Scripture
4Peter exclaimed, “Lord, it’s wonderful for us to be here! If you want, I’ll make three shelters as memorials—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” 5But even as he spoke, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy. Listen to him.” 6The disciples were terrified and fell face down on the ground. 7Then Jesus came over and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Don’t be afraid.” 8And when they looked up, Moses and Elijah were gone, and they saw only Jesus. Mt. 17:4-8
Observation
Peter was just doing what any good Jewish man would do. This was a holy moment so you build a holy place to mark the space. He was going to mark the moment of transfiguration with tradition. Where Peter’s default was religion, God had brought him up there for a deeper relationship. In the midst of something new we tend to go back to what we knew and this was what Peter was about to do… until God interrupted Him. “Even as he spoke”… Peter was mid-sentence, about to delegate to James and John to gather some sticks for the three tabernacles when God took the stage. Ever since the tower of Babel God’s creation has made it their job to get busy with many things while leaving behind the main thing. God wanted to make it clear to Peter then and all of his future disciples that we really only have one job- Listen To Him. So, if we are listening to Him, what did Jesus say next? “Get up”. “Don’t be afraid.” Could this be the exact two instructions we need to get our hearts back on track this year- to get us back to our one job?
Application
Like Peter, I’ve been so busy for most of my life working to build things for God. Like Peter I have been talking about what I’ve seen, read, and observed. Like Peter, I just need to shut up and listen to Jesus. There’s a whole lot of noise right now. It’s at a fever pitch. I don’t want to add to the noise. Fear has a megaphone and it’s shouting in our ears through every medium. Jesus is trying to pull me aside out of the noise to hear his voice. He is using this year where so much of what has been built is falling apart to get me back to my one job. I’m just called to Listen To Him. I’ve been resisting the natural tendency to stay busy and the natural default to do what worked before. Jesus is saying to me and to all of us the same things He said to his disciples on the mountain:
Get Up- We have all fallen. We have all failed. We have all been overwhelmed. Get back up. We followed Jesus to this and we will follow Him through this. The great Vince Lombardi famously said, “It's not whether you get knocked down, it's whether you get up.” Whatever has knocked the wind out of you, invite the wind of the Holy Spirit to fill you again and get back to following Jesus and only Jesus.
Don’t Be Afraid- The disciples were certain they were going to die because the Old Testament taught them that a sinful man cannot survive the presence of a Holy God. Jesus is our way to live in God’s presence every day. The problem this year isn’t so much that we are afraid of God but that we are afraid of everything else. Scripture tells us 365 times not to fear, one reminder for every day of the year. If there’s anything that can get us off track and distract us from our one job of listening to Jesus it’s listening to the voice of fear all around us!
Prayer
Thank You Jesus for Your voice. You speak to me in so many ways big and small if I take the time to listen. I’m going to get up and follow You. I’m going to choose faith over fear. I’m going to stop being busy with the things that have worked before and I’m going to work for You and with You! Help me to focus on that which lasts rather than preserving the past. You are lifting me up, dusting me off, and giving me hope for the future. Let me hear what You are saying all throughout this day.
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