Devotion for Thursday, May 28
 
Beloved, since God loved us so much, we also ought to love one another.
No one has ever seen God; if we love one another,
God lives in us, and his love is perfected in us.
1 John 4: 11-12
 
It was about 6:30 this morning when I made a cup of coffee, put on a light jacket, and went outside on the back porch. I guess I'm so happy that the weather has finally warmed up that I decided to pay no attention to the dense fog. It was certainly a bit difficult to see across the yard clearly, but there was still a certain beauty and a quiet calmness that was palpable - the perfect place to feel God's presence even though I couldn't quite see God's presence in the trees and wildlife surrounding me. But I knew it was there.
 
            And isn't that what the life of faith is all about? Sometimes we are blessed with an awesome encounter with God - a rare but wonderful moment when it seems as though time has stopped and we are truly standing on holy ground. But most often, God is present to us in more subtle ways, foggy ways. We have to turn on all of our senses - even those senses we rarely use - especially fine-tuning the ability to see with our spiritual eyes and hear with our spiritual ears.
 
            How do we do that? Well, John spells it out very nicely when he reminds us that "No one has ever seen God," but then points out that the way to see God with spiritual eyes is by loving one another because God is then alive in us and we'll easily be able to see and hear Him in one another.
 
            During this continuing pandemic, let's remember to find ways to be the presence of God to other people. Write notes, send cards, make phone calls/video calls, wave to your neighbors on your walks, and just generally find ways to reach out with the love of Christ. It's more important now that ever.
 
                                                                   Pastor Janice
 
Prayer: Lord, there is nothing I want more than to be able to see and hear you, and to know that you are walking with me every moment. Help me to see and hear with my spiritual senses, and help me to be your presence to someone else today. Amen.
 
 
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