top of page
October.jpg

Daily Devotional for October 20

 

October 20                                                     Matthew 11:1-6


Deacon Helen leaned against her crutches and gazed at the dust
and disarray of our partially remodeled sanctuary. "Things
always look worse before they get better," she said, smiling.


Helen can smile because she knows that when the remodeling
is complete, our sanctuary will shine again, better and brighter
than ever. Her assurance comes from years of experience -
Helen has endured far worse times. She has survived times
when the dust and disarray of her own life seemed to separate
her from Christ.


Years ago, a motorcycle accident cost her a leg. This year,
while helping with the remodeling, she bore the pain of re-
cent knee surgery on her remaining leg.


John the Baptist must have felt a lot like Helen as he spent
his final days in prison. He had labored long and hard in the
wilderness, sacrificing his own comfort in order to minister
to the souls of others. He had devoted his life to preparing
the way for Christ.


Yet now he faced his mortality, locked away from both the
ministry and the people he loved. Worst of all, John was
physically separated from Christ, the Saviour whose coming
he had foretold.


How bad things must have seemed to John. And how his heart
must have leaped for joy when he received Jesus' message.
As Helen might say, things were truly getting better. John's
wait was over. Miracles were happening. The Saviour had
come.


Sometimes we, like John and Helen, must endure hard times.
But we, too, can rest assured that Christ has better days in store
for us. And when the dust clears, we, the true sanctuaries of
the Holy Spirit, will shine again.

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

Emmaus House of Prayer - Washington D.C.

bottom of page