loved ones, family or friends, may be surprised it disappointed but they still love me and actually seem respectful of my boundary setting. It has occurred to me that even Jesus set boundaries as he went off to rest when he needed to. He walked away from situations that he knew would be harmful. He said no when he felt he should. So I'm trying to be discerning as Jesus was in my daily routines to look to Him for help being discerning well. Thank you Dalene for this devotional as a great way to start the week. Bless you!!!