I saw you

“How do you know me?” Nathanael asked.  Jesus answered, “I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philiip called you.” John 1:48

What a great image.  Nathanael under the fig tree, wondering, pondering, praying.  I wonder what was going on in his mind.  Was he crying out to God for something more in his life?  Was he frustrated because he always felt that he was supposed to be part of something special and yet here he sat in this little town under a tree.  Maybe it wasn’t like that at all.  Maybe he was completely in awe of God at that moment basking in his creation and singing the Psalms.  One thing that is for sure is that whatever was in his Spirit caught Jesus’ eye.  Jesus declared, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Jn 1:47.

These two verses speak to me.

First, I need to spend more time under a tree. Not literally, but I need more time in the solitude of God’s creation praying, seeking and pondering.  Preparing myself for the time when Jesus comes calling for me to act.

Second, I want to live a life worthy of Jesus desiring to use me.  If you were to walk up to Jesus, what would his description of you be?  I tremble to think about what he would tell the disciples about me as I walked up.  How incredible that Jesus said that he “saw” him.  Not that the vision was that incredible but that Nat was worthy of being seen!

Finally, be ready.  Don’t waste the time under the tree.  Once it is your time to get up.  Get up and get to work.  Sometimes we get comfortable under the tree (and why not it’s comfy!).  However, as much as we need time to ponder and pray…we were made to follow and obey.

I don’t have a lot of fig trees where I live, but I have a beautiful live oak outside my office and the ocean fifteen minutes away. That is where I spend my time praying and pondering and preparing for the call of Jesus to say follow me.

Where is your fig tree?