A life-giving understanding has awakened for me.
Think of a time when something really special happened between you and the Lord. He spoke to you, or he revealed his presence in a lovely way. Think about it, remember it, and you will begin to feel what you felt at that time. It will 'come alive' for you again.
This is because it IS alive. You touched the eternal, and so that event still remains alive, and has the power to connect you again to that love or joy or awe or tenderness that the Lord evoked in you.
John urges us to 'return to your first love.' We CAN do that by recalling what happened, what it was like, what we felt about him... Then that love will come alive again to us. It is a precious and deeply meaningful place in our memory, in our very being, and it cannot die!
Some feel they 'lose their faith'. It may well be they develop cynicism and doubt and feel that no hope or faith is left. But that memory is still there, if deeply buried. And that gives us hope as we pray for them, that the Lord will rekindle the love and joy they once had. It is still there and the Lord can whisper to them 'return, return to that place and recapture that sense of being home.'
The Lord treasures all these times and holds them to his heart. So should we. When we are anxious and fretful late into the night - return to those places of safety and warmth and rest by remembering and savouring those times again. They are alive in us. Bring them to the forefront of your memory and live in them again.
Remember a Scripture that spoke life to you. Say it again a number of times and let your heart reconnect to the sense of peace it brought. Living in the 'now' is not all it's cracked up to be!! We have eternal treasures tucked away in us. Let them shine, let them glow, let them sing to us again.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
When little becomes much
I was arrested by the story of the loaves and fishes recently. What a shock for the disciples ... all those baskets of food left over, after handing over just five loaves and two fish. I could see the big smile on Jesus' face. I think he chuckled a lot at the reactions of people when he did miracles!
But how did this place of need and concern become a place of abundance? ("Enough to give away..." has long been our prayer - 2 Cor.9:11)I began to see a series of prayers there in this story.
First the prayer for compassion. When Jesus saw the crowds he felt compassion. He had gone to a remote place to get a rest! But the crowds had followed... and he had compassion and taught them and healed them.
We need to ask for such compassion. The disciples had concern...'What are we to do with them?' but not yet compassion. Compassion leads us to give of ourselves, to cry out to the Father to make us able to give more. It will take us to places we would not always choose, but we will go because compassion compels us. It will cause us to seek for innovative ways to meet the needs of others. It will make us a seeking, praying person. Let us cry out for the compassion of Jesus to flood our hearts for those we are to serve.
Then there is the prayer of helplessness. Jesus said to them 'You feed them!' What! How could they - it would cost a fortune. They felt helpless. John's gospel says this was a test from Jesus. Would they spin out - or would they look to him for the answer? There is a prayer we can pray in our helpless times. It is found in 2 Chronicles 20. In a time a national crisis, facing a crushing defeat, King Jehoshaphat cries out at the end of verse 12 "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."
This prayer opens the way to miracles. As long as we look for a natural solution we will not be able to receive his supernatural one. "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." What a great prayer!
He took away their confusion by saying 'What do you have? Give it to me.' This seems to be his frequent request of us. 'Just give me what you have - no matter how little it is.' Then they hand over the little lunch they have. Surrender. Putting our all in his hands. Very simple, but often very hard. Why? Because it requires a deep trust. We feel we will lose something - but the reality is that our lives - every bit of them, are safer in his hands than ours. We have bought into the oldest of lies that we cannot trust God. Renounce that lie - and rest everything in his safest of hands. Pray the prayer of surrender.
Also what we need to believe is that what we have in our hands is enough... IF IT IS PUT IN HIS HANDS. It is not what we can do – it is what HE can do through what we put in his hands. And it is more than we can imagine. That's his promise.
Then there is a prayer from Jesus - he blesses the food - and it multiplies. He lifted it up to the Father and it became enough for thousands. He does this over and over as lives are laid down for his Kingdom's sake. One little life can feed thousands... and bring thousands into new life with him. We have to get out of the mentality that we are just one little insignificant life. No! No! No! We have the Lord of Life within us... so great multiplying is possible - if we have his compassion, if we own our helplessness, if we surrender all into his hands... then the blessing and sharing can begin.
What an amazing God we have - what a compassionate Father - what a marvellous Lord Jesus - what a shepherding Spirit who leads us into all truth and great fruitfulness.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
But how did this place of need and concern become a place of abundance? ("Enough to give away..." has long been our prayer - 2 Cor.9:11)I began to see a series of prayers there in this story.
First the prayer for compassion. When Jesus saw the crowds he felt compassion. He had gone to a remote place to get a rest! But the crowds had followed... and he had compassion and taught them and healed them.
We need to ask for such compassion. The disciples had concern...'What are we to do with them?' but not yet compassion. Compassion leads us to give of ourselves, to cry out to the Father to make us able to give more. It will take us to places we would not always choose, but we will go because compassion compels us. It will cause us to seek for innovative ways to meet the needs of others. It will make us a seeking, praying person. Let us cry out for the compassion of Jesus to flood our hearts for those we are to serve.
Then there is the prayer of helplessness. Jesus said to them 'You feed them!' What! How could they - it would cost a fortune. They felt helpless. John's gospel says this was a test from Jesus. Would they spin out - or would they look to him for the answer? There is a prayer we can pray in our helpless times. It is found in 2 Chronicles 20. In a time a national crisis, facing a crushing defeat, King Jehoshaphat cries out at the end of verse 12 "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you."
This prayer opens the way to miracles. As long as we look for a natural solution we will not be able to receive his supernatural one. "We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon you." What a great prayer!
He took away their confusion by saying 'What do you have? Give it to me.' This seems to be his frequent request of us. 'Just give me what you have - no matter how little it is.' Then they hand over the little lunch they have. Surrender. Putting our all in his hands. Very simple, but often very hard. Why? Because it requires a deep trust. We feel we will lose something - but the reality is that our lives - every bit of them, are safer in his hands than ours. We have bought into the oldest of lies that we cannot trust God. Renounce that lie - and rest everything in his safest of hands. Pray the prayer of surrender.
Also what we need to believe is that what we have in our hands is enough... IF IT IS PUT IN HIS HANDS. It is not what we can do – it is what HE can do through what we put in his hands. And it is more than we can imagine. That's his promise.
Then there is a prayer from Jesus - he blesses the food - and it multiplies. He lifted it up to the Father and it became enough for thousands. He does this over and over as lives are laid down for his Kingdom's sake. One little life can feed thousands... and bring thousands into new life with him. We have to get out of the mentality that we are just one little insignificant life. No! No! No! We have the Lord of Life within us... so great multiplying is possible - if we have his compassion, if we own our helplessness, if we surrender all into his hands... then the blessing and sharing can begin.
What an amazing God we have - what a compassionate Father - what a marvellous Lord Jesus - what a shepherding Spirit who leads us into all truth and great fruitfulness.
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
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