" Even the sparrows finds a home, and the swallow a nest, in which she put her young ...." Psalm 84:4
A Colleague has a favorite saying when trying to figure out a puzzling or strange individual. He says, "Well, we all have to be somewhere!" It's not terriblyflattering, but there's a depp truth in those words.
I often pray for guidance, asking God to put me in the right place to do his will. I ask God to give me opporttunities and situatons to be of use to him. Sometimes, when his response doesn't match my own sense of timing and purpose, I feel like he's not hearing me. I want God's response, but on my terms.
Only that's not the way it works. Our act of faith is to accept God on his own terms and learn to do his work wherever we find ourselves.
God, use me where and when you need me most. Steve Givens
Meditation: Matthew 13:47-53
The kingdom of heaven is like a net thrown into the sea. (Matthew 13:47)
The parable of the dragnet is a very sobering one. When we think about the fact that God’s angels will one day separate the good from the bad, we may get nervous! When we contemplate how God will judge us, we must surely pause for a moment and take stock of how we’re doing. Still, we want to be sure we’re using the right measuring tools when we look at our lives!
If we read this parable in a legal way, we can end up seeing God as an accountant who balances our spiritual ledger: If the sum of our good deeds is greater than the sum of our bad deeds, we’re safe. The problem with this approach, however, is that if we break even one commandment, we’ve broken all of them (James 2:10). If God evaluated us according to our sins, none of us would make it! That’s why we should be very grateful that God uses a different standard to judge us—the standard of mercy.
God does not want us paralyzed with fear at the thought of his judgment. And he doesn’t want us worrying about whether we will be able to maintain the salvation he has won for us. It’s his to give (EVEN HEAVEN), and he has graciously given it to us! His Son has already overcome sin, and his forgiveness extends to everyone.
God has much more important things he wants us to concentrate and spend our time and energy on—things like serving him and building his kingdom. Jesus once told his disciples that the harvest is ready, but the laborers are few. He doesn’t want us to be so preoccupied with and worried about our own spiritual state that we don’t go out to procliam,witness and share the good news of his kingdom.
So in your prayer today, praise God for his mercy, but also ask him how you can join his angels in tending to that dragnet. Let the power of his salvation fill you with gratitude, but let it also move you into the world, confident that with Christ in you, you can move mountains.
“Lord, thank you for your love! As I gaze on your cross, I am amazed by your compassion. By your Spirit, show me how I can spread your good news so that even more people can come to love you.”
Getting Involved
READ: Luke 10:30-37
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. —Psalm 111:4
Isn’t anybody going to help that poor guy?” Fred exclaimed as he and my husband, Tom, realized what had been causing traffic to creep down the busy five-lane road. A man lay sprawled between the lanes, bicycle on top of him, as vehicles simply drove around him. Fred turned on the warning flashers and blocked traffic with his car. Then both guys jumped out to help the shaken man.
Fred and Tom got involved, as did the Samaritan man in Jesus’ story in Luke 10. Like him, they overcame any reluctance they might have had to reach out to a man in distress. The Samaritan also had to overcome racial and cultural prejudice. The people we would have expected to help showed indifference to the injured man’s plight.
It’s easy to find reasons not to get involved. Busyness, indifference, and fear often top the list. Yet as we seek to follow our Lord faithfully, we will become more aware of opportunities to show the kind of compassion He showed (Matt. 14:14; 15:32; Mark 6:34).
In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus commended the man who had acted out of compassion even though it was inconvenient, difficult, and costly to do so. Then, to us He says, “Go and do likewise” (Luke 10:37). — Cindy Hess Kasper
When we share another’s burden,
We display God’s love and care,
Offering relief and comfort
When life seems too much to bear. —Sper
True compassion puts love into action
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