Today’s scripture: Luke 7:11-17 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Angie Eden):
They all realized they were in a place of holy mystery, that God was at work among them. They were quietly worshipful and then noisily grateful, calling out among themselves, “God is back, looking to the needs of his people!” Luke 7:16-17, The Message
Are you a church sign reader? I can’t resist. Whenever passing a church that has a message spelled out in block lettering out front, I slow down. Someone, I’m not sure who exactly — the secretary, the custodian, perhaps the minister him or herself — is responsible each week to give passers-by a little food for thought. Admittedly, most of these sayings go in one eye and out the other. (You know what I mean.) But one sign had one message that has stuck with me for well over three years now. Absent of doctrine and judgment, it was quite simple:
If you want your dreams to come true, you must first wake up.
In today’s scripture, Jesus wakes the dead. He is moved by a widow’s sorrow and cannot let the procession go any further. The crowd marvels and thinks of this “holy mystery” as proof God attends to the needs of people.
To me, this passage Luke writes is symbolic. While I have never witnessed such a miracle and I cannot fully understand the gravity of what losing an only son meant to a widow in this time, I do know a little something about the touch of Christ wakening people from the “dead.” I was dead to a fruitful, authentic life for years and am quickly brought to tears whenever I am reminded of where I am compared to where I was. And God is not done wakening me to new and important work.
I don’t know why God gave you this scripture today, but perhaps you do. What do you need awaken to? Is there a friend, a co-worker, a family member, a lost relationship that God wants to help you restore?
Thought for the Day: For today, give God thanks for the opportunity to make the old new, to repair what’s broken, to awaken from a long slumber. Live today mindful of what God wants to awaken you to and know that nothing is beyond the restoration power of God.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the suggestions on the How to Pray page.