THANKFUL

Chatting with Jesus

Wednesday, March 13, 2024

Lord, you knew they were coming, yet you didn’t stop them. Judas, your betrayer, led a group of armed Roman soldiers and Temple guards with intent to arrest you. But even in this chaos, you remained in control over this situation.

You stepped forward to meet them and asked, “Who are you looking for?”

“Jesus the Nazarene,” they angerly demanded.

Your simple answer, “I AM he,” packed such power the throng of soldiers fell backward to the ground. Man’s opposition, or all the powers of Hell, could not—and cannot—stand in your presence. You asked them again, “Who are you looking for?” The soldiers, who meant to bring you harm, could not rise in your presence, now reverently replied, “Jesus the Nazarene.” Finally, you allowed them to rise and take you away, all as part of your plan for redemption.

In like manner, Lord, you step forward and meet us where we are and ask: “Who are you looking for?” Or put another way, “What are you looking for?”

How much time have we wasted looking for relevance chasing temporary pleasures, fame, wealth, power, relationships, only to find these earthly pursuits fleeting, leaving us empty, and again, looking for something or someone.

Who are we looking for? We’re seeking the only one who can give us purpose, for the only one who changes our hearts. We’re reaching for the one who speaks peace amid the raging storms that batter our souls. We’re looking for the one who “came to bring life, and life to its fullest” (John 10:10).

That’s you, Jesus. Amen. Thank you for placing within us the desire to look for you. And thank you for coming to meet us where we were.