Forest Lake Talks

Text: Mark 1:35-39

In the morning, while it was still very dark, he got up and went out to a deserted place, and there he prayed. And Simon and his companions hunted for him.  When they found him, they said to him, “Everyone is searching for you.”  He answered, “Let us go on to the neighboring towns, so that I may proclaim the message there also; for that is what I came out to do.” And he went throughout Galilee, proclaiming the message in their synagogues and casting out demons.

Devotional: Just before our Scripture reading above, Jesus camped out at Simon's house and healed many people, enough people to cause "the whole city" to gather outside Simon's front door.

Presumably, Jesus went to bed after this exhausting day and had every right to sleep in.

However, Mark tells us that didn't happen: Jesus gets up while it was "still very dark" and prays in a deserted place. The healer Jesus prays, listens to God, and then reveals to Simon and his companions that "proclaiming the message" is what God desires. Did God desire the healing from the previous night? Presumably so, but Jesus believes God's calling for him at that moment was to proclaim the message.

This short passage demonstrates the importance of listening to God.

If I healed a bunch of people the day before, I'm confident that I would go to bed thinking, "Yep, this is what I'm supposed to do. I'm a rockstar." But, there's clear humility in Jesus' action. Yes, God, I healed people yesterday, but what is your plan for me today?

God, what are you calling me to do today?

Prayer: Holy God, you are God and we are not. Silence our thoughts for a moment so we hear your voice. Amen.