Trinity Lutheran Church

Frontline Devotion for
Friday, December 11, 2009
By Mike Martine
www.goodshepherdonline.org

Romans 12:11-12
And do this, understanding the present time. The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is nearly over; the day is almost here. So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.
A theme of my own teaching has become a tale between a “master” and a student.
The student asks, “Where should I look for enlightenment?”
The master replies, “It is all around you.”
The student says, “But why can’t I see it?”
 The master replies, “You’re not looking.”
 “Yes I am.”
 “No, you’re not.”
The student, getting frustrated, says, “Do I have to look a special way?”
The master replies, “No, the ordinary way will do.”
“But,” the student pleads, “aren’t I looking in the ordinary way?”
“No.” says the master. “You’re usually someplace else.”
Your salvation is nearer now than you realize, do you see it?
The truth is, most of us don’t see God at work among us because, frankly, we’re not looking. We’re usually “somewhere else.”
We’re don’t just “drive” when we drive—we talk on the phone and eat lunch. We don’t just “cook” when we cook—we fret about what happened at work and burn the veggies.
We don’t listen to each other when we listen—we think too much about what we want to say.
We don’t even follow God when we say we’re following God—we let the worries and ways of the world get in our path…
We are, too often, “someplace else.”
Listen to your partner. Listen to your kids. Hear the music on the radio. Do what just what you’re doing when you’re doing it.
And do everything for reasons you can be proud of.
Act for God. Act with God.
And you’ll recognize that our salvation is nearer than we thought.
Our salvation is with us. The spirit is among us. The final reality of life with God is a present reality as well.
But…ya gotta look. 
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