Showers of Blessing - You will see heaven open
Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” Nathanael asked (John 1:45-47).
Almighty God and Heavenly Father, we praise You with the words of the psalm, Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; His understanding is beyond measure (Psalm 147:5 - ESV). You are the God who holds the mysteries of the galaxies—the God who brings out the starry host one by one and calls forth each of them by name (Isaiah 40:26).
And astoundingly, You are the God who knows us intimately, the God who is mindful of us and cares for us (Psalm 8:4). You are the God who numbers the hairs of our head (Luke 12:7), who perceives our thoughts from afar (Psalm 139:2).
Nathanael was amazed by this in his very first encounter with the Lord Jesus: “How do you know me?” Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you” (John 1:48).
In astonishment, Nathanael exclaimed, “Rabbi, You are the Son of God; You are the king of Israel” (John 1:49). Yet not long before, he had greeted with disbelief and skepticism Philip's invitation to meet the One Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote (John 1:44).
Oh Lord, Your word tells us that You "foreknow" and that You "call". Romans 8:29). You foreknew Nathanael. You foreknew that he was an Israelite indeed in whom there [was] no deceit (John 1:47). And You foreknew his biases and his faulty opinions.
Yet, loving Father, that is the point of Your amazing grace. The Lord Jesus said He did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance” (Luke 5:32). You call sinners and You shatter our stereotypes, You purge our prejudices and You dismantle our dogmas as we follow You. You draw us from the confines of our shelters and our fig trees. And You begin the process of conforming us to the image of Your Son (Romans 8: 29).
Thank You Lord, for the vision You open up through belief. Jesus told Nathanael, “You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that…you will see heaven open…” (John 1:50-51)
Thank You that You turn our limiting ideas inside out. You show us that "good" can come out of the most unexpected people, the most unexpected places. You show us that our broad brush junk piles—the "Nazareths" we disparage, and dismiss, and discard, can open up the heavens and rain showers of blessing over our lives.
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