Today’s scripture: John 7:1-13 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Steve Adams):
It can’t be! Jesus turned down an opportunity to evangelize? His unbelieving brothers urged him to go to the festival so people could see his works. However, Jesus said no to a public appearance that could have gotten his message out because it wasn’t the right time to do so.
As a person who struggles with guilt and shame, I’d be afraid I let God down if I ever refused to go to an event where I had a chance to show God to the world. If I had been Jesus I would have thought, “OK, I did say how important it is to shine your light from a lampstand instead of hiding it under a basket! And I also said that if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, then nothing will be impossible for you. So, where’s my faith that God will protect me?”
Well, thankfully, Jesus’ understanding is higher than mine! He apparently had a thorough, holistic understanding of what God’s will for him was. His statements about shining your light for God and what faith can do are important, but they don’t paint the whole picture about this situation. When God told him it wasn’t time to go to the festival, Jesus trusted enough to comply.
Later, when Jesus did go to the festival, it was in secret. Again, I’m glad I wasn’t in this situation because I would have been thinking “Oh, God, I’m such a fraud hiding like this!” As you continue reading past verse 13, you see that, at about the midpoint of the festival, Jesus went to the temple and began to teach. Finally, the time was right, and Jesus laid it all on the line, holding nothing back!
With so many wonderful opportunities to serve God in our church community, do you ever get a bit overwhelmed, thinking, “Should I do this, too?” Jesus shows that we can be so closely in tune with God that we know when it’s time to go and do something public and adventurous, and when it’s time to hold back. I’m convinced that God wants us to do as much as we can, but we also have to deal with the human limits of time and physical/mental/spiritual endurance. Thank you, Jesus, for showing us when to go forward and when to stay put!
Thought and prayer for the day: Lord, I ask you to show me what activities are the best use of the time you give me, and to help me do them in close fellowship with you.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to begin, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.