Desperate for God

Meditations in the Season of Epiphany

February 2, 2022

Desperate for God

Everyone was gripped with great wonder and awe, and they praised God, exclaiming, “We have seen amazing things today!”

Luke 5:26

Read: Luke 5:17-26

Jesus knew the people needed to hear about God’s love for them. Jesus knew the people needed to learn about God’s vision for truth, justice, and mercy to flow through the world. Jesus knew the people needed to learn about the part God wants them to play in God’s plan of redemption. Jesus also knew the people were broken and hurting. They needed healing for body and spirit. Jesus made himself accessible. Those who needed to be healed could come to Jesus, except the paralyzed man. He desperately needed to come, but could not, not on his own. So, the paralyzed man and his friends conspired to find a way to Jesus.

I receive the paralyzed man’s story as an invitation to look deep within myself. Where does my self-sufficiency end? For what am I desperate for God? Where am I lost without God?

I also see another invitation. The paralyzed man’s friends took huge risks to help their friend, who could not help himself. Their friendship was the type of love that is self-sacrificing for the good of another. Is there anyone in my life that needs me to love like that? Am I willing to love like that?

My Takeaway: In a small house in a small village, an epiphany occurred: “the Son of Man has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” (v.24) This resulted in everyone present being gripped with great wonder and awe. This is the bar I have set for my life: I always want to offer God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe, and that every experience of worship grip me with wonder and awe.

Sē’lah

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(Selah is a word that appears in the Book of Psalms that I often use as the Complimentary Closing in my correspondence. Its meaning, as I use the word, is to pause and think about these things.)

 

These meditations are written by Alex M. Knight as he seeks the life in Christ as his way of life.  The meditations are published on the BLOG, http://seekingthelifeinchrist.blogspot.com/ and they are also distributed on the Constant Contact email server. You may subscribe to this email service by sending an email to: amkrom812@gmail.com.

 

Copyright © 2022 by Alex M. Knight

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.