ALL IS WELL IN HIS PRESENCE

Monday: 3rd September, 2018

Reference text: Luke 4:16-30

Luke 4:17 And there was delivered unto him the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when he had opened the book, he found the place where it was written,

One of the first complaints people have to offer, often stems from the fact that they have no control over some of the events that happen around them, as well as the actions of others. For example whether a bus will be late or someone will spill their coffee on you while busily walking to work. All those may be well and truly beyond one’s control, but we can respond to them differently.

Students are usually caught out using the phrase ‘I got’ when they obtain very high marks in an exam and ‘I was given’ when their marks are nothing to write home about. In the Gospel of today, Jesus walks into the synagogue ‘as he normally does’, and stood up to read. What is unique about this set up are the words that are presented after his gesture to read: ‘the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah was handed over to Him’.

Jesus did not have the option to choose which book of scripture to read, yet He made use of what had been given Him. Our excuses are usually: ‘that was not what we wanted’, however, the actions of Jesus offer an alternative approach to such situations. His actions seem to say ‘when you are in the presence of God, it matters not what is handed to you, because you can still work with that’. Jesus found himself in the right place and where the presence of God is manifest, nothing is out of place because God is actively working things out.

Remember # if in the presence of God, then you are rightly positioned for good things.

#sly