Wednesday, February 9 – Luke 7:12-15
Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizable crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her and said to her, “Do not go on weeping.” And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise!” And the dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother.
After the holiday season, it is easy to look back and remember the hurried atmosphere of that time. Everyone scurries through the grocery store and mall on a mission for the things they need to celebrate with family and friends. In the downtime, it’s tough to stand still. We wait in line for checkout while checking our phones to figure out what’s next on the to do list. We often live from task to task, always looking for the next thing we need to accomplish or place we need to be. As Jesus approached the gates of the city, He was on His way somewhere, but He did not let His destination distract Him from what was going on in the journey. He saw this funeral processional not as an inconvenience, but as an opportunity to live out the calling He had been given. He stopped and saw the woman. He observed long enough to know her need was great. More than pity, He felt compassion for her, leading Him to perform a powerful miracle.
What is your routine? Is it filled with busy moments trying to get things done? How do you treat an inconvenient moment like sitting in traffic or someone talking to you for a long time when you have pressing things to do? When we follow Jesus, we submit our lives and our agendas to Him. More than living from one moment to the next, we are called to live on mission, with eyes wide open to serve, share, and love as we go through our days. When we do, we can see the power of the gospel at work in the everyday, mundane, and even inconvenient things in life.
- How do you typically respond to inconvenient moments in your life?
- How have you seen God at work in everyday moments of life?
- Pray and ask for discernment as you go throughout your day and for opportunities to share hope with others.
