skip to main |
skip to sidebar
Ever had the Lord ask you to do something embarrassing? Mary and Martha did. Their brother, Lazarus had died. Jesus showed up four days later. They knew if He had been there, their brother would not have died. He wept (remember, shortest verse in the Bible - John 11:35) . We don't really know why He cried, some say out of compassion for the grief of the sisters. Maybe so for a few scriptures later it records He was deeply sighing and disquieted as He neared the tomb where they laid Lazarus. But then He gives this command,
...Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of the dead man, exclaimed, But Lord, by this time he [is decaying and] throws off an offensive odor, for he has been dead four days! Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you and promise you that if you would believe and rely on Me, you would see the glory of God?" John 11: 39-40 AMPLIFIED
Okay, I'm just sure I would have exclaimed also! I really love the way the King James version records, Lord, He stinketh! And I bet he did, remember that is kind of desert region over there? Perfume doesn't work that long!
But Mary and Martha finally did what He asked and the rest of the story was the biggest miracle Jesus had performed up until that time - Lazarus was brought back to life!!
Wonder what is waiting out there for me because I won't do the seemingly silly, embarrassing, unthinkable, distasteful thing Jesus is asking me to do? Is He asking me to turn around and help someone, pick up clothes off the sales floor that I didn't let drop (not my job, Lord, besides, it's job security for someone else), ask someone to church, tell someone about Him, go where I don't want to go, do what I don't want to do, and on and on it goes. Yeah, and I complain right along with Martha, you know, trying to tell the Creator of the Universe, what He already knows? Talk about silly.
Lord Jesus,
I praise You for knowing all things. Thank You that nothing is silly or wasted in Your kingdom. Thank You that Your timing is always right on time. You are never late; You are never early. Forgive me for fretting, fuming, spewing, worrying and making excuses. I pray for the boldness to be obedient while I am waiting on my huge miracle!
I love it when Jesus describes Himself as a Shepherd. I can feel Him lifting me in His arms and gently carrying me away from danger. Prayerfully, I don't continue to rebel to the point He has to break my leg!
As I was reading about the Shepherd in John 10, I was compelled to contemplate about verses 4-5:
When He has brought His own sheep outside, He walks on before them, and the sheep follow Him because they know His voice. They will never [on any account] follow a stranger, but will run away from him because they do not know the voice of strangers or recognize their call. (Amplified)
It saddened me to know that many times I have listened to the "stranger," the very enemy of my soul and the enemy of all who are God's own sheep. However, I do rejoice that the longer I serve the Shepherd, the more I recognize His voice and direction.
But the part that struck me was "...will run away from him..." Do I really "run" when I hear the enemy's voice, direction, lies, etc. or do I take a few moments to contemplate, debate.... Wow! You know it brings to mind that other scripture, "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7 NIV)
So... I should be running from the stranger, submitting to God, then the stranger will run from me - WOO HOO!! I'm putting on my running shoes because...
The thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have and enjoy life and have it in abundance (to the full, till it overflows). John 10:10, AMP
Lord Jesus,
Thank You that You are indeed the wise, compassionate Shepherd. Thank You that I can trust You to act only for my good. Please forgive me for listening to the stranger, the enemy of my soul, who only works for my defeat. May I rejoice in, love and cling to Your voice in every situation remembering that there is NO darkness in You, ever.
There are times I just don't understand God, DUH! Times I just don't see His hand moving...like when some Godly men I've known are taken from this life so early...the most recent was Mike Blaylock, a friend of ours who worked for the University of Mobile. He was dearly loved by his family, work associates and students. He had such a ministry of encouragement. He was the former chaplain for the Kansas City Royals and author of The Right Way to Win. After several years of battling cancer, Mike recently went home to be with the LORD. Same with my beloved pastor, Dr. Ivo Livingston, my children's principal and coach, Tandy Gerald, our wonderful friend, D.L. Crain, and our dear friend and fellow pastor, Bill Trapp. I just don't understand when I think they needed to touch so many more lives....
The Disciples were faced with some difficult decisions, too...like trying to trust Jesus when He was talking about eating His flesh and drinking His blood (John 6:56). Of course, we realize He was speaking symbolically now, but then, many just could not understand this bloody talking. In fact, the scriptures record later in this passage that many fell away from following Him. At that point the Master asked the Disciples, "Will you also go away?" Then comes mouthy Peter (I can SO identify with that man!) declaring, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life." But it is the next statement that spoke to me today...
And we have learned to believe and trust, and [more] we have come to know [surely] that You are the Holy One of God, the Christ (the Anointed One), the Son of the living God. John 6:69 Amplified Version
The Disciples did not understand this talk of Jesus' but as Peter stated, they had learned to trust and believe in Him...so I take comfort in that. If they walked with Jesus day by day and still had areas in which they had to just trust, then I can learn to trust even when I don't understand...some things are just too hard for me...
Thank You, LORD, that You are higher and nobler and righter and wiser and more than anything I am...thank You that You are so worthy of my worship and adoration. Thank You for allowing these men to touch me and the lives of those I love; I pray their witness and influence will continue throughout the ages. When I don't understand, LORD, I will choose to leave that with You and just trust.
The LORD has been impressing upon me lately about waste...of time, resources, energy, food, money, love, etc. Remember the feeding of the 5000+ in John 6...after everyone was full, this is what Jesus had to say...
When they had all had enough, He said to His disciples, "Gather up now the fragments (the broken pieces that are left over), so that nothing may be lost or wasted." John 6:12 (AMP)
Well, I've heard a few sermons on this - there were 12 small baskets of leftovers, maybe one for each disciple - talk about your "hands on" lesson that the LORD is truly sufficient.
But what Jesus said about nothing being lost or wasted has prompted me to take an account of how much I waste each day...
- time, like continuing to lie in the bed when I am really awake or staying on the Internet too long or watching lots of cooking shows when I don't really cook that much...
- resources, like letting the water run while I brush my teeth
- food, like by simply eating more than I need (Ouch, Lord!) or letting food spoil in the frig instead of making a diligent effort to use it
- money, like eating out too much or not making my trips to town be efficient
- energy, um maybe I don't waste energy since I don't exert much :(
- love b/c I don't remember that people are more important than things
You get the idea. Now, I don't want to become obsessed with not wasting but I do want to get the message. Maybe we in America have simply wasted too much for too long. Maybe we need to take an account of how much we can save instead of "wasting away."
