#NUTSHELL – JULY 9th—A GOOD REPUTATION – John 1:43-51: There was “no guile “in Nathanael. There was no craftiness, trickery or deceitfulness there was nothing false in him. What about you? Are you honest with God? Nathanael’s candor in verse 46 prompted Jesus’ comment in verse 47. The point Jesus was making was that Nathanael was an Israelite without deceitful motives; one who was willing to scrutinize for himself the claims being made about Jesus. The term used by Jesus, “no guile,” reveals an honest seeking heart. Nathanael was sincere. We need to be as genuine as Nathanael. He was definitely open with God! Are you as transparent with God as Nathanael? Being transparent with God might sound strange because you realize that God is all-knowing and you might think, “Well, God knows what’s happening anyway why do I have to be so crystal-clear with Him?” But there are those times when you might try to hide from Him in much the same way as Jonah 1:1-7. While you might think it is ridiculous for anyone to even try to take cover from God, you or I can unconsciously do this by withholding or suppressing those things which He should know about! What would this be? Perhaps it would be the first thought that comes to your mind right now. Share it with Him, if it is some sort of wayward behavior on your part, confess it and turn from it…now. You can tell from our Scripture reading for today that Nathanael is not a person who would try to hide from God. When Nathanael asked God how He knew him, Jesus said, “…I saw you” (vv 48-49). This is a quick glimpse of Jesus’ supernatural knowledge. What are His thoughts toward you? Would He be able to say that you have “no guile”?
Posted on: Tue, 09 Jul 2013 11:02:43 +0000