Have you ever missed something because you were too preoccupied? I certainly have. It is easy to be so focused on myself and my plans that I don’t see others. Fortunately, the Holy Spirit can make us aware of others and their needs if we only listen. Sometimes the greatest opportunities the Lord gives us are unexpected and that’s what makes them so easy to miss. We need to look for Jesus each day.
A few weeks ago, my wife and I were at a Bible study. We had just finished and were just about to leave when a friend commented that she was having problems with her joints. The Holy Spirit prompted me to ask if we could pray for her. She said that was fine and we prayed for healing. When we saw her the next week, she said that the problem had healed in half the time it usually took. I could have easily missed the opportunity to pray if I had not listened to the Holy Spirit. Jesus is present with us if we are open to looking for Him.
The Disciples Weren’t Looking
The disciples were fishing after Jesus was resurrected and had not caught anything and they did not expect to encounter Jesus. John 21:4 At dawn Jesus was standing on the beach, but the disciples couldn’t see who he was. 5 He called out, “Fellows, have you caught any fish?” “No,” they replied. 6 Then he said, “Throw out your net on the right-hand side of the boat, and you’ll get some!” So they did, and they couldn’t haul in the net because there were so many fish in it. [1] John 21:4-6. After the catch of fish John finally recognized who Jesus was.
Don’t Miss Jesus
What are some simple things we can do each day to help us look for Jesus each day and what He has for us?
Pray. We read in James 5:16, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results.”[2] One of the best things we can do is pray and ask the Lord to make us aware of someone we might miss. The Lord loves to answer those types of prayers.
Be expectant. Expect the Lord to bring divine appointments to you as you go about your day. When we are expectant, we are more focused on who is around us and opportunities the Lord has for us. Sometimes it could be a silent prayer for someone you meet or see as you go about your day.
Listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The Lord knows how He wants you to meet the need of the person He has brought to your attention. For one person it could be a silent prayer, another could be a card of encouragement, another could be a word of encouragement, and another may need a listening ear. As we listen to the Lord there will be a variety of different options on what to do.
Move forward in faith. Trust the Lord He will give you the confidence to know what to do and the timing to do it. If we never get out of the boat, we will never know what God could have done through us. Psalm 37:4 Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. 5 Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you. [3] Remember to look for Jesus each day.
Look for Jesus with this Resource:
To hear more about Jesus and His disciples, listen here: https://podpoint.com/light-of-christ-church-podcast/encountering-jesus-with-peter
[1,-3] Tyndale House Publishers. (2015). Holy Bible: New Living Translation . Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Publishers.