a child of god
this is the way, run in it
One of my favorite sub-stories of the birth of Jesus is the one about the shepherds, out in the fields at night tending their sheep. They are unnamed in the story. And yet they get to play an integral part in witnessing to the supernatural happenings that surrounded Jesus' birth. They are unimportant to people, but they are very important to God. We may not know their names, but God knows their names. I love that.
Today, reading in the Gospel of John, Chapter 2, I'm at the account of the wedding in Cana where Jesus displays His supernatural ability for the first time, the bible calls it "manifesting His glory" (v. 11). And I've just spotted another one of those instances where unnamed people, with lowly jobs, get the privilege of being the first to see the divine breaking into life on earth. It's the servants at the wedding! Jesus' Mother brings it to His attention that the party has run out of wine (surely a panic point at a party!), He demurs, and Mary His mother turns to the servants and says to them, "Whatever He says to you, do it!" (v. 5). The servants, of course, obey, and what happens? The bible says they knew - before anyone else did - that Jesus had created wine out of water! They got to be the first to witness the supernatural, to see Jesus performing a miracle, one that after the disciples found out what He did, they believed in Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God, sent to save God's people (v.11). I love that. God loves involving everyone but especially those that others might choose not to draw in. We may not know these servants' names, but God does. They got to be a part of Jesus' ministry on earth, the very start of it, and I wonder - did they choose to believe as well? We all have a choice to believe - to believe whether or not Jesus is who He says He is - the Son of God - the Way, the Truth, the Life - the only Way to the Father - the Savior of the world. And God cares about our choice, He knows our names, even pays attention to us when no one else does. I love how when I choose to spend time with Him, He graciously meets me with love and God light bulb moments in His word. What a great way to start today!
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Being brave. It's not something that is always easy. I find when God calls me to a task, or asks me to do something, and in particular, just recently, to lay something down, it feels hard/difficult. It requires courage. It requires faith.
What I love about this, though, is when we say, "Ok, God," He steps in and gives us the courage it takes. He makes me brave - there's a song out now about that, isn't there? And it's true. Joshua was encouraged by God to be brave; therefore, he must have needed that encouragement. He must have been finding it hard, difficult, to step out in faith with God. Joshua probably thought he had big shoes to fill - Moses' shoes! But Joshua did step out with God. And look what God did! In the book of Joshua, chapter 1, God encourages Joshua to be brave, "be strong and courageous!", 3 x in the first 9 verses. The Bible says this, "Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD (love that - that Moses even after he has died is still identified by his relationship with God) that the LORD spoke to Joshua, the son of Nun, Moses' servant (again, look at that identification - Joshua seen in correlation with Moses, and as someone who was faithful to serve Moses, just as Moses served God), saying, "Moses, My servant is dead; now, therefore, arise, cross this Jordan, you and all this people, to the land which I am giving to them, to the sons of Israel. Every place on which the sole of your foot treads, I have given it to you, just as I spoke to Moses. ...Just as I have been with Moses, I will be with you; I will not fail you or forsake you." So Joshua has the LORD God speaking to him, and promising to be with him and to not fail him or leave him hanging. God then goes on to say, "Be strong and courageous...Only be strong and very courageous; be careful to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may have success wherever you go ... then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have success." and the verse which we all love and many have memorized, verse 9, "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." And this is what I have found recently. It was a God appointed time for me to step down from being one of the leaders of our youth group at church, which I had been doing for 5 years. And it was a hard thing to do. I love them. I have prayed for them. I have served them, hopefully faithfully, for 5 years, alongside one of my best friends and the rest of the leaders in the team whom I love and enjoy working with, being with. But it was time. And so it happened, and they all went off together this summer to Soul Survivor, a Christian youth camp, and had a blast and grew in God together, and I didn't get to go. But, it was right. I could see this after the fact. I didn't have the physical strength to go, with a knee that isn't totally well yet. They, themselves, the youth group and the leaders, are going on together from here - and they got the time and space and God attention as a group that was just what they needed. And what about me? God surprised me - I love it when He does that. Some very fruitful prayer times happened, and I'm going to enjoy waiting and watching to see what God brings out of that! Two ministry opportunities were successfully accomplished by the grace of God - and it was right for me to have given myself to those. I learned more about dependency on God, and how He is really all I need, and how much I do need Him. I have learned that when God prompts me to do something, when He tells me to do something, it truly is the right thing to do. So even when it feels hard or difficult to do, I will do it because I know that God is faithful. He has promised to be with me, as He does for all His children, and He keeps His promises. Do I know what is next? No. Do I know the big picture in all its details? No. But I know Who does! Life with God is never boring! and infinitely worth it. I love living life with God! Whoo! You never know what is around the corner. I love that feeling of anticipation, wondering what God is going to do next, what He has for us to do today, what He's got in mind for He and I to do together.
Some endings are sad, painful, a bit of a let down. But other endings are exciting because they clear the way for something new to begin. Some endings are both. I've just finished two big God tasks, and I've just completed my read-through-the-bible program for the 4th time! Such a feeling of accomplishment. And I am now beginning to anticipate what God has for me next. I love that clear the decks feeling. It's also the beginning of a new season - autumn, a new school term - the Fall semester if you are American, the Autumn Term if you are British. All of those things bring new beginnings. So I am reminding myself that it is better to do one God task, than many man-made, man-devised/thought up, tasks. Paul Miller, a pastor friend, used to talk about it like this. Burnout comes from pursuing too many un-commanded works. When we are doing commanded works, God tasks that He gives us, even if we become tired it's not a burned out tiredness. That kind of tired where it seems almost impossible to drag ourselves out of comes from doing lots of things that other people ask us to do - even when they are good things! - or running ourselves ragged because we think we ought to, or should - which leaves us unable to respond to the commanded God tasks that God wants us to be doing - things He has created us and gifted us to do. I want to run my race well for Jesus! with Jesus! So I'm going to keep my eyes on Him and see what it is that He wants to do with me in this new season. I'm excited. Because life with Jesus is true life, spiritual life, satisfying soul life. Come join us. Reading in Job again today; I'm in Chapters 29 - 31 this morning. And Job describes his life with God - he's looking back at the past, when God's blessing was so abundant on him. And this is how he describes it, in verses 26-25: "When God watched over me, when His lamp shone over my head and by His light I walked through darkness. When the friendship of God was over my tent, when the Almighty was yet with me..." I find that incredibly beautiful and moving. Notice the repetition of God covering Job, that He watched over him, that He shone his lamp over his head, that it was by God's light shining over him that he could walk through darkness, and how the friendship of God was over his tent. That description of God's loving care, His shepherding - looking after, providing for, guiding and giving direction - of God's friendship and companionship with Job, is one we could all long for and delight in. "When God watched over me, when His lamp shone over my head and by His light I walked through darkness. When the friendship of God was over my tent, when the Almighty was yet with me..." When we choose God and enter into a relationship with Him as His children through faith in Jesus, the Son of God, as our Savior - when we do that, God delights to hover over us, to watch over us, to shine His lamp over our head, to help us walk through darkness by His light, to know that His friendship covers our home, to know that the Almighty God, the only true and living God, is with us all the time. And nothing is impossible for Him. He is God. What does it mean for you and for me today to belong to Him. Where do we need His light to shine? What path are we currently walking with Him where we need to feel His hand holding ours? He is with us. We do not need to fear. His love, His perfect love, casts out fear, through the darkest valley, and in the midst of blessing and plenty. So I say,
"God watches over me, His lamp shines over my head and by His light I walk through darkness. The friendship of God is over my home, and the Almighty is with me." Because I belong to Him through Jesus. Praise Him! |
Franci Ballwatching and working for the kingdom of God in Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham - UK Archives
January 2019
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