“If I tell you about earthly things and you do not believe,
how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things?”

john 3:12

John 3:7b-15

Reflection

Nicodemus and Jesus’ conversation continues, as Jesus tells him he bears witness to what he has seen and knows. Nicodemus is still confused and appears to lack some belief. Jesus declares that just as Moses lifted the Serpent up in the desert, so too must the Son of Man be lifted up, and anyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Jesus continues to speak about lack of belief, which prohibits one from understanding heavenly matters. We are asked to take Jesus at his word and believe what he says is true. Although we may be confused and lack true understanding, our faith in him helps us work through those issues and grow in relationship with Jesus.

The Lord loves us and encourages us to place our trust in him. Yet he does not force us to. He gives us truth and invites us to dive in, learning more and growing in wisdom. We cannot do this if we have a lack of belief in Christ, for as he says, “If I have told you earthly things and you do not believe, how can you believe if I tell you heavenly things?”

Pray for a growth of belief, trust, and faith in Jesus. Ask for an increase in willingness to understand and further wisdom.

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Saint of the Day

St. Catherine of Siena: 1347 – 1380

“He who follows Him, walks in the Truth, and in Life, because he who follows this Truth receives the life of grace, and cannot faint from hunger, because the Truth has become your food, nor fall in the darkness, because He is light with any falsehood.” The Dialogue of St. Catherine of Siena, A Treatise of Discretion