Do you recognize God’s presence in your life? Or are you too busy to take notice of the divine intervention? These are the questions the Bible asked me today. I was reading the chapter 19 in Luke where Jesus is entering Jerusalem to be crucified. Jesus wept over the city because he knew they were not recognizing and welcoming God’s personal visit. This is how he prophesied:

When the city came into view, he wept over it. “If you had only recognized this day, and everything that was good for you! But now it’s too late. In the days ahead your enemies are going to bring up their heavy artillery and surround you, pressing in from every side. They’ll smash you and your babies on the pavement. Not one stone will be left intact. All this because you didn’t recognize and welcome God’s personal visit.” (Luke 19:41-44, MSG, emphasis added, *)

I was left wondering whether Jesus weeps over my selfishness too. Do I cause heartbreak to God with my choices? Am I too busy to recognize and welcome God’s personal visit too? Lord, have mercy!

This is why we need to prayerfully read the Word of God. This is why we need to be confronted with the Living Word of God. So we can see ourselves with the eyes of God. So that the Holy Spirit can steer us back to the center of God’s will. So that we can praise the Lord like Zechariah, the father of John the Baptist, after recognizing and welcoming God’s personal visit:

God sent Jesus to the world so we could know peace. So we could recognize and welcome God’s presence into our lives. So we could serve God without fear, in holiness and righteousness as longs as we live.

None of these things could happen without Jesus dying on the cross for our sins and being raised from the dead on the third day. But all of it can happen when we abide in the risen Christ daily. When we spend time chatting with Jesus. When we read the Bible and allow the Bible read us.

So when we are wandering off the road that leads to heaven, we can be corrected and be led to repentance and back to the path that leads to life. So we can recognize and welcome God’s personal visit. So all can be well with our soul all the days of our lives.

 

Gracious God,
Thank you for reaching out to us in Jesus.
Thank you for personally visiting each of us.
Thank you for speaking to us in your Word.
Thank you for steering us back into your will.
Thank you for loving us so.
In Jesus’ name,
Amen

Q4U: Do you recognize and welcome God’s presence into your life? How does God speak to you in the Bible?

Be blessed, my fellow pilgrim, as you read the Bible and allow the Bible read you!

* [As you might have noticed, I enjoy reading the Bible in different translations and love comparing them. I have started linking the Bible verses to Biblegateway.com so you can easily read (and compare) them in the different versions I’ve used while preparing each post.]

Image courtesy of Kevin Carden, design by Mari-Anna Stålnacke. Linking up today with Faith-filled Fridays, Five Minute Friday and Faith Jam.