Fields United Methodist Church

Day 27. Take Time to Be Holy

April 29, 2020

“Although you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and rejoice with an indescribable joy, for you are receiving the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your soul.” I Peter 1:8,9

Read: I Peter chapter 1.

To say our lives are different these days is an understatement of epic proportions. Life has changed and is changing but one constant is the presence of God through Jesus Christ. We do online video meetings to see people’s faces. We call those who cannot connect electronically so the memory of another shines through the telephone lines. So what about Jesus? We cannot see Jesus, nor can we visualize Jesus through memory. Yet we know the presence of Jesus when we become aware of Jesus by our faith, the “assurance of things hoped for and the conviction of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) The presence of God through Jesus is unchanging; has always been and always will be, but how do we know without seeing. Perhaps God places reminders along our path and with each reminder, there is joy. Early Easter morning I show up to church for yet another online time of worship, this time during the highest holy day of our Christian lives, set aside to celebrate and give praise to our resurrected Savior Jesus Christ. Much was different, but there was a reminder, placed by one of the saints of the church, that God was in the house, and Jesus is alive and well!  Taped to each pew, for the most part in the correct pew…., were pictures of many of our congregation who would normally have been worshiping in the sanctuary. When I looked at each picture, paused and prayed for each one and those not pictured, though I could not see Jesus, I felt Jesus’ overwhelming love encompass me. Sometimes, we need reminders of God’s presence, and sometimes it takes some looking with the “eyes of our heart,” but they are there, with the boldness of a glorious sunrise, and “in the beauty of the lilies.”  Open your heart to the presence of God, even and especially in days such as these and you will “rejoice with an indescribable joy.”

List 3 places you have you seen the presence of God this week so far.

How has Joy filled your soul today?

How are you taking time to be holy today? Read further to I Peter 1:13-16

Prayer: Thank you Jesus for being with me always though life sometimes gets in the way of me “seeing” you. Open my eyes that I may see your eternal presence and experience “indescribable joy.”  Amen