Reformation Lutheran 1997 Lenten Devotional - Number 16
February 27, 1997. Today's Bible verse is 1 John 4: 7-21
God in Our Lives
Nothing could be more ordinary that getting a drink
of water. It is rarely a life transforming event. Yet, for the
Samaritan woman at the well, drawing water literally changed her
life, for it was at the well that she encountered Jesus. The
lesson I take from this story is not that Jesus revealed His truth
to the woman, but that the woman was open to receiving Jesus'
teaching, even in the most ordinary of life's situations.
How easy and human, it would have been to rebuff
Jesus. Certainly it would have been easier to walk away, or to
attempt to lie when Jesus told the woman to "call her husband".
Instead, the woman was truthful, allowing Jesus to reveal himself
even further. Finally, Jesus tells her He is the Christ -- the
one who will show the world "all things".
I frequently forget that God is at work in the most
ordinary, mundane events. I rush to get everything done. I rebuff
God's attempts to change my life and fail to see the opportunities
God is giving me to touch another's life.
The times I have seen God most clearly are the times
that I could easily have taken for granted, focusing only on my
thoughts and needs. One Sunday, while waiting my turn for communion,
I watched the other communers come forward. While I saw my friends
and neighbors, on that Sunday, I saw something more. I saw God
in hundreds of ways - old and young, healthy and sick, different
races, different sizes - but each person was a reflection of Gods'
love. In that moment, God spoke to me. More important. I listened.
As I move through life, I must constantly remind
myself not to hurry, to act intentionally, and to listen for God.
I remind myself that God can transform the most ordinary activities,
if I allow it.
Prayer: Dear
God, help each of us open our hearts and minds to the opportunities
you present. Help us see you in the "everydayness"
of our lives, as we await the celebration of Christ's resurrection.
Amen.
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