August 27th, 20

He is Here Among Us

Today’s readings are Ezekiel 1 – 3 and Revelation 2.  We are reading from the New Living Translation.

Do you want to know where Jesus is?  He’s standing and walking among the seven gold lampstands.  What are these lampstands?  John tells us that the lampstands are the 7 churches.  Jesus is standing among the churches.  Seven is the number of completion and wholeness.  Jesus is standing with his entire church.  That’s where you’ll find him, even when most of these churches are a mess. 

But before he points to the mess, in the church, and in us, he wants us to know that he is standing with us.  Our God stands with us even when our lives are a mess, and don’t make sense.  John wants us to know where we will find Jesus.  We’ll find him where we should expect to find him –  in the  midst of his church.  It’s not a building I’m talking about. He’s standing among those who are gathered in his name – his people who come together to follow him.  That’s where we find him.  And as complicated as it can become at these churches of ours, He is there.  John says, over and over again, that we, the church, must have ears to hear and listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches, lest we find ourselves far from where Jesus is.  

Let’s look to him daily as we gather around his Word.  May we find him here, with us, in our complicated messy lives.  We are training our ears to hear him, as we gather together, so that we can receive his loving warnings and corrections, but also, his commendations.  We find comfort, strength, protection and joy, in his presence, as we come to His word, with his people.  We don’t need to look far to find him, he’s right here among us.  May we all have ears to hear Him.

You are loved!