Knowing God - John 1:48

(from Pastor)

"I saw you under the fig tree"

John 1:48

 

At the moment Jesus met Nathanael, Jesus immediately revealed a few key things about Nathanael's life.

 

Nathanael's jaw dropped. "How do you know me?"

 

"I saw you under the fig tree before Philip called you," said Jesus.

 

Spiritual sight! Jesus saw Nathanael. Our Lord sees all things. Jesus gave Nathanael a glimpse of this power. Nathanael began to see Jesus as the Son of God. But Jesus said, "you will see greater things than these."

 

God sees us -- indeed, watches over us -- but even more so, he invites us to see him. Through Scripture ... and prayer ... and experiences ... and church ... and through Jesus himself ... we catch glimpses of God's love.

 

I heard someone complain recently about not believing in God because they see too many Christians who are hypocrites and too many churches that are imperfect. Then I heard someone respond, don't look at people and institutions, look at Jesus.

 

When you look down, you'll inevitably be disappointed. But when you look up, you will see "greater things" -- greater love, greater peace, greater hope, greater joy, greater forgiveness, greater life.

 

In Christ's Love,

a guy who wants to go

from good to great

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I saw you ... My kids have trouble with that.  They don't see too well. They are legally blind, although you wouldn't know it by watching them run and play.  Until they walk into a glass door they didn't know was there, or miss the step they didn't see.  But God sees all. He sees through the doors, through the walls, through our hearts.

 

I was asked recently where I saw God the previous week. I haven't been very in tuned to God lately to say the least.  I have felt as if he is off in the distance watching.  It took a bit for me to determine where I saw God.  Honestly, the answer I gave was what I thought the person wanted to hear - not what I truly believed.  But as we talked some more, I started realizing, believing, that God truly was in those moments. I said that I saw God in my 5 year old daughter - learning to hand wash a car with the youth, seeing a newly hatched bird for the first time, picking strawberries, snuggling in bed and just talking about our day together.  Talking to her about where Jesus lives. "In heaven. and everywhere." Listening to her tell me about how Jesus died on the cross and rose again.  

There was God in those moments.  This person then challenged me to ask the kids daily where they saw God in their day. To help them develop the eyes that see God in the everyday. the mundane. life. We need to remove the 'world colored glasses' and really see God in our lives.  He is there.