Look around and observe God at work!


 
THU EP Reflection 081320 (Judges 14: 1-19; John 4:27-42)
LOOK AROUND and SEE… Do you ever wonder at a time when world crises happen, where might the hand of God be? It’s our nature to begin wondering about God’s involvement especially when we see unusual tragic events. May be some of it, is my curiosity: I often want to ask: What is God doing? Is God involved? Jesus often spoke of about God’s field and laborers to show what our responsibility is and what is God’s overarching purpose and plan. We are in the world, but we are not alone because God is with us. We may not see God with our eyes, but we have a firm belief that God is with us and care about us. LOOK around and see… Observe… Jesus is doing the will of His Father. Jesus talked about the sower and the reaper, the labor that happens in God’s Kingdom. It’s as if Jesus is taking them on the job training. Like him, we are all called to do the will of our Father in heaven. Jesus met the Samaritan woman, his conversation with her, led many people to Jesus. Her testimony was instrumental to bring many people in that city to meet Jesus and believe on their own accord. Was God reaching out to the Samaritans? Yes! Was that the will of the Father for Jesus who was sent to the lost sheep of Israel to be pursuing non-Israelites? Yes.
LOOK AROUND and OBSERVE what God is doing. I am drawn to this story of Israel’s best-known judge: Samson. I know the story was dramatized into a love story: Samson and Delilah, but there are way more details to the story that surely do not fit our well-arranged love story bubble. Samson fell in love with a Philistine girl. His parents discouraged him because it was seen as improper. Why would a Nazirite, dedicated for the Lord’s purpose marry a Philistine, a worshipper of Dagon, a Philistine god (false idol.) For the Jews, it was unthinkable. One particular detail in the passage has fascinated me for years. It is in Judges 14: 4: “His father and mother didn’t realize the Lord was at work in this, creating an opportunity to work against the Philistines who ruled over Israel at that time.” Again here, the writer is showing us in hindsight, how despite the rebellious nature of Samson, God was already at work.
The writer is telling the story to show that definitely God was setting a trap for Philistines through Samson, a staged coup if you will. God’s over-arching plan was to save Israel from the Philistine oppression. Samson was God’s the perfect occasion for quarrelling with the Philistines. There is a danger of us seeing Samson as a pawn, but he totally did it on his own. If we look back at periods of unrest in our history, do we spot what might be God’s doing? When we are in such periods; What do we do? Do we join God’s activity? I wish we can discern what that is. Jesus was definitely joining His Father’s activity when he had a conversation with a Samaritan lady. LOOK AROUND and OBSERVE…Believers have a spot in God’s field, we are invited to serve God…to do the Father’s will like Jesus. That’s what sustains him like food sustains us.
What am I learning? Samson is a perfect example that God can use anyone for good, in spite of that person’s indifference or sin. Samson did rescue Israel from the hands of Philistines without even trying or caring. He just had a great fight! He did not care about the Jews his people or his family or the God of Israel. All he cared about was himself. So, God placed him time after time in situations where he brought harm to Philistines, whom God had allowed to oppress Israel because they had sinned against him. God will use you despite yourself/ our insecurities. God will use anyone and anything. Is there anything beyond God’s ability? Nothing. If God can use the rebellious nature of Samson, what do you think God could use in our world?
We are to be careful not to read the world’s tragic events saying this was done by the hand of God, but rather I can see God using the circumstances to rescue his people. I wonder if looking in hindsight, we can see how God used events or certain people to affect change. One example is of Martin Luther King Jr. He might not have seen the end of his dream, but the segregation stopped. Looking in hindsight, prayers were answered, periods of unrest have come again and again and gone. I am encouraged to discern where God is at work so I can join in with God’s activity. I don’t want to be passive because I think it’s safer. God will use anyone/ anything to get his purposes and plans accomplished. God’s deepest desire is that all people may come to the knowledge and love of Jesus Christ his son, and to repent and return to God. LOOK AROUND and OBSERVE what God is doing and join Him.

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