E-votional - Enthusiasm
February 8, 2002
Verse:
"Then Peter said to Jesus,
“Lord, it is good for us to be here; if you wish, I will make three dwellings
here, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”"
Matthew
17:4 (NRSV)
Thought:
The moment catches you and you
are filled with excitement and a desire to act. Where there was once apathy,
there is now passion, despair, hope and instead of endless wandering, you now
have direction. Enthusiasm, whether it is about you or something else, it is
contagious, it is needed, but more than anything else, it is real.
Hear the Good News, when we
encounter God's activity in the world, we can not help but be caught by
enthusiasm. It is that cleansing power of God that removes the burdens of doubt
and hopelessness, replacing it with direction, that powers enthusiasm. Haley,
our Golden Retriever, is such a living object lesson. It does not take much to
get her excited about anything, but when she begins to drag lose interest in
playing and running around, there is one thing that revives her. There is one
thing, other than food of course, that renews her enthusiasm, that is a bath.
The old is washed away and the clean coat and skin remain. This is what
witnessing God's activity in the world does for us. It washes away that old
exterior and frees us up from that which brings apathy in our life. This is
because we are able to creation and re-creation at work. Nothing but excitement
there.
Prayer:
Father, Peter's excitement after seeing
the Transfiguration reminds me of the excitement I have in my heart, but at
times seems lost. Restore this passion and remove the apathy from my life. Let
me not only be excited by Your work, but empowered and inspired to respond to
Your presence. Thank You for all that You have done in my life and all You will
continue to do, for ask this through Christ, my Lord and Savior. Amen.