They had been with Jesus
For years our family had a little rescue dog we named Doxa. He had a high-pitched bark that made your teeth set on edge, and your ears burn. When Doxa would bark every nerve in your body would jump as though you were hearing nails on a chalkboard, and to this young mom with babies that needed to nap, his barking was kryptonite. That was until one day we went on a trip and boarded Doxa at the nearby vet’s office. When we got home after picking him up, it didn’t take long for Doxa to notice a squirrel out our living room window and immediately start barking. Steve and I were shocked and dumbfounded because when Doxa barked, rather than the high-pitched shriek we were used to, he had acquired a deep, robust bark like you would imagine hearing out of a Great Dane. It was completely out of nowhere. We had NEVER heard him make that deep sound before and it quickly became clear that Doxa had been with the ‘big dogs’ and would never be the same.
Isn’t it funny that we as people do the exact same thing? We take on the mannerisms, phrasing, and tone of the people we spend time with. The more we spend time with someone the more we often sound like them, and after a while even those around us take notice that something has changed. That’s where we find Peter and John in Acts 4. These two men had spent so much time with Jesus, that they were mirroring Him in what they said and did…. and other people were beginning to notice. It tells us in verse 13 that the rulers, elders, and teachers of the were ‘astonished’ and took note because clearly Peter and John ‘had been with Jesus’.
Hanging around Jesus, spending time with Him and soaking up His words of truth had made such a difference that these ‘unschooled, ordinary’ disciples were left different, and the people around were taking note.
I don’t know about you, but there are days I feel extremely ordinary. Days I feel like there’s nothing special about me, and days I feel my life is stuck in a never-ending cycle… can you relate? It brings me so much comfort to know that Jesus loves to use the ordinary people to do extraordinary things. I’m overcome with joy when I think about the fact that when God looks at me, He sees anything but ordinary. Instead, He sees the special assignment He has perfectly and intentionally created me for. Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are God’s ‘masterpiece’ and He has created us for “good works which God prepared us in advance for.” That means He’s got big plans for us to accomplish and He deeply desires to whisper the game plan into our ears each day… but in order to hear we’ve got to first choose to spend time with Him, and allow His presence in our lives to overshadow all that we do, think, and speak.
When I think about 2024, that’s what I so desperately want this upcoming year to be marked by. I want people to notice that I’ve spent time with Jesus, and notice His fingerprints all over my life, and I’m praying the same for you! I’m praying that people will notice that our church is different because it’s full of women that are eagerly, intentionally, and expectantly meeting with Jesus every single day.
Today we get the privilege of starting fresh. Maybe your 2023 ended up being fuller than you ever dreamed it would be. Maybe you found yourself tired of a never-ending cycle of stress or disappointment. Maybe you found yourself questioning if God had anything more for you. Maybe you started the year strong, asking and believing God for big things, but as time passed, you became discouraged and stopped seeking Him above everything else.
Let’s make 2024 the year we choose Jesus. Before we check our text messages or our emails, before we throw that first load into the washing machine, before we even grab that cup of coffee or climb out of bed, let’s take a minute to fall to our knees and talk to Jesus. Let’s ask Him to cover our day, cover our planner, cover our words with His purpose and His plans. Let’s confidently walk in step with Him each and every day, and hopefully the more we spend time with Him, the more we will sound like Him.
2024 is a new year, and starts today. So…have you ‘been with Jesus’ yet today?