Seeing God Everywhere
Text: Luke 12:40
You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.’ (NRSV)
This text always causes me to have concerns about the Church of Jesus Christ. I find it sad that Jesus felt it necessary to explain to his followers that they needed to be ready to see him [the Son of Man] at any hour.
It seems to me that we should be looking for God in every minute of every day. I know this text is actually talking about the second coming of Jesus but, I’m not talking about the end of the age when Jesus is going to come back in final judgement, I’m talking about the fact that God is with us at all times.
On Sunday mornings just before our time of prayer, I used to ask the members of the churches I served to stand up and tell the congregation where they saw God at work the previous week. In the beginning of each of my appointments, it was always as if people had never seen God at work. Only a very few would offer up a story of God at work in their life or the lives of those they knew. But, after a few months of asking the question each week, more and more stories would be told. It would often get to the point that the worship service would go an extra 15 minutes because of all the exciting stories of God’s work during the previous week.
I don’t think the increase in the stories had to do with God being more present in the lives of the members of the church, I think the increase had to do with the members of the church being ready to see God at unexpected times. They were tuning their spiritual eyes to see God in everything and to watch God work in their lives and the lives of others they knew.
Are you looking for God in your life? I don’t mean at the expected times like worship and Bible studies. Are you looking for God in every time and at any time, are you looking for God in the unexpected times and places of your life? Be ready, for the Son of Man is always coming at an unexpected hour.
Pray with me:
God of the unexpected, open my eyes to see you in all aspects of my life. Teach me to be aware of your presence in the unexpected as you work the miracles of life all around me. AMEN.
You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an unexpected hour.’ (NRSV)
This text always causes me to have concerns about the Church of Jesus Christ. I find it sad that Jesus felt it necessary to explain to his followers that they needed to be ready to see him [the Son of Man] at any hour.
It seems to me that we should be looking for God in every minute of every day. I know this text is actually talking about the second coming of Jesus but, I’m not talking about the end of the age when Jesus is going to come back in final judgement, I’m talking about the fact that God is with us at all times.
On Sunday mornings just before our time of prayer, I used to ask the members of the churches I served to stand up and tell the congregation where they saw God at work the previous week. In the beginning of each of my appointments, it was always as if people had never seen God at work. Only a very few would offer up a story of God at work in their life or the lives of those they knew. But, after a few months of asking the question each week, more and more stories would be told. It would often get to the point that the worship service would go an extra 15 minutes because of all the exciting stories of God’s work during the previous week.
I don’t think the increase in the stories had to do with God being more present in the lives of the members of the church, I think the increase had to do with the members of the church being ready to see God at unexpected times. They were tuning their spiritual eyes to see God in everything and to watch God work in their lives and the lives of others they knew.
Are you looking for God in your life? I don’t mean at the expected times like worship and Bible studies. Are you looking for God in every time and at any time, are you looking for God in the unexpected times and places of your life? Be ready, for the Son of Man is always coming at an unexpected hour.
Pray with me:
God of the unexpected, open my eyes to see you in all aspects of my life. Teach me to be aware of your presence in the unexpected as you work the miracles of life all around me. AMEN.
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