A small ray of sunlight found its way through the crack in the grate at the top of a broken cistern that had been converted into a prison cell. Days before the prophet had been lowered into the dank, cold, and unwelcome surroundings that was to be his reward for speaking the Truth of the LORD. "Thus saith the Lord" hit hard hearts provoking them the wrong way, and this wet hole in the ground would be his opportunity for ministry, and he would minister. What?
Beloved as he was, he was also perceived to be an arrogant witness to the Resurrection of Jesus, and therefore, an insurrectionist of worst kind; no threat on his life would silence him. Even boiling oil did not kill him ... so off to an abandoned island for the rest of his life, but when the day of the LORD arrived he worshipped as at other times... but in a choir of one. What?
Though she had rescued so many from the cruel capture, torture and death of so many of her people, she watched her life slipping away in a concentration camp, powerless to stop the death of her family. As a strange turn of events set her free ... Did she walk into freedom... bitter and angry? No, her heart full of His love and forgiveness would continue to allow her to open her life, mouth, and pen to offer praises to the Grace of God. What?
Her life had a daily constraint because of the pain and scars of an accident. That accident that would have killed her if not for the voice of God saying "Move to the middle!" But even with this rescue, the impact left its scars ... Every step, years later, would scream "How could God do this to you if he loves you?" Her heart many times would agree until she would purposely stop to hear the promises of God. And though so many days it seemed healing was not coming any time soon ... She looked with her aching heart at those that she loved, longing for their comfort, and she said... "Can you get me some cookies out of the freezer?" And she would rise up, walk against the pain and faithfully care for and love those that God had put in her life. What?
"Be not deceived God is not mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth that will he also reap". Phil. 6:7 ... "And let us not be weary in well doing, for in due season we shall reap if we faint not." Phil. 6:9 ... "Be ye kind one to another, tender hearted forgiving on another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Eph. 4:32
The story of our Christlike service to others has its real power when our weakness in suffering is overshadowed by His strength to love others through us. We may be hurting at this point in our lives, and it may not even be obvious too others, but healing begins when we lay our lives down for those whom Christ died for... all.
Live openly for Jesus!
Go bake those cookies!
HLFA,
Jeff