Title: It's Simple / Topic: Think!

Today’s Reading: Isaiah 65; Isaiah 66; Psalm 62; John 3

Scripture: John 3:23 Now John also was baptizing at Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water, and people were constantly coming to be baptized.

Observation: A fictional conversation between John the Baptist and one of his disciples:

"Master John, have you prayed about where we should go to baptize?"
"What?"
"Should we fast and pray to seek God's will about where He would have us to go to baptize the people?"
"I don't think we need to do all that -- I think we should go to Aenon."
"Did the Spirit speak to you or did the Lord lead you to that idea."
"No, I just think it's a good spot because there is plenty of water at Aenon."
(sheepishly) "ok"

While there are many things that we need to pray about, there are many for which we just need to use our brains. I love this simple verse that tells us the reason that John chose that particular location to baptize: plenty of water. And there were people there too -- another important requirement for baptizing! : )

Application: Pray and think. God wants us to seek Him for the times when we need His wisdom. But He also wants us to think -- to use our brains and the reasoning power He has given us. (Some Christians are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly good as this parody illustrates.) Christian people should have the greatest common sense of anybody. We have the mind of Christ. We have the Spirit's wisdom. We have the constant renewing of the mind. Jesus said to be "wise as serpents and harmless as doves." We should be good and smart.

Prayer: Lord, give us wisdom and smarts to live in a way that makes good sense and shows others that we know what we are doing. Help us to put aside foolishness and the silly psuedo-spirituality that makes so many Christians look like idiots. Lord, thank You for the gift us intelligence. Help us to develop it use it to Your glory.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.