Observation and Principles

One quiet night, the Pharisee Nicodemus slipped quietly out his front door. The moonlight softl illuminated the streets.  He pulled his robe tight around his arms to ward off the cool spring breeze.  Silently, he made his way through the streets to the house where the teacher Jesus was staying.

When Nicodemus found Jesus, he said, “We know that you are a teacher come from god.  You couldn’t do what you do and say what you say unless God is with you.   Do you have some time tonight that we could talk?”

I have always suspected that Nicodemus came to Jesus by night because he was concerned about what the other Pharisees might think.  After a talk with Jesus, did Nicodemus get it when he left?  Was his life changed? Did he ever understand?

Even talking face to face with God, Nicodemus was confused about matters of the Spirit.  I am glad that the Holy Spirit has patience and is willing to show me the same lesson over and over.

Do I still come to Jesus by night?  Am I afraid of what other people will think?  Am I willing to listen to what He is trying to teach me and keep asking questions until I understand?

Maybe Nicodemus came by night because it was the only time he had that he could focus on talking to Jesus.  As I go through the day, I am bombarded by interruptions.  Being able to have more than one thing running in my mind doesn’t help me get quiet and focus on God.  At the same time, God created me so that I can do mental multi-tasking.  I suspect that when our baby is  born, I will not have the luxury of uninterrupted quiet time.  There will be some things that are necessary to multi-task on (i.e. praying and minding the kids).  On the other hand, there are a lot of distractions running in my mind (like checking e-mail and worrying about today’s to-do list).

Part of my preparation for devotions should be to create an environment with minimal distractions, and my prayer is that I could set down my worries for a few moments and focus on my Savior