Thursday, April 23, 2026
Alex Buabeng-Korsah
TOPIC: DON'T RESIST WHAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND
THEME SCRIPTURE: “You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’” — John 3:7
PREPARATORY QUESTION
- When God challenges your expectations, do you lean in or pull back?
Jesus addresses Nicodemus’ confusion directly: “Do not be surprised.” It is a gentle correction, but also a necessary one. Nicodemus’ struggle is not just a misunderstanding—it is a misplaced expectation. He assumed that spiritual truth should fit within the boundaries of his present understanding.
We often carry similar assumptions. We expect God to work in ways that feel predictable, reasonable, natural, and manageable. When He doesn’t, our first response is not always openness— it can be resistance disguised as hesitation.
Jesus’ statement reframes the moment. The issue is not that His teaching is unclear, but that Nicodemus is trying to contain it within familiar limits. Being “born again” is not meant to feel intuitive or obvious. It disrupts natural thinking because it introduces a reality shaped by God, not by human expectation.
Nicodemus marveled, and Jesus told him not to, when he heard that he must be born again. Surprise, in this sense, reveals where your framework is too small. It exposes the gap between what you assume is possible and what God is actually doing. The danger is not in being surprised— it is in allowing that surprise to harden into quiet resistance.
There are times when God will lead you in ways that do not align with your prior understanding. He may call for a shift in direction, a deeper surrender, or a level of trust that feels unfamiliar. The instinct to hesitate is natural, but it should not become final.
Jesus does not remove the mystery; He invites Nicodemus to move beyond it. The same invitation stands for you. You are not required to fully understand before you respond—but you are called to remain open to God and His ways.
Key Takeaway
Spiritual growth requires openness to what challenges your expectations, not just what confirms them.
Finally, beloved, understand this: growth often begins at the edge of what feels unfamiliar. If you insist on staying only within what makes sense, you may miss what God is trying to form in you today. Trusting God in the terrain of the unfamiliar is your sure way of ensuring growth in your walk with God.
Remain blessed.
FURTHER READING: John 3
Call to Salvation: Today is your day if you have not received salvation by turning over your life to Jesus Christ. Click here to do so.
QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU MEDITATE ON THE WORD
- What expectations about God might be limiting your openness to Him?
- How do you usually respond when something feels unfamiliar or uncomfortable spiritually?
- Where might God be asking you to trust beyond what you understand?
PRAYER
God, when Your ways challenge my expectations, help me not to resist. Teach me to remain open even when I feel uncertain. Expand my understanding and soften my instincts to pull back. Give me the willingness to follow You beyond what is familiar, trusting that You are leading me into truth. In Jesus's precious name, Amen.
One-Year Reading Plan
Psalm 85, Job 22
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