1) Silence, Stillness and Centering before God (2 minutes)
2) Scripture Reading: John 1:50-51
(click to listen)
50 Jesus said, “You believebecause I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
3) Devotional
Many times, often without meaning to, we treat God as an external force, who must be invited into our lives and asked to intervene in our situations and struggles as though He is not there already.
In this concluding passage of John 1 detailing the interaction between Jesus and the formerly skeptical Nathaniel, who now believes Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus makes a curious final statement. He declares that these new disciples will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. There’s a small, noteworthy detail here: With heaven open, we would expect the angels to first descend and then ascend, the idea that God’s messengers would first come from heaven and then return. But in the passage, the reverse is true. That means that the angels of God are already here, already among us, already active. The other significant detail here is that the angels ascend and descend on Christ, teaching us that God’s heavenly work on earth is through one Mediator: Jesus himself.
Oftentimes we become aware of divine intervention in our lives only in moments of narrowly-averted tragedy: a missed collision in traffic, or some sequence of events which allowed us to avoid a cataclysmic life-altering circumstance. In those situations, but also in others, we didn’t even have time to invite God into their midst, but we can be thankful, because He was already there.
4) Questions to Consider:
Where might God be at work in your life that you don’t recognize right now? How might you quiet the noise and distractions of daily living to expand your perception and awareness of what He is up to?
5) Prayer:
God, I am thankful that You are always and already at work in my life and in the world around me in ways I cannot or do not see. Help me to be more aware of what You are doing in my life, and help me walk in your way and according to your purposes this day. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
2) Scripture Reading: John 1:50-51
(click to listen)
50 Jesus said, “You believebecause I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.” 51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you,you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
3) Devotional
Many times, often without meaning to, we treat God as an external force, who must be invited into our lives and asked to intervene in our situations and struggles as though He is not there already.
In this concluding passage of John 1 detailing the interaction between Jesus and the formerly skeptical Nathaniel, who now believes Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus makes a curious final statement. He declares that these new disciples will see heaven open and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man. There’s a small, noteworthy detail here: With heaven open, we would expect the angels to first descend and then ascend, the idea that God’s messengers would first come from heaven and then return. But in the passage, the reverse is true. That means that the angels of God are already here, already among us, already active. The other significant detail here is that the angels ascend and descend on Christ, teaching us that God’s heavenly work on earth is through one Mediator: Jesus himself.
Oftentimes we become aware of divine intervention in our lives only in moments of narrowly-averted tragedy: a missed collision in traffic, or some sequence of events which allowed us to avoid a cataclysmic life-altering circumstance. In those situations, but also in others, we didn’t even have time to invite God into their midst, but we can be thankful, because He was already there.
4) Questions to Consider:
Where might God be at work in your life that you don’t recognize right now? How might you quiet the noise and distractions of daily living to expand your perception and awareness of what He is up to?
5) Prayer:
God, I am thankful that You are always and already at work in my life and in the world around me in ways I cannot or do not see. Help me to be more aware of what You are doing in my life, and help me walk in your way and according to your purposes this day. Amen.
Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)
