Hosanna Restoration Church

What motivates our actions? What is beneath the surface when we react the way we do? Why do we get angry, or happy? Why are we bitter or forgiving? What are we after or what do we expect?

These men could have and should have known that Jesus was born in Bethlehem. They said that He would just appear. Isn’t that what Jesus did. Suddenly, He was there.

Jesus tried to get them to consider their ways and actions, but they were set in their ways! Guess what, we can be the same way.

We say things and we follow it with I don’t know why I said that, or what was I thinking? As I thought about what Jesus said, I realized that Jesus was always mining beneath the surface.

When He said things like blessed are the poor in Spirit. Or you are blessed when you are persecuted for believing in Me. When He says bless and curse not and that we should just forgive. He was giving us a better way that sounded like an impossible way. But the truth was that we just need to get out of the way and let Him be our way.

We spend a lot of time and money in our society trying to figure out the why of things. However, what good does it do to know why if we are not interested and following a better way. These men came to Jesus with no interest in the truth at all. His ways were just in their way.

To me, it is not as necessary to figure out the why as it is to identify and deny the things to have space in our lives that do not reveal who lives inside of us.

My great desire is arriving at John 8:29 where Jesus says, “I always do what please Him!” My response to that verse is the same today as it was 41 years ago the first time I saw what it said. “Help Lord!” Later in verse 37 we are told to make room in our hearts for the Lord’s message.

What is beneath the surface? What do we really want? Do we want His way? Or do we want Him to approve our way? Do we want Him to change us or change someone else?

I read a devotion today that robs people of what God can do. It was partially true, however it suggested that the only way God speaks to us is through His word. Unfortunately, that is the way that many live. When they put the Bible down, they are done listening. But, we are to be hearing and hearing. He is speaking all the time. He is speaking to us where we live and about how we are living.

When I am wrong, He is saying I should fix it. If I don’t, what is beneath the surface. If I don’t hear him, it is because I am not listening. Telling people that God does not speak to us anymore, is like telling people to ignore the voice of God. If we do not know that the devil talks to people, we are really out of touch. Listen for the voice of God. He knows what is beneath the surface!