Open Your Eyes!

Scripture – John 4:34-38: “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Do you not say, ‘Four months more and then the harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together. Thus the saying ‘One sows and another reaps’ is true. I sent you to reap what you have not worked for. Others have done the hard work, and you have reaped the benefits of their labor.”

Observation – (Write down what you see in the scripture.) If I find God’s will for my life and do what He wants, I will have all I need. That includes resources for the task to which I’m called, along with all I need for daily life (food, clothes, shelter, transportation, etc.) The same is true for us as a church. The next step in discovering God’s will is simply, “Open your eyes and look at the fields!” It’s far easier than we think to limit our vision of ministry to the church itself – to keep our vision directed inward. Part of our task is to open our eyes, look around at the “field” in which we live and see who is there. More people than we realize are on a spiritual journey – they are “ripe for the harvest.” We can ignore them no longer.

Application – (Write how you will be different today because of what you have just read.) I will keep my eyes open today. How many people outside the church will I encounter? How many of them will open the door for spiritual talk? How will I let them know it’s safe to do that?

Prayer – (Write out a brief prayer.) Walk with me today, Lord. Tap me on the shoulder when I’m not paying attention and help me see people today – people you love – people looking for you. Thank you for finding me and enabling me to find you.