Listen

He said, “I assure you that no prophet is welcome in the prophet’s hometown. And I can assure you that there were many widows in Israel during Elijah’s time, when it didn’t rain for three and a half years and there was a great food shortage in the land. Yet Elijah was sent to none of them but only to a widow in the city of Zarephath in the region of Sidon. There were also many persons with skin diseases in Israel during the time of the prophet Elisha, but none of them were cleansed. Instead, Naaman the Syrian was cleansed.”

When they heard this, everyone in the synagogue was filled with anger. They rose up and ran him out of town. They led him to the crest of the hill on which their town had been built so that they could throw him off the cliff. But he passed through the crowd and went on his way.

Luke 4:24-30

Think

“Don’t shoot the messenger!” Have you ever heard that saying? Prophets often had the difficult task of sharing news that wasn’t always well received. Sometimes they had to confront people about their sin, and sometimes they were called to warn people about impending judgement or consequences.

Not everything Jesus said was well received. In fact, sometimes Jesus’ words angered people and even made them want to hurt him. The truth is, sometimes what we need to hear is not necessarily what we want to hear, but we need to hear it anyway. Still following? The spirit with which we receive that message will make the difference in how we react to hard truth about ourselves.

How might you be more receptive to someone who lovingly admonishes you? As difficult as it can be to acknowledge our own faults and shortcomings, it is an important aspect of spiritual maturity.

Niki Hays

Pray

Lord, guide me in what it means to have a teachable spirit.

May I be quick to listen and slow to anger.

And may my life reflect the humility your son Jesus exhibited.

Amen.

Go

Take my will and make it thine
it shall be no longer mine.
Take my heart it is thy own;
it shall be thy royal throne,
it shall be thy royal throne.

Frances R. Havergal in “Take My Life, And Let It Be” (1874)

Surrender.

Give over to God your whole heart.

Live in the fullness of God’s grace this day.