1 Corinthians 13 (Please click on reference to read text, just for refreshment)
We learn in 1 John 4:8 that perfect love drives out all fear. I think we would all agree that 1 Corinthians describes perfect love. I have often read this passage longing to be able to pour out this perfect love to those around me, however, I often fall short. Only Christ and His love for us is truly and consistently perfect. The love of my Father was a lesson I learned intimately this week.
I found myself at my Dad's graveside kneeling before the Lord pouring out my heart on behalf of my family. We had received very troubling news and I was beseeching the Lord to show mercy and reveal the movements of His hand mightily to my family. I sat praising Him for His sovereignty, asking for His will, asking Him to change the hearts of His children to mold us into His will and image. When I was finished, a well of tears later, I sat and looked at my Dad's grave and I thought, you know, six months ago he would have been praying with me and claiming scriptures for our behalf. I lifted up a quick prayer that the Holy Spirit would intercede on my behalf, when my Heavenly Father reminded me of a very important truth.
Hebrews 4 teaches us that Jesus Christ, the very son of God, is our great high priest. He understands our trials, and because of this, we can approach the throne of grace with confidence to receive mercy in our time of need. What better intercessor can we ask for than the very son of God?
Our flesh often forgets about the spiritual realm and only focuses on what we can see. My eye sees a missing piece of someone who used to pray very powerfully over me that is no longer here. However, in reality, now I can, and always should have, turn to Jesus Christ to pray with great authority over me.
Maybe you have forgotten too. Maybe you feel like you are all alone and that there is no one left who loves you, who would pray for you, you can claim spiritual authority over you. You are not alone. THE great high priest is interceding on your behalf. The great high priest loves you perfectly. Your Father in Heaven loves you patiently, is kind to you, is not jealous of your successes (He gave them to you!), he is not rude or self seeking. He is not easily angered and He keeps no record of wrongs. His love always protects you, always trusts you, always hopes in you, and never gives up on you.
That is the love of your Heavenly Father. That is the love of my Heavenly Father. I praise the Lord that in my case, I have a precious husband who prays for me and with me. However, I am glad I am learning at an early age, to not place my dependence and security on those around me, but only on Christ. No matter where you find yourself as you read this, know this:
"How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" 1 John 3:1
You have a Father who loves you perfectly. Stop fighting and fall into His loving arms!
Saturday, July 31, 2010
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
A Little Oil in the Hands of God...
1 Kings 17:1-16 (Click on reference to read text)
Paul, Peter, Stephen, Deborah, Esther, Ruth, Timothy... all great names of men and women who were used by God in mighty ways. I don't think any of us would question whether their life was a waste. We would all say that they fulfilled the great purpose of God and lived a life pleasing to Him. However, that often leads us to ask, what about me? God has not used me to plant churches all over the world, stand up and preach to thousands, save a nation, etc. I am just a girl from the South, raising two kids, helping my husband, and trying to plant His Word in my home. Will I ever measure up? Why don't we ask that same question to a little widow that was just trying to keep her child from starving.
The widow of Zarephath was literally doing all she could to simply keep her child and herself alive. That is all we know of her, until Elijah shows up at her door. He didn't ask her to face the prophets of Baal or try to talk some sense into Queen Jezebel. No, he asked her for a piece of bread and some water. However, he asked her for all she had. She replies to Elijah, "As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar... that I may prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die" (vs. 12). We then see her "go and do according to the word of Elijah"(vs.15).
Her purpose, feed the man of God. Help him so that he could continue on His way. Was God pleased with her? YES! We try so hard to invent these mighty schemes to serve the Lord. We justify our purpose with measurements of human standard (amount of people who came, number of converts, etc). However, God is not asking us for our ideas of what it means to serve Him. God is asking us to obey his voice when He calls. Like the widow, our obedience could directly influence what God wants to do in someone elses's life. Just as God used what the little widow had to further His purpose, He can use the little you have to do the same.
The neat thing about our Heavenly Father is that when we walk in His will, He will provide. Verse 16 tells us that her little bowl of flour "was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah." Through this miracle and her obedience she received more than the blessing of food for herself and her child. She learned that day that trusting obedience to God and His Word leads to life. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, she too learned that bread sustains life but doesn't guarantee life, only God can do that. That lesson is priceless.
She may have just been a little widow that gave a loaf of bread, but her life was not a waste. A life of obedience is never a waste. Maybe God wants to use you or me in a way that we could not even imagine. Maybe one day I will have the opportunity to speak to thousands, go throughout the world and preach the good news, or maybe I will feed those who are already preaching and pray for those who are already serving. I do know one thing, God wants me to use what I have for Him. He wants me to obey Him in everything... Even if it means giving a loaf of bread.
Paul, Peter, Stephen, Deborah, Esther, Ruth, Timothy... all great names of men and women who were used by God in mighty ways. I don't think any of us would question whether their life was a waste. We would all say that they fulfilled the great purpose of God and lived a life pleasing to Him. However, that often leads us to ask, what about me? God has not used me to plant churches all over the world, stand up and preach to thousands, save a nation, etc. I am just a girl from the South, raising two kids, helping my husband, and trying to plant His Word in my home. Will I ever measure up? Why don't we ask that same question to a little widow that was just trying to keep her child from starving.
The widow of Zarephath was literally doing all she could to simply keep her child and herself alive. That is all we know of her, until Elijah shows up at her door. He didn't ask her to face the prophets of Baal or try to talk some sense into Queen Jezebel. No, he asked her for a piece of bread and some water. However, he asked her for all she had. She replies to Elijah, "As the Lord your God lives, I have no bread, only a handful of flour in the bowl and a little oil in the jar... that I may prepare for me and my son, that we may eat it and die" (vs. 12). We then see her "go and do according to the word of Elijah"(vs.15).
Her purpose, feed the man of God. Help him so that he could continue on His way. Was God pleased with her? YES! We try so hard to invent these mighty schemes to serve the Lord. We justify our purpose with measurements of human standard (amount of people who came, number of converts, etc). However, God is not asking us for our ideas of what it means to serve Him. God is asking us to obey his voice when He calls. Like the widow, our obedience could directly influence what God wants to do in someone elses's life. Just as God used what the little widow had to further His purpose, He can use the little you have to do the same.
The neat thing about our Heavenly Father is that when we walk in His will, He will provide. Verse 16 tells us that her little bowl of flour "was not exhausted nor did the jar of oil become empty, according to the word of the Lord which He spoke through Elijah." Through this miracle and her obedience she received more than the blessing of food for herself and her child. She learned that day that trusting obedience to God and His Word leads to life. Like the Israelites in the wilderness, she too learned that bread sustains life but doesn't guarantee life, only God can do that. That lesson is priceless.
She may have just been a little widow that gave a loaf of bread, but her life was not a waste. A life of obedience is never a waste. Maybe God wants to use you or me in a way that we could not even imagine. Maybe one day I will have the opportunity to speak to thousands, go throughout the world and preach the good news, or maybe I will feed those who are already preaching and pray for those who are already serving. I do know one thing, God wants me to use what I have for Him. He wants me to obey Him in everything... Even if it means giving a loaf of bread.
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