Dave's Diary

Prayer

Briefly prepare your heart in silence, and ask the Holy Spirit to awaken your sense of anticipation that God is about to speak to you through His Word. Then, before you read, I invite you to pray this prayer based on Psalm 31:19

LORD, how abundant are the good things
that you have stored up for me
and for all who take refuge in you.
Help me to discover treasures in Your Word today. Amen

Reading

Luke 4:22-30

²⁴ ‘Truly I tell you,’ Jesus continued, ‘no prophet is accepted in his home town.

It’s crazy to think that the residents of Nazareth completely missed out on Jesus’ ministry, and that they even aimed to throw Him off a cliff! We can hardly believe that this could happen. One moment Jesus was ministering in their synagogue and they were marvelling at “the gracious words that came from His lips”, and the next someone made the connection, “Isn’t this Joseph’s son?” … and suddenly everything changed.

Sensing the shift, Jesus pointed to the way God’s prophets in ages past had been rejected by those closest to them, and how they had often done their most powerful ministry to rank outsiders instead of to those closest to them.

Now, it’s easy to judge the people of Nazareth or those who rejected the ministries of Elijah and Elisha, but I wonder how many opportunities we may have missed to be encouraged and ministered to – all because we have disregarded the possibility that God might use those who are well known to us? Have we allowed our thoughts to be clouded by the reality that “familiarity breeds contempt”?

How about we decide today to live proactively in the opposite spirit to Jesus’ neighbours? Let’s ask (and allow) the Lord to point us to a person we know well and whom He wants to use as an instrument in our lives. Then let’s encourage them to use them to minister to us and others. Let’s honour them and actively seek to receive the treasure of grace that Christ has placed in them.

Who knows … our encouragement and receptiveness to their ministry may just be the catalyst they need to get them stepping out in obedience to the call God has on their lives. Our encouragement might change the course of their lives!

Contemplation

Please take time to ponder what Jesus has commanded us. Turn this declaration over and over in your mind. Keep it in mind throughout the day and live in step with Your King, Jesus.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ:

• I will honour and encourage those close to me to step out and use their gifts in ministry.

Lord, please use me to encourage others today. And by my words of encouragement, release them to greater and greater acts of loving service in Your Kingdom. Amen.