“For I was hungered, and ye gave me meat. I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.”
Isn't it amazing how we can go through days, weeks, and maybe even months without learning something new about Jesus; and we are content? Doesn’t that bother us? (This has been pinching at my soul for awhile). How can I truly grow in Christ if I have no desire to learn about Him?
There may be some of us, right now, getting ready to flip the “off” switch on one more of these irritating weekly diatribes because they are of little use to us, and take time away from other activities. I truly understand. I know that words can be a real pain in the neck, especially if we have to slow down to think them through; BUT THERE IS A LARGER ISSUE AT HAND... ONE THAT TOUCHES THE VERY HEART OF GOD.
“Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we Thee and hungered, and fed Thee? Or thirsty, and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee a stranger, and took Thee in? Or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee?”
There is a song that says “I want that mountain, I want that mountain, where the milk and honey flow, where the grapes of Eshcol grow” … it tries to sound out the desires of a Kingdom minded saint. It attempts to bring a challenge of a joyful response to obediently going in to claim the victory of the promised land. Jesus doesn't negate this desire in the coming of His Kingdom, but tries to have his followers refocus their desires from “stuff” to “people”… via a “faith as a grain of mustard seed” that tells mountains to remove (found in Matthew 17).
There is a “mountain” of self fulfilling desires that gets in the way of our seeing the eternal value of people. This mountain can begin to move. As His Word quickens us, we can begin saying “Walk away mountain of my desire” and “be positioned for the service of others!”. Since Jesus died for “people” and not for “stuff”, we should remove our focus from our planned path of progress, and begin seeing people for what they really are... Souls who will spend eternity in either Heaven (by faith in Christ) or in Hell (by ignoring or rejecting Him). They need to know that Christ alone died and arose for them, and that He alone is coming again for them. In the mean time He wants them to know His love for them ... through us (For without Him they are lost).
“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Insomuch as ye have done unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Matthew 25:35-40
Pray for strength for Amy's tender heart(and her son Jacob) as she administers chemo to cancer patients; for Ashley, a young realtor, as she is trying to get back to fellowship though wounded by “church leaders”; for Jo, whose 41 year old son/husband/father of 3 remains in a coma since an accident in January; for Bill's integrity as a Deputy Chief/ firefighter in a large city ; for Bob as he has no use for Jesus because of historical scars blamed on God; for Henry as he heads home for a little rest with his two dogs (as a first year college athlete trying to find his place in the world). You don't know these people and neither do I, except for the moment that God pulled me aside to spend with them this week. He gave me the opportunity to to break with them and share the love of Christ. Stop and pray for them ... they need Jesus, just as we all need Jesus.
Oh, if only we would open our eyes and our hearts to all the opportunities ... to connect people around us to the heart of our loving God; then the mountain of self desire would move, and the daily desire to know Him would grow stronger.
“O that there were such an heart in them...” Deut. 5:29
HLFA,
Jeff