16th. March. 2021. Daily Devotion.
9 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, ‘He told me everything I’ve ever done.’ 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers.
42 They said to the woman, ‘We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Saviour of the world.’
43 After the two days he left for Galilee. 44 (Now Jesus himself had pointed out that a prophet has no honour in his own country.) 45 When he arrived in Galilee, the Galileans welcomed him. They had seen all that he had done in Jerusalem at the Passover Festival, for they also had been there. John 4:39-45
People who live in advanced civilizations or have spent their lives in a higher educational system are apparently more resistant to the Word of God than simpler people who live closer to the land. Atheists might claim this is because the latter are ignorant and easily fooled, but I don’t think so. I think that some people begin to think they have all the answers. They are glutted with the pride of their knowledge. As Christ said in the Sermon on the Mount, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
If a person’s spirit is filled with pride, there is no room for the spirit of God. This applies as much to you and me as it does to any clever atheist. If we do not seek the Kingdom of God first, if we let our pride in our knowledge fill up our mind, the Holy Spirit will not find much room in which to live. Not knowledge, but pride in knowledge. Christ never said we must be stupid, or ignorant of worldly wisdom. In fact, he told his disciples to be “as wise as serpents.”
Prayer for Obedience
Almighty God, who is the Father of lights and who has promised by your dear Son that all who do your will shall know your doctrine: Give me grace today, so to live that by obedience I may increase in faith and in the understanding of your Holy Word. Through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.
Thanks for Everything
O Lord my God, it seems sometimes like you want to give me gifts more than I want to receive them, because my life is filled with so many wonderful things that I take for granted. I don’t remember to ask for them and hardly remember to thank you for all of them. Most of the parts of my wonderful body function as they should, or at least pretty well; and it is only when something goes awry that I realize it is there!
Who could possibly remember to thank you for everything? The way my eyes move and focus, all the parts of my heart that keep lifeblood circulating, every minute of every day, without me even thinking about it. All those weird little parts of my brain. The chlorophyll in plant leaves that make my life possible. Nobody could come close to thanking you for all the wonders of life.
I pray that you will accept my thanks for all the little things that make my life possible, and pleasant. The necessary things, and the beautiful things, and the things that smell good, and the things that make me laugh; everything that I will never remember to thank you for specifically, great Lord, I thank you for now. Amen.
Covid 19 Prayer
God of compassion be close to those who are ill, afraid or in isolation. In their loneliness, be their consolation; in their anxiety, be their hope; in their darkness, be their light; through him who suffered alone on the cross, but reigns with you in glory, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
