Can Any Good Thing Come Out of This?

John 1:45-46 - Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph. And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

In Jesus' day, we would consider Nazareth to be a 'hick town,' or 'just a slick spot in the road.' It is situated at base of the mountain range that connects to the Valley of Jezreel. It was, what archeologists have called, 'an agricultural village of about two dozen families.' Most Judeans did not even know where it was. They had to, first, explain how to get to the town where the prophet Jonah was born and ask the folks there how to get to Nazareth. It was so obscure, that when Pontius Pilate hung the sign "Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews" historians say he meant, " The King of the Jews is Jesus from Nowhere." Nathanael was from the town of Cana which was not too far away from Nazareth. So, as a citizen of a neighboring town, he was probably qualified to ask the question, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?"

As committed Christians, all of us will have 'Nazareth experiences' from time to time. We trust God that He is 'leading us in paths of righteousnes.' We believe that 'all things work together for good.' But sometimes, we find ourselves surrounded by circumstances that would lead us to question, "Can any good thing ever come out of this situation." The blessings aren't flowing like they have at times. Our financial situation isn't the 'open the doors of Heaven and pour you out a blessing that you don't have room enough to receive.' Instead, we're searching the sofa to piece together the gas money to get back and forth to work. The life of peace and joy promised to us seems to have turned int a dry wilderness filled with rough spots. And our precious Christian friends don't help us very much. They see us going through these less than shouting times and give us that "Which sin did you commit?" look. They are, also, sweet and kind enough to go spend their time on the other side of the church with folks that are walking in the 'blessings.'

Green Cove Springs, Florida used to have a Navy base in it. In the 50's, that base was billed as "The World's Largest Mothball Fleet." It brougt a lot of business and prosperity to Green Cove. However, in the 60's, the base was closed. Businesses left. People moved closer to Jacksonville to work and live. Green Cove became just a spot on Highway 17 between Palatka and Jacksonville. As a matter of fact, several of us kinfolk moved away because of jobs or just to move away. There was not much reason to go to Green Cove Springs except for the fact that a lot of my relatives still lived there.

But for me and these other kinfolk, there was one of the greatest reasons for us to return to this spot in the road. We would make that journey to this place to see Nellie Hendricks, our grandmother. I can remember, as a three and four-year old child sitting by my grandmother at the original Assembly of God Church in Green Cove Springs. I sat with her because I loved her. That made me listen to the songs of Zion sung by a handful of spirit-filled saints. Back then there was an old upright piano but no one to play it. Every now and then Bro. Sapp's son Everett would bring his guitar. Sitting by my grandmother, I heard Bro. Henry Harry Sapp preach the Word of God straight from Heaven itself. I came to know Jesus and learned to worship Him while sitting with my grandmother. I would always come back to this washed-up little town not to just come to the town. I came to see my grandmother.

Nathanael asked Phillip, "Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?" Phillip answered, "Come and see." His answer was not to come and see the town, but come and see Jesus. Don't let the 'Nazareth experiences' that we all walk through blind your faith. It is through these experiences that we need to look at Jesus instead of the circumstances. If you are trusting Him to guide you every day and you wake up in Nazareth, there is something good there. It's Him. Away from the bright lights, the glitz and the glamour, great relationships can be found if we look to Him. The sweetness and grace of life can be found if we look to Him. Strength and courage for the next battle can be found. Uncanny wisdom can be learned by looking to Him. Yes, there are many great things that can come from 'Nazareth experiences,' but they all start by looking to Jesus and not the circumstances.

What you learn and experience when you find Jesus in Nazareth will prepare you for the rest of your journey. It will leave pleasant memories in your soul. There will be times, during our journeys when we will see 'Nazareth' on the horizon again. This time, instead of cringing, our hearts will cry out to us----I'm going to see Jesus there. Every time I made that long trip from Tennesse to Green Cove Springs, Florida, my heart would say, "But, I'll get to see Grandma again." That reward made the trip more than worth it.