Scripture Reflections @ CEC by Dave Morris

“The Word of God I think of as a straight edge, which shows up our own crookedness. We can’t really tell how crooked our thinking is until we line it up with the straight edge of Scripture.”

- Elisabeth Elliot

Scripture & Devotion: John 1:22-23

Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’ ”

People came to John the Baptist and they asked him, “Who are you?...What do you say about yourself”. What an important question. What Is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear that question? This was John’s answer. “I am the voice of one calling in the desert, “Make straight the way for the Lord.”

What’s my answer? Who am I? What do I say about myself? I am Dave Morris. I am the husband of Sue, the father of Steven and Eric. I am 62 years old. I am a structural engineer. These are all true but is that it? There is more that I would like people to know about me. I would also like them to know that I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I would like them to know that Jesus saved me and changes my life every day. I would like them to know that what He did for me He could do for them.

The Gospel of John has a lot to say about who Jesus is. In fact, the first chapter of John makes some of the most amazing statements about who Jesus is that are found anywhere in the Bible. I would love to tell anybody anytime about who Jesus is. But before they see Jesus they are going to see me. Before they ask who Jesus is they may ask me, “Who are you? What do you say about yourself?

Why did people come to John? Why did they even care who he was? He was at the river preaching repentance and baptizing. He was doing the very thing that God had called him to do. And when people came to see this very unusual man doing what God called him to do and they asked him who he was. He told them, and then he pointed them to Jesus.

What’s your answer? What do you say about yourself? Are you doing the things that God has called to you to do? You don’t have to eat locusts to cause people to take notice. When they do notice are you ready to tell them who you say you are and point them to Jesus?

Prayer:

Lord, may we never forget who we really are. May we always be at your work so that people will come and ask who we say we are. And may we be ready, like John was, to point them to Jesus.

Dave Morris