Scripture Verse that Caught My attention Today: 1 Corinthians 14:1 Pursue love and strive for the spiritual gifts, and especially that you may prophesy.
Observation: Very interesting perspective of Paul here…after a chapter celebrating the variety of gifts (chapter 12) and another chapter emphasizing the importance of love above all things (chapter 13), Paul begins chapter 14 with one Spiritual gift that he actually thinks is worth striving for.
Application: In my denomination we understand prophecy somewhat differently than many Christians. Lutherans understand prophecy to be the speaking the Word of God in a particular time and to a particular people. This is not to say that future generations can’t find meaning in ancient words, but it is to say that prophecy has always been less about predicting the future and more about communicating a Godly and, indeed, transforming word in the here and now.
Taken in account with the two preceding chapters, prophecy is shown its place. Yes, one can strive for it, but it is still just one among many authentic gifts (see chapter 12) and, if one does have it, it should be exercised in the same way as all of the Spiritual gifts—with much love (see chapter 13).
As a pastor I seldom if ever think of myself as a prophet. That role seems too big and, well, too long ago. It seems like prophets are only those who have Biblical books named after them and the like. But perhaps I’m selling too many preachers short—myself, perhaps, even included.
Each week though, I’m never completely sure if I’m sharing God’s authentic word until after the message has been proclaimed. And even then it’s not always completely clear whether or not something Godly has transpired. Often times my most fervent prayer is simply this: “Lord, don’t let Kent Wilson get in the way of what you are trying to say through him.”
The good news is that while I do not always have a lot of confidence in me, I do have tremendous confidence in God. I trust that God can and does make up for my lack. In fact, God often speaks in ways that I do not fully realize.
It’s a lot like this….we have this Springer Spaniel dog—a stray that we adopted last spring. She’s not the brightest dog in the world, but she has tons of enthusiasm and, for some reason, we like her. She lives to hunt and she sniffs her sniffer all around on the ground as if there were no tomorrow. Does she ever catch anything? Not to my knowledge.
Last night was a humorous case-in-point; twice. On two separate occasions she was eagerly sniffing around when, without her knowledge, a rabbit bounded out of the thicket where she was searching and she was so busy sniffing that she never even saw it! But all of us did! In each case the rabbit was in full view.
Sometimes I’m like our dog and God is like that rabbit. I don’t always know exactly where God is or what God is doing, but I’m at least on the trail, albeit several steps behind.
Prayer: Lord, thanks for doing your great work—through me at times but, in one way or another, always. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
(readings today included: Job 39-40 and 1 Corinthians 13-14)
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