Scripture:
“And looking about at those who sat around him, he said, “Here are my mother and my brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is my brother and sister and mother.””
— Mark 3:34-35 ESV
Observation:
At first this may seem quite mean and harsh to shun your own earthly family. But Jesus is making the point that those who follow God’s will, are those that truly know who He is and truly love Him. They are those that are focused not on getting their own way but living out God’s ways. Jesus’ own brothers didn’t really initially understand nor accept who He is.(John 7:5, Mark 3:21) Our focus is not to claim that we love Jesus and call ourselves Christians if we aren’t truly following God’s will.
Application
Seeking God’s ways will require us to spend time with Him intentionally. By being in His Word we can hear his voice. He will speak to us so we need to come with an open heart and mind, emptied of personal expectations and even a time limit. Allow the Word to penetrate the depths of our hearts. How can we know how to put together a plastic model if we aren’t going to look at the directions? Read the Bible.
By spending time in prayer and meditation on what He has spoken to us, will only help us to hear better and know His heart more. Let our hearts be silent before Him and listening for His gentle voice. To be sensitive to his presence and love.
Be doers of the Word. Yes listening is ever so important but doing what He calls us to do is vital to get to know Him! He has given us all we need for today, so use it and be a proper steward of His blessings.
Prayer:
Dear Heavenly Father,
Thank you so much for Jesus! Because of what He did upon the cross, we can come into Your Presence. Please allow me to come to know You deeper. Please help me to usnderstand Your Will by walking in the ways you have for me. I choose to spend time in Your Word everyday to get to know Your Voice and truth. Thank you so much for drawing near to us, when we draw near to You! I love you Jesus, thank you that You have allowed me to experience Your Presence! In Your Name, Amen.
