"Brothers,
children of Abraham, and you God-fearing Gentiles, it is to us that this
message of salvation has been sent. The people of Jerusalem and their rulers
did not recognize Jesus, yet in condemning him they fulfilled the words of the
prophets that are read every Sabbath."
Acts
13:26-27
“Paul is saying, ‘Come on you guys, don't you get it? You read about Jesus every Sabbath, yet you still don't recognize Him.’ I wonder how they felt when Paul told them it was a fulfillment of Scripture that they would not recognize Him? Sometimes the most obvious place to look for something is right in front of our faces.
The
other day I was late for work, but try as I might I could not find my keys.
They weren't where I normally leave them (in the box on the table next to the
door); so I looked in all the places I had been just after I got home: the
workbench in my garage, on counter in the kitchen by the phone, on my desk,
etc. They simply had disappeared off of the face of the earth. I started to get
a little frantic, so I did the next best thing, I blamed my wife, ‘Honey, where
did you put my keys?’
Her response said something about how well she knows me, ‘Are you having trouble finding your keys? Do you want some help?’ ‘Please,’ I answered. Down the stairs she bounded to the box on the table by the garage door. She opened the box and under my new insurance cards were my keys. You see,, she had placed my insurance cards over my keys so I would be sure to take the updated ones with me! My keys were right there in front of my face, hiding in plain sight. Yet that hadn't stopped me from tearing the house apart looking for them.
Her response said something about how well she knows me, ‘Are you having trouble finding your keys? Do you want some help?’ ‘Please,’ I answered. Down the stairs she bounded to the box on the table by the garage door. She opened the box and under my new insurance cards were my keys. You see,, she had placed my insurance cards over my keys so I would be sure to take the updated ones with me! My keys were right there in front of my face, hiding in plain sight. Yet that hadn't stopped me from tearing the house apart looking for them.
The Jews in our passage today are a lot like that, reading and studying Scripture constantly, yet somehow still missing Jesus as He fulfilled every single word the prophets had spoken about the Messiah. Jesus was the personification of the prophesies, yet they still searched the Scriptures looking for Him. Here He was standing right in front of them: the unrecognized answer and solution.
Questions to Ponder:
Have
you made Jesus the ‘Right Answer’ to every situation in your life? Too often we
have an intellectual understanding of Scripture, yet when we have a real life
issue, we don't turn to Jesus. What does it mean to you to learn complete
reliance on the Lord? Many times Jesus is hidden or embedded within events,
waiting for us to recognize Him and then tap into His immense power and love.
What will it take for you to recognize Jesus? What needs to change today for
you to see Jesus?
Pocket Devotions www.ptl.org
“Looking unto
Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before
him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand
of the throne of God.” (Hebrews 12:2)
"Hidden in the hollow of His blessed hand,
Never foe can follow, never traitor stand;
Not a surge of worry, not a shade of care,
Not a blast of hurry touch the spirit there.
Stayed upon Jehovah, hearts are fully blest,
Finding as He promised, perfect peace and rest.—Havergal
When we put our problems in God's hands,
He puts His peace in our hearts."
(April 15 in Our Daily Bread)
Today’s 23rd truth: If you are “born again”, you are blessed w/ all
spiritual blessings. (Eph. 1:3)
You may contact me at: jowildflowers@gmail.com
www.jean-oathout.blogspot.com
Tomorrow’s
post: Just Listen!
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