Come and See

 

    It has been nearly a month since I have written a "daily" blog and before that, it was nearly two months. I really miss writing. I know, this is a strange statement coming from a math teacher! LOL! I do not profess to be a great writer by any stretch of the imagination. I cringe when I think my English teacher colleagues might be reading this, and I can visualize nothing but red marks for all my grammatical and sentence structure errors. However, I do love writing down my thoughts, especially when it comes to God's word.  

My excuse for not keeping up with the blog is busyness! 

Right now, I am preparing daily lessons for our discipleship groups, being held twice a day (morning and evening), Monday through Thursday each week. I haven't done a good job syncing these lessons, so they are all at different places in the scripture, exploring vastly different topics. I am consumed with preparation and study. Don't get me wrong, I love it! Selfishly, my own faith journey continues to grow through this deeper dive into scripture. Yet, I need to somehow get these groups on the same page, at least in the same book!

Today, I was reading the opening chapter of the Gospel of John. I don't have any eminent discipleship group to prepare for as I am taking some time off between Christmas and New Year's Day. So, this blog is the result of that time off. 

    As I was reading verses 35-51 in the first Chapter of John, the statement "Come and See" (vs. 39 and 46) caught my attention. 

            "'Come and See,' he said [Jesus] It was about four o'clock in the afternoon when they went with him to the place where he was staying, and they remained with him the rest of the day."(John 1:39, NLT)

            "'Nazareth!' exclaimed Nathanael, 'Can anything good come from Nazareth?' 'Come and see for yourself,' Philip replied." (John 1:46, NLT)

    In all honesty, it made me think of "The Chosen," the Dallas Jenkins production recreating the life of Jesus through a mixture of scripture and fiction. I love this series and wait with great anticipation for the next season. 

    I was also thinking about several people I know and love who are very resistant to exploring anything related to faith. I am so confident in the power of the Holy Spirit that if they just "COME AND SEE," the Lord will completely fill them with his presence, and they will be saved!

    Just seeking the Lord, that one simple step, will lead to a powerful life-changing experience. 

"I love those who love me, and those who seek me diligently find me." (Proverbs 8:17, ESV)

"Ask, and it will be given to you; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." (Mathew 7:7-8, ESV)

Isn't it great to serve a God who doesn't expect us to meet him halfway? He just wants a "mustard seed" sized faith to enter into a loving and lasting covenant with us. He is anxiously awaiting us to make the first move, and then he will overwhelm us with his presence. God is all about GRACE AND MERCY for those who earnestly seek him.

I pray those friends and family members who haven't made the first move will do so SOON! The time is drawing near!

Heavenly Father, I praise you for your love and patience with us. We pray, Lord, that you will continue to flood our friends and family members with your love. We pray that people will be placed in their lives who will direct them to you. We pray that they will take the first step to an eternal relationship with you. Give us your words and actions to play our part in helping them SEEK YOU! Thank you, Lord, for all you are about to do, AMEN!