John 9:4 “As long as it is day, we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work.”
The president of the college where I teach recently exhorted the students to persevere in their work. To make the most of every opportunity. He said the time of preparation they are presently experiencing stands just as important as their end goal. I couldn’t agree more. It’s easy to get so focused on where we’re going that we miss where we are. We forget every minute has the potential to become an earth-shaking, life-changing, awe-filled moment.
I wonder if there was ever a time in Jesus’ life when he lacked this awareness. Whether he was teaching the crowds or training his disciples, it seems he never missed an opportunity to infuse life into his situations.
The man born blind described in John 9 certainly demonstrates this. Jesus was walking along with his disciples when they encountered him on the side of the road. He didn’t cry out to Jesus for healing. He didn’t even know who Jesus was. The disciples seized the opportunity to initiate a theological discussion on whether the man’s or his parents’ sin caused his blindness. They could have passed him by, left him alone to linger in his darkness. But Jesus took an ordinary minute of an ordinary day to turn ordinary dirt into a healing balm to display the glory of God. Light penetrated darkness Just. Like That.
I can’t help but wonder how many miracles I might be missing because I fail to see the potential in every hour of every day. I recently read how Missionary Frank Laubach’s goal was to see if he could turn his thoughts to God even one second for every minute of the day. Not such an outlandish goal when we think of how Scripture encourages us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
God wants to fill our days with his presence. He desires us to make the most out of every hour of every day. So let’s not waste another minute. Whether we’re waiting in line at Walmart, driving to our next appointment or having coffee with a friend, let’s be intentional.
Before the night comes when no one can work.