Signed. Sealed. Delivered. I’m yours!!!
What a catchy, fun little love jam. Stevie Wonder’s recallable hit from the 70s has found itself frequently worked into weddings, dances, show choir stages, sitcoms, and valentine’s picture/video collages with consistent and impactful familiarity.
The title speaks to a letter – signed, sealed, and delivered. The significance of this language is the officiality of the authenticity of the letter itself, the information contained within, and the execution of its transfer.
Once a letter is signed, enveloped licked and glued, stamped and sent out, the sender releases control. All the words and contents of the envelope are at the mercy of the recipient (for this we’re assuming it arrives as desired).
In Exodus 34, we read about Moses coming down from spending time with, and receiving very clear instruction from, God. Moses had spent 40 days up on the mountain praying, listening, and writing down the message God gave. And once God was done, we read that the word was SIGNED, SEALED (on stone), and given to Moses to be DELIVERED.
Stevie Wonder concludes his love song saying he is at the mercy of this girl, the recipient of all that is contained in the enveloped of himself, and emphatically states, ‘I’M YOURS!’.
Moses came down from the mountain and his 40-day discovery and something was different. His face was radiating, glowing, shining. He was unaware of this, but everyone could see this physical evidence.
God visibly and very clearly did a little more than go full on Stevie Wonder on the Israelites through Moses. He put his entire message in the container of Moses leaving the next step in the hands of the recipients as God said HE IS THEIRS.
In Luke 9 there is a similar story about Jesus with something that was like what happened to Moses. Jesus was up on a mountain spending time with God, and in this particular experience, the result was visible difference. He glowed. Peter, James, and John got to witness this.
As we are one week away from Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent, I want to get you in the mindset of things to expect with these three thoughts!
First, as we’ve read in Exodus and Luke, God has a word for us and will deliver it faithfully. It might directly to us individually, maybe indirectly through another, or concretely through written word or imagery.
Next, in order receive this word, we must position ourselves to be able to hear it. Sometimes blocking out distraction, noise, and chaos from the outside world is necessary. Other times it’s just taking time to stop and tune in (40 days might not be TOO long).
Finally, when we make such an intentional effort and spend the necessary time with God, WE are changed. Whether the word is just for us or for someone else, it is first and most importantly us who must be impacted, affected, and transformed by it. When this is the case, others can’t help but notice. We won’t be able to hide it. There will be something notable/visible – physically, emotionally, mentally – different about us!
So, would you join me in this 7-week journey, starting next Wednesday? Then, we can go Stevie Wonder on the world; SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED, giving ourselves to the world to express God’s love for others knowing that we are God’s.
#StevieWonder
#LentenLove
#RestoringWholenessOfLife
Brett
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