My daughter walks into the kitchen almost every morning and asks, “Can I have some breakfast?” This is her home. It’s breakfast time. She is old enough and capable enough to fix food on her own. There is even food in the kitchen. And yet, she asks this question almost daily.
After she asked it this morning, I thought about the words Jesus told us to pray to our Father in heaven, “Give us this day our daily bread.”
Jesus told us to look to the Father as our faithful Provider. He will supply all of our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. (Per Phil. 4:19)
We don’t have to worry or fret about our physical needs. In fact, Jesus specifically told us not to. We are God’s image-bearers. He will care for our physical needs so that we can pursue needs higher than those.
We just have to ask Him to provide for those physical needs, be grateful for and content with what He gives us, and be willing to move on and pursue the higher calling ahead of us. Our lives are about more than food and clothing. There is a much higher calling placed upon each of us.
“He departed from there by boat to a deserted place by Himself.” Mt. 14:13
Something in ministry that we all worry about it being available to the people. We should be, but we must remember that need to be refreshed, as well. If we are modeling our lives after Jesus, then let’s model this part of our lives after Him, as well.
Even Jesus would separate Himself for times of emotional recharging (as in the verse above), or times of prayer. That ensured that when He would come back to the people He would have something to give them besides a frazzled, “I’m hanging on by a thread and just barely getting things done”, exhausted, Lord who is only giving them pieces of Himself; or a Lord who hasn’t prayed in 3 days because He hasn’t found the time.
Throughout the gospels you will find Scriptures that show Christ getting away by Himself, or getting away with those closest to Him…away from the multitudes…just to recharge and refocus. See Mt. 17 when He took Peter, James, and John up on the mountain. It was just the 4 of them and they went for 1 special reason. Not everyone was invited to this. Not all 12 disciples, not the whole crowd; and Jesus didn’t just go alone for this one. These were the ones He needed to be with.
It is ok for us to put our phones away for an hour or 2 (get away from the multitude), go off with our certain one or few for something special (or nothing special), or spend time alone recharging so that when we come back we have more to give in our ministries.
Each time Jesus came back from one of those times, the multitudes were waiting and there was work to do. He had compassion on them and got to work, but He was refueled and ready. The work of ministry (and life) will never end, so we must take care to carve out those times of ‘departing’ on our own. No one else can do that for us…no one will.
Let’s be like Jesus and depart from multitude before it gets out of hand. Schedule it if you need to. Refocus, recharge, and come back recharged and ready for ministry…just like Jesus did.
And when He went out He saw a great multitude; and He was moved with great compassion for them…
Pr. 4:18: But the path of the just is like the shining sun, that shines ever brighter unto the perfect day.
If we want our paths to be made clearer, so that we know which direction to go, it is possible. If we seek for our paths to be increasingly brighter, it can happen.
I recall the days of my youth, and even days not so many years ago, when I was increasingly restless, always uncertain about what I should do or what God’s will was for me. It seemed that I was always searching for direction.
Those who are “just” are those on whom justice has been assigned, through the righteousness of Christ. It was through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, that we are made just.
Once we accept Him and begin consistently turning to Him as our source of direction, we will find our path. As this scripture tells us, that path will then begin to shine ever brighter as we continue to look to Him for that direction.
We won’t get the answers we need anywhere else but in Him and His Word.
If your path has been growing dim lately, look to Him. If it has become overgrown, reach out for Him. If you’ve lost the path altogether, call out for Him! He is there!
“Jesus said to them, ‘My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work.'” John 4:34
I was reading about courage this morning: Courage being the act of doing what you are afraid to do.
It occurred to me that I most often hear people (including myself) express fear about doing God’s work. People aren’t as hesitant to go back to school, move to a new state for work, go skydiving, or start a new business as they are to begin a new ministry, teach Sunday school, sing on the praise team, or speak from the pulpit. Forget moving to another country to minister in missions…that is almost incomprehensible.
Why in the world are we more afraid to do the work of the One who is our Provider than to do ordinary things? Why are we more willing to commit to the PTA than to helping in the nursery at church just once a quarter?
Is it possible that we are feeding on the wrong things? Jesus’ food was to do the will of the One who sent Him, and we have been sent by that same God.
When the Lord lays some new work on our heart, here are some helpful things we will need to have been feeding on:
God has commissioned all of his followers to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” (Mt. 28:19) This is our job.
God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. (Ph. 4:19)
God has already sent pastors and teachers to equip us for the work of the ministry (Eph. 4:11-12) We are ready.
We’re invited to come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb. 4:16) We are not alone.
And finally, if we our obedient and choose to give in to God’s leading, trusting that He will take care of our needs, we can be certain He will meet them as He said because Heb. 5:18 reminds us that, “It is impossible for God to lie.”
Karl Bath said, “Courage is fear that has said it’s prayers.” I can’t think of a better way for us to take on our fears.
If the Lord lays a work on our hearts, it’s ok to be afraid. Moses was afraid. Joshua was afraid. Gideon was afraid, too. However, we need to take our fears to God’s throne of grace and receive the help He has waiting there for us.
Don’t we know that the One who created the heavens and the earth, owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and holds this world in His hand…that same One can certainly help us teach a class, preach a sermon, sing a song, minister to the sick, or any other thing He has asked us to do?
He has given us His Word so that we will be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Tim. 3:17) If we are feeding on the right things, then we have all we need.
“Cease listening to instruction, my son, and you will stray away from the words of knowledge.” Pr. 19:27
In Mark 1:16-20, Jesus told Simon and Andrew to follow Him. He also called to James and John, sons of Zebedee, who left their father and went after Jesus. How convincing must Jesus have sounded to these men? Seriously. They were at work, doing their jobs, making money, and this stranger speaks to them and they just leave it all and follow him. That’s out of the ordinary.
After they went into Capernaum, Jesus taught in the temple and spoke “as one having authority.” A man with an unclean spirit then approached Him, and Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be quiet, and come out of him!” The spirit came out of the man.
They left the synagogue and went to Simon’s house. His mother was sick, so Jesus took her by the hand, lifted her up and her fever immediately left her. That night, the whole city was gathered together at the door of Simon’s house, where Jesus healed their diseases and cast out demons. He wouldn’t allow the demons to speak.
A leper later came to Jesus to see if He was willing to heal him. As soon as Jesus spoke the words, “I am willing; be cleansed,” the leprosy left the man.
Have you seen the same pattern I’m seeing? Jesus’ authority is undeniable. He spoke to strangers, and they gave up everything for Him. He spoke to demons and they obeyed. He spoke to sickness and it left.
What is He speaking to You right now? Another pattern I’ve noticed is that we tend to try to resist the Lord’s instructions to us. When the Holy Spirit prompts us to do something we hesitate, we debate, we put it off. We’re afraid to obey for various reasons. Why?
Have we given something or someone else more authority in our lives? Jesus’ authority is undeniable in Mark. He still has the same authority today. He does not change. The only thing that changes is us. We stray.
How sad that even the demons obeyed Jesus, and yet we try to ignore or debate with Him.
When the Lord speaks to You, listen. He has the power to make things happen. All He needs us to do is be willing to be part of His plan. When we obey the Lord, the outcome is up to Him. Don’t put Him off any longer.
In fact, may I be so bold to say, let’s be better than the demons, and ask Him in advance to speak to us. And when He does, let’s simply obey.
And when Jesus was in Bethany at the house of Simon the leper, a woman came to Him having an alabaster flask of very costly fragrant oil, and she poured it on His head as He sat at the table. But when His disciples saw it, they were indignant, saying, “Why this waste? For this fragrant oil might have been sold for much and given to the poor.” Mt. 26:6-9
This familiar passage spoke something new to me this morning. Sometimes, the acts we feel led to do for the Lord do not make sense to others around us.
Perhaps we choose to fast at an “inopportune” time. Maybe we worked in the nursery 4 Sundays in a row, while others had the opportunity to worship in service. It could be that we chose to drive far out of our way to stop by and visit someone who needed to see a friendly face.
The examples could go on and on, but the principle remains. Not everything we personally choose to do for the Lord will viewed in a beautiful light by others around us. We may even be criticized for our sacrifice.
Let me remind you what Jesus thinks about it: “Why do you trouble this woman? For she has done a good work for Me.” Vs. 10
Not everything we do has to meet with the standards of others…even if they are fellow followers. If we feel a nudging to do a work in the Lord’s name, then we are pleasing the only One who matters.
Keep on, friend. You are pleasing the One who is worth the sacrifice, and that is truly all that matters.
Pr. 18:16: “A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.”
While we wait on the Lord’s return we have work to do. We can never forget that ultimately, the work we are called to do is to spread the message of Jesus Christ. God is depending on us to point others to Him.
I was reading the parable of the talents in Mathew 25 this morning. It reminded me that God has entrusted us with resources that He expects us to use to multiply the kingdom. He did not give us resources and salvation so that we can sit comfortably in our happy place and keep it all to ourselves. He expects us to put those resources to work.
That work will look different in a lot of lives. We have all been given different resources so that we can reach a wide range of people. Some will be preachers and pastors. Some will be missionaries in a foreign land. Others will minister to people in prison. Levites will lead the way with music ministry, bringing others into the presence of the Lord.
Others, however, may look more like a mother talking to her children about the Lord day after day, reminding them of God’s love and provision. Some will hand out food in their community, or spread God’s love to those around them by simple actions of kindness or charity. I have watched my own mother approach a cash register to simply purchase a shirt, and before we walked away, both she and the cashier were in tears, hugging and praising God. It could look like that.
Perhaps it’s a Sunday school teacher, faithfully teaching Sunday after Sunday, feeding adults or children with the Word of God. It could be a nursery worker, caring lovingly for a helpless baby while it’s parents are being ministered to. Sometimes it’s a miraculous offering of forgiveness that can only be explained as a gift from God. It could even be a financial giving of resources.
God expects us to use our resources for His kingdom. In the parable of the talents, the man who had given the talents to his servants returned to find out what had been done with them. There was 1 servant who had buried and hid his talent until the master returned. The master was disappointed that the servant had not done anything with it.
One day, Jesus will return. He will look to see how we have used our resources for His kingdom, and He will expect to see some sort of return. We cannot hide our resources or His love away. Others are counting on us. And our work will please the Master.
Pr. 24:10: “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.”
I never thought I’d include this verse in my blog because, quite frankly, I’ve never liked it. Having faced unexplainable adversity in my health for almost 4 years, there have definitely been times when my strength was small and times when I have all but fainted. Each time I have read this verse I have thought about those times.
This morning, however, the Lord has encouraged me through this verse. Even though there have been moments when I have wanted to give up, I never actually did. God brought me through those times with a hope only found in Him. Even when my strength was at its weakest, the Lord’s strength brought me through. With His help, I still continue going forward, doing what I can.
In reading this verse, I have judged myself a bit harshly over these 4 years, remembering only my weaker moments, and comparing myself to others who are much stronger than I. However, the fact of the matter is that my day of adversity is not yet over, and I have not fainted.
My strength comes from the Lord. My hope is in Him. My courage lies in knowing that He who began a good work in me will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ.
My life may not look like that of others, or the way I expected that it should, but my day is not done. While I am still here, there is work for me to do. The work I am able to do is much less glamorous than perhaps I thought it would be, but I believe that facing this adversity in my life qualifies me to complete a work meant only for me.
It is time for me to truly believe my day is not yet over. Until it is, I will continue bringing glory to my God in whatever ways I can manage. I will continue to take courage in the fact that my God is for me, and stop believing I have fainted too many times go on.
My strength is definitely not small, for it comes from the Lord, in whom all things are possible.
If you feel yourself fainting, be encouraged. The day is not yet over, and the Lord is on your side! It is in Him that we live and move and have our being. He is our Rock and our Salvation. He is our Defense. He is our Refuge and our Strength. He orders our steps and upholds us with His hand. He does not forsake His children. Keep moving forward…with Him.
Strengthened by Him alone,
jamie
This blog is dedicated to Larry Jackson, who definitely got this right!
Me speaking to Larry hours before he went to heaven. See that smile? He allowed God to use him to the very end.
1 Cor. 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
As I logged in on my computer to begin my blog this morning, the headlines caught my eye. I realized that there is no better time for this verse to be recalled.
Death and it’s sting, sin, will be destroyed. That is a fact. We have victory through our Lord Jesus Christ! Therefore…knowing that our labor is not in vain in the Lord, we can continue until He returns.
When you start to find yourself wearing down and you feel like yielding or wavering, remember this verse and stand fast in the promise that your work in the Lord is never done in vain.
Keep going! When that trumpet sounds the fruits of your labor will reveal how worthwhile it all was.
This morning I read 1 Cor. 4, where Paul is talking about the apostles being fools for Christ’s sake. Vs. 12 says, “And we labor, working with our hands. Being reviled, we bless; being persecuted, we endure; being defamed, we entreat.”
I’ve been reading a lot about martyr’s lately, both past and present. Because of this, it was so striking for me this morning to think about Paul’s words. These aren’t just words on a page. These are the true thoughts and facts about a human being’s life.
The apostles were truly reviled. They were left homeless and poorly clothed, spat upon, and condemned, and yet they continued to bless. For God’s sake, they continued to bless and offer the saving truths of the gospel of Christ.
The apostles were actually persecuted. They were beaten, threatened, jailed, and killed, and yet they endured. Looking forward to the reward of serving Jesus Christ, they were able to continue to pour out to as many as possible until the very end.
The apostles were defamed. They were falsely accused and imprisoned time and time again, and yet they continued to entreat those around them to accept Jesus as their Savior. They continued to speak the gospel, even in the presence of their accusers, so that anyone whose heart may be open to hear would receive salvation full and free.
I think of the bad days I have, when I can’t get my eyes off of myself. I think of the times I’ve been hurt, when I’ve allowed my pain to shut me down. Then, I look at what so many have gone and are going through for the cause of Christ and I know that I still need to mature.
The apostles were the ultimate example of doing all things to the glory of God.
While our individual talents, gifts, and callings may be a little different in description, we are all part of the body working towards the same goal: to preach Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
In Christ, we have so much to offer those around us. Even if the time comes when, like the apostles, we are looked upon as fools, it will have been worth it. There is a great reward awaiting us and those who believe because of our own endurance.
We cannot keep God’s grace and His gifts all for ourselves. They were meant to be shared. His sacrifice makes our own sacrifices worth the price.
The song I’ve attached today reminds me that instead of wasting my time on things that don’t matter, I can give everything in my life for Him. He’s worth it!
These are the random ruminations of a man on the run. The goal is to run this race of life well, encouraging as many as I can along the way, and to eventually meet my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and thank Him for the trip. (I am also prone to shamelessly brag on my perfect grandchildren.)
considering the word 