But Dust

 In my mind's eye I can see his feet, kicking up dust as he walked the roads and hillsides of Israel.  Jesus, God in Flesh. Toes coated with layers of places he'd been to heal and preach.  Places he wrote in the dirt with his finger to rescue a woman from her accusers.  Dirt from places he had spit into and rubbed to make a mask to heal the eyes of a blind man.  Dust he had spoke the very atoms that formed each grain into existence.  The very dust and dirt he had reached into and formed a real man, crafting each cell, particle, molecule, curve, and crevice.  Dust He'd breathed eternity into.

 Dust that he knew would rise up to curse him, but he molded, he breathed, and now he walked among us.

 

 As John wrote: 

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2He was in the beginning with God. 3All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being."

As the God man now walked the Jerusalem, roads, roads which vibrated with exuberance and fear as it sensed His presence walking over its matted form.

 As he walked, some recognized, most did not.   The Savior of the world, God in dust, on earth to perform the ultimate act of reconciliation and redemption.  He would taste the curse that the dust had brought upon itself.  He would surrender to the ultimate enemy of the dust: death.

But He would rise and break the curse so the dust could be what it had originally been made for, life in harmony with the perfect, Eternal Creator.

The God Man, Jesus, who "Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross" (Phil. 2:8) was walking in the dirt, wearing it, breathing it, healing it.

The Old Testament has many great descriptions of God and His power, the words of these verses always overwhelm my soul for a couple of reasons.

1) Is for the reason I have been describing, God walked on earth with us, to save us.

2) This amazing God loves us and His willingness to come here to be dust, walk in dust, and save dust is the only evidence you need of His love, but He lavishes us with even more to show us His love.

3) This all powerful God allows us to come boldly to Him every time we pray because of the sacrifice of Jesus.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:16).

When words from the OT like these out of Zechariah 12:1 "Thus declares the Lord who stretches out the heavens, lays the foundation of the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him" remind us of who God is, especially in relation to who we are, I stand amazed.  Amazed that not only myself, but vast numbers of humanity can be in fellowship with him. I am reminded that I, WE are all but dust."For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust." (Psalm 103:14)

This is what Christmas is shouting to a dark world.  This is why the Lights are glittering about in excitement as they dispel the darkness.  As John goes on to say: "In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. 5)The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.".

We can never fully comprehend the majesty of God until we are in eternity with Him, but until then, especially at Christmas, remember the dust. Remember He became it, He wore it, He saved us-dust with a soul.  Dust He loves endlessly.

As the old carol says, "Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel...has come to us oh Israel..."

Merry Christmas! 

-Melissa Pyle