"I don't accept toast from strangers."
It was early morning in a remote town at a Gas Station-Convenience Store-Restaurant Combo -- and a working class man was accosted by a stranger at a gas pump - extending toast in his direction. The thought of the stranger was ... "I do not eat this, hate to waste it so I will offer it to someone ... Surely someone would love an offering of fresh toast ... Free".
Some surprises are not well thought out and become a little disconcerting to the recipient of the surprise. The event of the "toast offering" was quite out of sequence -- no relationship established, no need was discovered and a solution from left field was offered ... Would you have taken the toast from the hands of a stranger at a gas pumping moment?
We would like to think that God works that way...BUT ... God's surprises are way beyond "well thought out"... They are sent from the heart of God with the eternal intent to extravagantly love each and every one of us.
NOW THOUGH (and pay attention to this) There is an enemy with a temptation aimed at our "soft spot" ... Satan is the enemy of all of God's creation, and That original sin ("you shall be gods, determining what is good and what is evil) is our "soft spot" for his attacks. This "soft spot" is the target of the enemy that he knows ... binds us so deeply to self servicing decisions, and deep disappointment ... When penetrated it fights against time with a reasoning that has mankind chained to time and timing.
God works in behalf of us within the structure of our time and timing needs, but He is not held captive by our perceptions of the "when", the "where", the "what", and the "how" ... of our rescue. He is not bound by timing or time ... But His "Why" is so compelling: It is His "Love" that is unequalled, unparalleled, undiminished, unmerited, and unending... For us.
Do the following "seems out of sequence" verses bother you because of the order/timing in scripture?
"(It was that Mary which anointed the LORD with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)" John 11:2.
"Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odor of the ointment." John 12:3
Look at the address of the verses above and think for a moment... The word revealed that the Father knew of Jesus' need for anointing for burial prior to Mary's offering. Wow!
Has our life with the LORD gotten to the place where it is like a mindless heathen worship ceremony with constant repetition and boring ritual; where surprises aren't even noticed because of the narcoleptic life style that we have chosen. Worship that is Alive is not a religious activity that we perform or a moment in our formal community church services where we gather together to "hype our faith" with our "cup of tea" songs.
Worship is our Life blood in Christ. Worship is our daily adventure into the goodness of our God. Worship is where daily bow our lives with the "dog lick" to open our hearts for the reception of His amazingly creative... Love rescue of our lives.
Matthew 6:8 - "Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him."
The answer, the awesome well orchestrated rescue is already be on the way.
Living a life of ritual before the Lover of our soul is like a gas pump, dirty hand, unwrapped, toast offering to a King. The King will probably say ... "Depart from me with your toast... I do not know who you are; and I don't make it a habit to receive toast offerings from strangers."
Wash your hands ... Empty your life of limiting expectations... And like a child of wonder ... Get ready for Him.
HLFA,
Jeff
Matthew 6:51 - "And He went up unto them into the ship; and the wind ceased: and they were sore amazed in themselves beyond measure, and wondered." This is where He wants us.