October 15, 2020
God’s Little Post-It Notes
Sharon Jaynes
Today’s truth
Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse (Romans 1:20 TNIV).
Friend to Friend
I believe one of the greatest inventions of the twentieth century was the Post-It Note. First there was yellow. Then came fuchsia, turquoise, buttercup, and magenta. From full-page mega notes to tiny little strips, sticky notes have kept me organized, tasks prioritized, and Scripture memorized. Mostly, they have served as visual reminders of information, events, and appointments not to forget.
But a visual reminder of things not to forget didn’t begin with Post-It Notes. They began with God, Himself. All through life God places holy Post-It Notes on our days to remind us of Him.
In the Bible, Paul wrote to the Romans, “Since the creation of the world, God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse” (Romans 1:20 TNIV).
I call these moments when we see these holy Post-It Notes of His “eternal power and divine nature,” glory moments. The concept of glory can be a difficult concept to wrap our human minds around. It seems so otherworldly. We can catch glimpses of its meaning throughout Scripture, but then like a shooting star that appears for just a moment, it quickly slips away into the vast expanse of God’s infinite wisdom. But let’s see what we can know about this bigger-than-life word.
In the Old Testament, the most common Hebrew word for glory is kabod meaning “weight, honor, esteem.” The Bible associates God’s glory with how He manifests Himself or makes His presence known. Some theologians refer to these as theophanies. He made His presence known in a devouring fire (Exodus 24:16-17), a moving cloud (Exodus 13:21) and a still small voice (1 Kings 19:11-13). His glory is reflected in creation (Psalm 19:1) and in His sovereign control of history (Acts 17:26). His glory is made known through the life of simple human beings like you and me.
The same concept of God’s glory is in the New Testament in the Greek word, doxa, which means glory, honor and splendor. John wrote, “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only who came from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).
The verb form of glory, to glorify, is doxazo, and primarily denotes “to magnify, extol, praise, to ascribe honor to God, acknowledging Him as to His being, attributes and acts, i.e., His glory. It is the revelation and manifestation of all that He has and is. When we glorify God, we are giving a display or manifestation—or a reflection—of His character. To glorify God is to make Him easy to see. We become a Post-It Note to the world.
Just today, I jotted down a few glory moments God placed throughout my day like holy Post-It Notes reminding me of His presence.
- The sunrise with swirls of mist rising from the lake behind my home
- A vibrant red male cardinal and his demure wife sharing the bird feeder
- Boisterous Canadian geese flying in V-formation across the sky
- Tulip bulbs peeping through the ground
- Dogwood blossoms heralding Easter’s approach
- The weeping willow praising God in the breeze
- A monarch butterfly perched on the windowsill
- Midday sunlight dancing on the water
- A baby’s cry
- A little girl’s giggle
- Orange, magenta and red streaks across the sky as the sun bid goodnight
- A sliver of white in the inky sky with a smattering of twinkles all around
- My husband’s hand reaching for me in the night
Each and every one of these sightings were God’s reminders to me that He has infused my life with His presence. Through creation, God longs for us to see, discover, and remember His creative beauty, His enduring grace, and His fathomless mercy.
As you go through your day, look for holy Post-It Notes of God reminding you of His presence AND His love for you.
Let’s Pray
Dear Lord our Creator, I am in awe of Your creation today. Help me to never take You or Your handiwork for granted. I pray that I will always be amazed at the sunrise and the sunset and all that falls in-between. I love You.
In Jesus’ Name,
Amen.
Now It’s Your Turn
Today, moments of sudden glory when God makes His presence known.
Consider getting a pad of Post-It Notes and jot down visual reminders of God that grab your attention. Write your observations on the notes and post them around your home.
If you have children, consider giving them a pack of Post-It Notes and have them jot down things that remind them of God throughout their day. Before bedtime, share your Post-It Notes as a family.
More from the Girlfriends
Do you long to feel close to God but sense there’s something missing? That you’ve missed that mysterious formula to make it happen? Do have a persistent longing to experience God’s presence and working in your life, but not quite sure how to make it happen? If so, my book, A Sudden Glory: God’s Lavish Response to Your Ache for Something More, is just for you. Join me in discovering how to erase the lines between the secular and the sacred and experience a deeper, more intimate relationship with God than ever before. While you’re there, you can download a free chapter or watch a video book trailer.
And for you married gals, have apathy and indifference crept into your marriage and you don’t know what to do about it? Has your soulmate turned into just a roommate? Then check out my book Lovestruck and get out of that funk! Learn how to get Lovestruck all over again. This book answers everything you were dying to know about the Song of Solomon but were afraid to ask!
© 2020 by Sharon Jaynes. All rights reserved.