Where are you trying to find Jesus?
Can you see Jesus working His wonders at any place? How many people are being truly transformed by the power of the gospel?
There are moments that, amid so many distresses, injustice, suffering, etc., we are impelled to think that Jesus forsook us?
• Psa 22:1,2 -> “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”.
• Psa 42:7-9 -> “Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?””.
• Psa 43:2-5 -> “For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
• Psa 77:7-9 -> “ “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah. Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.” “.
Nonetheless, even if He seems far away, we need to struggle to overcome the torpidity of this world (as it is suggested below):
• Mat 26:40,41 -> “And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”;
• Rom 13:11 -> “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”.
• 1Co 15:34 -> “Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. *For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame*.”.
• Eph 5:14 -> “for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”.
Of course: one of the difficulties of finding Jesus is that many people think that Jesus can be found only in the religion institutions. Nevertheless, Jesus and His wisdom can be found at any place, even where the commerce reigns:
• Pro 1:20 -> “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;”;
• Pro 8:1-3 -> Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:”;
• Pro 8:34 -> “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.”.
Besides, take a look at where we can find those who are really needy and opened to Jesus and His Word:
• Luk 14:21-23 -> “So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”.
In practice, most of the people think that Jesus will call to His kingdom those who are in some religious institution. However, He sent His servants, not to the synagogues, but to the places where, usually, we can find criminals (recollect that the excerpt above is referring to a feast at night).
So, have a good day trying to find Jesus in all your paths (Prov 3:5,6). Wherever you go (regardless the motive which moved you toward this place), strain to find Jesus and His will there:
• 2Ch 16:9 -> “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him…”.
Can you see Jesus working His wonders at any place? How many people are being truly transformed by the power of the gospel?
There are moments that, amid so many distresses, injustice, suffering, etc., we are impelled to think that Jesus forsook us?
• Psa 22:1,2 -> “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest.”.
• Psa 42:7-9 -> “Deep calls to deep at the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your waves have gone over me. By day the LORD commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?””.
• Psa 43:2-5 -> “For you are the God in whom I take refuge; why have you rejected me? Why do I go about mourning because of the oppression of the enemy? Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! Then I will go to the altar of God, to God my exceeding joy, and I will praise you with the lyre, O God, my God. Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.
• Psa 77:7-9 -> “ “Will the Lord spurn forever, and never again be favorable? Has his steadfast love forever ceased? Are his promises at an end for all time? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his compassion?” Selah. Then I said, “I will appeal to this, to the years of the right hand of the Most High.” “.
Nonetheless, even if He seems far away, we need to struggle to overcome the torpidity of this world (as it is suggested below):
• Mat 26:40,41 -> “And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”;
• Rom 13:11 -> “Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.”.
• 1Co 15:34 -> “Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. *For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame*.”.
• Eph 5:14 -> “for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says, “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”.
Of course: one of the difficulties of finding Jesus is that many people think that Jesus can be found only in the religion institutions. Nevertheless, Jesus and His wisdom can be found at any place, even where the commerce reigns:
• Pro 1:20 -> “Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;”;
• Pro 8:1-3 -> Does not wisdom call? Does not understanding raise her voice? On the heights beside the way, at the crossroads she takes her stand; beside the gates in front of the town, at the entrance of the portals she cries aloud:”;
• Pro 8:34 -> “Blessed is the one who listens to me, watching daily at my gates, waiting beside my doors.”.
Besides, take a look at where we can find those who are really needy and opened to Jesus and His Word:
• Luk 14:21-23 -> “So the servant came and reported these things to his master. Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, ‘Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame.’ And the servant said, ‘Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room.’ And the master said to the servant, ‘Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled.”.
In practice, most of the people think that Jesus will call to His kingdom those who are in some religious institution. However, He sent His servants, not to the synagogues, but to the places where, usually, we can find criminals (recollect that the excerpt above is referring to a feast at night).
So, have a good day trying to find Jesus in all your paths (Prov 3:5,6). Wherever you go (regardless the motive which moved you toward this place), strain to find Jesus and His will there:
• 2Ch 16:9 -> “For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to give strong support to those whose heart is blameless toward him…”.