Come and See

Daily Reading: John 1

Come, and you will see. (John 1.39)

Devotional Thought: The first 18 verses of John, sometimes referred to as “the Prologue” are some of the most meaningful words of the entire Bible.  You will find much truth to mine from this rich deposit.  But I drawn to two verses later in the chapter, two verses which are very similar. In verse 39, we read how Jesus told two men, “Come, and you will see.”  These men had been students of John the Baptist.  In the divine plan it was now time for them to become followers of Jesus.  Jesus’ invitation was simple: “Come and see.”  In verse 46, Philip, who may have been one of the two Jesus had spoken to in verse 39, had gone to find his brother Nathanael and invited him to meet Jesus.  To Nathanael’s mild objection, Philip said, “Come and see.”

Come and see: An invitation extended to all of us.  When we start out on the path of faith, we don’t know a lot, do we?  But, as we walk with Jesus we are able to see what the Kingdom of God is all about.  Walking with Christ is a journey of discovery.  Even after following him for nearly 50 years, I still learn something every day!

Come and see: An invitation extended by all of us.  Like Philip, we are to go to our brothers, our sisters, our neighbors, our friends.  We are to extend the invitation to come and see what Jesus is all about.  We do that not only through our words, but also through our lives.  People will see in us, as we ourselves follow Jesus, the way of the Kingdom.

How will you “come and see” today?  How will you invite others to “come and see”?

Prayer: Thank you, Lord, for the invitation to come and see - to follow you and to grow in my understanding of you.  Help me, Jesus, to extend that invitation to others that they, too, may follow you.  Amen.

Psalm of the Day: 33.1-7

1 Shout for joy in the LORD, O you righteous! Praise befits the upright.

2 Give thanks to the LORD with the lyre; make melody to him with the harp of ten strings!

3 Sing to him a new song; play skillfully on the strings, with loud shouts.

4 For the word of the LORD is upright, and all his work is done in faithfulness.

5 He loves righteousness and justice; the earth is full of the steadfast love of the LORD.

6 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host.

7 He gathers the waters of the sea as a heap; he puts the deeps in storehouses.