THEOPHANY

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PASTOR RYAN LADEN – DEVOTIONALS

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It is a natural desire for the child of God to want to connect with the Lord in a physical, tangible, and awe-inspiring way. When we read the Bible, it can seem like the Lord is in the habit of constantly speaking audibly, demonstrating his presence in a physical way, or joining the gift of his Word with a miracle, sign, or wonder that cannot be missed. Again, when we read about such events in the pages of the Bible, we can easily assume that this kind of communication between God and humanity is normal or to be expected.  

However, we forget that while the Lord has indeed shown himself to his people in many ways, these forms of direct revelation are spread out over a minimum of 6,000 years of human history. What might look like the norm for a believer reading the Bible is actually a rare and purposeful revelation of some character, quality, or value of the Lord that is being shared in a powerful and unique way. 

Below you will find a short list of some of the ways in which the Lord God Almighty has purposefully revealed himself through a physical act or a manifestation of his presence in a tangible and observable way. 

Abraham

  •   God spoke to Abraham many times and used several forms of communication with him as the Lord prepared him to enter into the gift of the Promised Land. 

Moses

  •   From the burning bush on Mt. Sinai, the plagues of Egypt, the parting of the Sea, the pillars of fire and cloud, and the direct communication between God and Moses on the mountain and in the Tabernacle, Moses participated in a large number of Theophanies (instances of God’s physical presence breaking into creation).

Wilderness  

  •   The Lord showed himself to the people of the Exodus as they witnessed the blessing of the Passover and the escape from Egypt. Their Elders met with God on the mountain and the people witnessed the provision of God in the gifts of water from rocks and their daily provision of manna. 

Temple

  •   The presence of the Lord was seen and experienced by Solomon and the people of Israel at the dedication of the Temple. 

Elijah

  •   The fire of God fell on the sacrifice offered by Elijah during the showdown over the false gods of Ahab and Jezebel on Mt. Carmel. And the Lord spoke to Elijah as he hid from his enemies in a cave. The voice of God was found in the whisper, not in the violence of the storm. 

Jesus

  •   Several times, the voice of the Heavenly Father spoke over Jesus Christ, confirming for those listening that Jesus was indeed the Son of God. 

Pentecost

  •   In the early church, the Holy Spirit was physically witnessed as tongues of fire over the heads of the 120 as they met in the upper room in Jerusalem on the day the church was commissioned into its Spirit-led mission. 

Deeper Dive

The three friends of the Prophet Daniel, who refused to bow down and worship the human king known as Nebuchadnezzar, experienced another great example of a Theophany as the Lord joined with these three within the fires of the furnace. 

Read the following passage and listen to the faith of these men, see th ,e impossible situation that following the Lord created in their lives, and then see how the Lord himself met these three in their time of trial.

16 Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego replied to him, “King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. 17 If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from Your Majesty’s hand. 18 But even if he does not, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up. ”

19 Then Nebuchadnezzar was furious with Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, and his attitude toward them changed. He ordered the furnace heated seven times hotter than usual 20 and commanded some of the strongest soldiers in his army to tie up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego and throw them into the blazing furnace. 21 So these men, wearing their robes, trousers, turbans and other clothes, were bound and thrown into the blazing furnace. 22 The king’s command was so urgent and the furnace so hot that the flames of the fire killed the soldiers who took up Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego, 23 and these three men, firmly tied, fell into the blazing furnace.

24 Then King Nebuchadnezzar leaped to his feet in amazement and asked his advisers, “Weren’t there three men that we tied up and threw into the fire?” They replied, “Certainly, Your Majesty.”

25 He said, “Look! I see four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.”

(Daniel 3:16-25 NIV11)

Prayer

Lord Jesus Christ, thank you for being the greatest example of the presence of our Creator breaking into human existence. You are the fourth man in the fire, the pillar of cloud, and the sun that stands still. You are beyond our understanding, and yet you communicate yourself in clear and powerful ways. We are blessed by your desire to know us and to reveal some aspect of your glory to those you created with a thought. Thank you for loving us so well. 

In Christ, 

Ryan Laden

PASTOR RYAN LADEN

Senior Pastor at PARK HILL BAPTIST CHURCH


Worked at MTN. CHURCH

Former Senior pastor at Warnbro Community Church

Studies at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary

Studied at Baylor University

Studied at Texas Tech University

Went to Castle Hills First Baptist

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