Are You Ready for The Unexpected Life in Christ?
Good Morning Friends,
Arthur Burns was chair of the Federal Reserve in the 1970s, and a Jewish economist of great influence in Washington during the tenure of several Presidents. Burns was once asked to pray at a gathering of evangelical politicians. And the story goes that he stunned his hosts by praying: “Lord, I pray that Jews would come to know Jesus Christ. And I pray that Buddhists would come to know Jesus Christ. And I pray that Muslims would come to know Jesus Christ.” And then, most stunning of all: “And Lord, I pray that Christians would come to know Jesus Christ.” Because of the delivery the Holy Spirit began to act on the hearts of those present. You see when it comes to God we are to expect something divine to show up in the unexpected. So, when was the last time you expected God to do something amazing? It is what God does after all. Are You Ready for The Unexpected Life in Christ?
Scripture: Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to accomplish abundantly far more than all we can ask or imagine,
Ephesians 3:20 (NRSV)
As for those who in the present age are rich, command them not to be haughty, or to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but rather on God who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, generous, and ready to share, thus storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of the life that really is life.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 (NRSV)
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.” Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
James 4:13-14 (NRSV)
Message: Each day brings new mercies and we have a chance to rejoice in them…each day brings new blessings and we have a chance to not only receive but give them. Each day brings something unexpected and in this uncertainty we are to expect Christ. Today we are to be ready to meet God. We are to discover and rediscover God this day in unforeseen ways. Throughout the Biblical record, God shows up in unexpected places. The Christmas story is one of the best examples. In an unexpected place, through an unexpected woman, at the most unexpected time, God shows up in the most unexpected way—as a little baby. This is the perfect pattern of God. God shows up in unexpected places: For Abraham it was in his old age. For Moses it was in a burning bush. For Daniel in was in the lion’s den. For Gideon in was in a wool fleece. For Jacob it was in a wrestling match. For Lazarus it was in his own death. For Zacchaeus it was in a tree. You see, God shows up in unexpected places and in unexpected ways. The Holy Spirit is given power in such ways. Perhaps that is why God chose a nation that was small. He chose to come as a child. In David, a shepherd, He chose a king that was smaller than all the other choices. He chose disciples that came with the least qualifications. He chose a killer of Christians to spread the Gospel. It’s the pattern of God to shock and surprise in the places and ways that we least expect. Places like Immokalee, Florida and in ways through its youth. The deal is that God can use what might look like a great failure and turn it into the greatest success. God can work through the greatest of challenges… poverty… homelessness… illness. God can reveal himself through pain as Jesus did on the unexpected cross. Friends, when things don’t go right, we should have more expectation of God revealing Himself rather than less. It means we can embrace the sorrows of life because God most often uses them to change us. It means there should never be a moment in which we think God is not at work. Know that God is always at work, always revealing what we each need to know, and always doing more than we can imagine when we least expect it.
Pray we seek God in unexpected ways. Pray
we find joy in unexpected places.
Pray that we commit to be holy over happy. Pray that we trust God to be the one who fulfills. Pray that we let the Word of God do the work of God in us.
Pray
that we find blessings in the unexpected. Pray that the indwelling of the Holy Spirit would bear witness with our spirit that we are recipients of an unexpected gift in Jesus. Pray we all would get the surprise of knowing Jesus. Pray that our motivation be one of faith. Pray that we understand that God knows the need better than we do. Pray that we give ourselves to Jesus, complete in our surrender so we might on God’s path discover the unexpected and rewarding life of Christ.
Pray that as we face the trials of our lives, we believe that God will answer our prayers but not necessarily as we might anticipate. Pray we realize that the greatest moments in life can often be beautifully wrapped up in unexpected small events of love. Pray we find joy in those moments of unexpected conversions. Pray that we experience God with us always and especially when we are surprised by the joy of Jesus.
Blessings,
John Lawson
Daily Devotionals 