Amazing God shine brightly on the path of this dear reader today guiding them to that which blesses them and glorifies You; in Christ Jesus I pray, amen.
Our text for today comes from John 14: 7 If you know me, you will know my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." 8 Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and we will be satisfied." 9 Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you all this time, Philip, and you still do not know me? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, "Show us the Father'? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own; but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; but if you do not, then believe me because of the works themselves. 12 Very truly, I tell you, the one who believes in me will also do the works that I do and, in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. 13 I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If in my name you ask me for anything, I will do it. (NRSV).
Knowing Jesus is the key to life. Knowing Jesus is the difference between merely existing and living life to the fullness. Knowing Jesus is knowing God the Father. The disciples did not yet clearly understand this. They knew Jesus was from God and that Jesus could do some pretty amazing things that they could not yet explain, but when it came to revealing a side of death they had not yet known except through the resurrection of Lazarus, they thought something was up. Jesus reveals that in knowing Him, you know the Father. Philip wants that and asks to be shown the Father. Jesus replies that if you have known and seen Him, you have seen the Father. Jesus reveals that His mission was a mission from God and His teachings and miracles were works of wonders done by God the Father. And, in a passage that gets overlooked and placed on back burners, Jesus said that those who believed in Him would be able to not only do what He did, but even greater works still. If we ask something that will glorify the Father in Jesus' name, it will be done.
The key to this is knowing Jesus through prayer. This has been one of my themes as pastor and now as a superintendent. We must re-learn and recapture the power of prayer. We must know to use prayer as a means of grace and as an instrument of worship. We must make our prayers altars of praise for God. As we pray we must glorify God and share our thanks and praise with God. We must enjoy the two-sided relationship with God that is prayer. Jesus' earlier statement about the sheep knowing the voice of the shepherd is a clue about prayer and our listening to God as and after we pray. I've taught folks that when we say "amen," we're really saying, "Okay, Lord, it's Your turn," and then we turn our hearts to God to listen closely to what God may say to us.
Listen closely to the voice of the shepherd today.
PRAYER: Loving God as I pray, I am opening my heart, my spirit, my soul, my ears to You. Let me not only share with You what is in my heart but also be open to receiving that which You may share with me. I want to know Your voice and be led by You. I ask and pray this, wanting to glorify You in Jesus' precious and powerful name, amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord!
Eradio Valverde
