The Unseen Ministry of Bystanders

 

And as Peter was below

      in the courtyard,

one of the servant girls

      of the high priest came,

and seeing Peter warming himself,

   she looked at him and said,

"You also were with the

             Nazarene, Jesus."

But he denied it...

                   Mark 14. 66-68

(Here God points out

  His incredible ministry of bystanders.

Others are constantly watching us

    to see if God makes a difference

                          in our lives

    and to see if God is real.

I have always wondered

  if that servant girl said that 

not as condemnation,

but because she desired

                        to know Jesus too.

Bystanders in our lives

       are never randomly placed.

What is observed or overheard,

   a word, a response, a grace,

open the gates of heaven

      in someone's heart.

We are witnesses

    even when we are most unaware.)

O LORD,

Please help us to be sensitive

    to our surroundings

    and to those within earshot

that You would point them to Yourself.

Help us to respond differently

    and live out the gospel

even in unexpected, unusual

    and incredible places.

We never know what will stick.

We never know who is

        desperately seeing You.

Align our hearts with Yours.

Help us to see others

   --those we know or not--

as You see them:

                   beloved by You.

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