hearing before seeing

devotions from Jefferson Vann # 2376

John 1:29-34

Joh 1:29 The next day John sees Jesus coming toward him and says, “Look, the Lamb of God, who is taking away the sin of the world!
Joh 1:30 He is the one I told you about: ‘After me comes a man who ranks ahead of me, because he existed before me.’
Joh 1:31 I didn’t know him, but I came baptizing with water so he might be revealed to Israel.”
Joh 1:32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him.
Joh 1:33 I didn’t know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on– he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
Joh 1:34 I have seen and have testified that he is the Son of God.”

hearing before seeing

John the Baptist testified that Jesus is the Son of God (34), the Lamb of God (29), empowered by the Holy Spirit (32-33), baptizes others with the Holy Spirit (33) and pre-existed his own birth (30). John had been in such a close relationship with God that the things he saw meant more to him than just what he saw. He had more information from his prayer closet, so what he saw merely supplemented what he knew.

LORD, help us to set aside time to hear from you, so that we can better understand the things that we see.