Daily Devotional for February 9

 

February 9                                                         John 1:29-34

       "I myself did not know who it was,. but for this
  reason I came baptizing with water, that the one who
          was to come might be revealed to Israel."

My spirit joins with that of John the Baptist when he said he
baptized that Christ might be revealed. As a pastor, I experience
a sense of power as I participate in God's entry into our lives.
For such a long time in my life the sacraments of the church
seemed like empty rituals. This was especially true of baptism.
Then one day John's words struck me. When asked why he
baptized, he responded that he did not know Christ, but
believed he could make Christ known to others. Suddenly the
need for Christ to be made known in today's world became
clear to me, along with a sense of the power God offers to
all Christians to help make Christ known. Suddenly, baptism
became powerful: God moves through the sacrament to reveal
Christ to the seeker. With that insight, I discovered a new zeal
and fervor in an old faith.

I see so many people who don't know Christ, or who think
Christ wouldn't want to know them. Now it is possible to offer
baptism as an invitation to encounter God. I trust God to use
the water I pour to refresh barren lives. The power John
evidenced has become the power I expect and experience. God
is present in the waters of baptism. God wills to reveal Christ
today as clearly as God did when John baptized.

Do you recall your baptism? If your parents acted for you, does
their action have personal meaning for your life today?
Consider that God wants to be a powerful presence in your
life. Are you open to God's encounter? Baptism is about
identity. It is about your being a child of God and knowing
who you are.

       Thank you, Jesus, for the power of faith. I have
    a new enthusiasm. Like John, I feel I can make you
    known to others. You have invited me to participate
            in your revelation. Thank you for opening
                             the way for me.

​

From The Road to Emmaus - An inclusive devotional Edited by Joseph W. Houle

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.