Day 240: What If We Set Our Differences Aside For God's Sake?
Read: Malachi 3:16 - 18, Psalm 4
When people come together at a time of fellowship, have you ever
wondered, just a little, what the Lord thinks, when His children get
together to speak about him? I see the people of Moore, Oklahoma, I read
the host of inspirational stories coming from there and countless other
places around the country of the people, whether of God or not,
coming together and talking and sharing and loving amongst themselves.
They find themselves drawn together by bonds of friendship and support.
They set aside the differences, the enmity that may have existed before
because what is now before them is recognized as infinitely greater than
themselves. What does God think of this? What do you believe God would think of this 'let's come together' stuff?
I know what I think. I
can probably make a fair guess of what you might be thinking of at a
time like this. But what, if it is even possible to know, is God
thinking of this? Well it is very special to Him! In fact the word of
God says the words become His very special treasure. Have you ever seen this scripture Malachi 3:16-17? 16 'Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and
heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning
those who feared the Lord and honored his name. 17 “On the day when I
act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I
will spare them...." Those who feared the Lord, talked with each other, the Lord listened, heard. They are God's treasured possession!
In
Psalm 4:2, we witness a heartbroken King David as he pleads on behalf of
God: How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will
you love delusions and seek false gods? Throughout the Psalms and
Prophets, you will hear a familiar lament "why would God's own
children reject Him so through their enmity with each other?" Was it for
lack of love? Never on God's part! Was it because they were mistreated
in some way? Of course not! However, somehow mankind allows their hearts
and minds to become locked into the vanities of life - false riches, false security, idols made and fashioned by their hands. What if we got together? Set them aside for God's sake? What if we all just got together and set ourselves aside for God?
What a stark contrast are of those who love God set against the back drop of those who get locked and blocked into the things of mankind versus mankind, obstacles to God's grace. Something miraculous happens when together we open our hearts to His love. Our hope is in the name of the Lord. Our glory is that we finally stopped to hear Jesus' call to us and finally recognized in that moment - the
voice of the Good Shepherd (John 10:3,4). Do you hear the Shepherds
voice saying to you: “On the day when (they) act,” says the Lord
Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him."?
Let Us Pray: Dear heavenly Father, until Jesus comes back, we, your
people will live through all kinds of seasons together. Indeed, “there
is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the
heaven. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time
to dance”. In Christ, our seasons providentially change, because we are a
broken people in a broken world utterly dependent on you, our sovereign
Father and redeeming Lord. Seasons are subject to you. You are an every
present help in times of trouble, periods of pain, moments of madness,
seasons of sadness. Come to us now, Father, we plead before Your Throne,
come to us today.
Because of you, mighty Father, the river of
restoration and streams of grace flow to us even as “mountains fall into
the heart of the sea… waters roar and foam, and the mountains quake
with their surging.” Your hand causes real gardens to bloom in real
deserts; you bring the gladness of the Gospel into the agony of our
pain; you bring the message of hope of your kingdom into our kingdom -
size hurts. Please, Come to us now, Lord, come to us today. We hurt, we
cannot do it alone, we need your hope.
http://www.youtube.com/
Read: Malachi 3:16 - 18, Psalm 4
When people come together at a time of fellowship, have you ever wondered, just a little, what the Lord thinks, when His children get together to speak about him? I see the people of Moore, Oklahoma, I read the host of inspirational stories coming from there and countless other places around the country of the people, whether of God or not, coming together and talking and sharing and loving amongst themselves. They find themselves drawn together by bonds of friendship and support. They set aside the differences, the enmity that may have existed before because what is now before them is recognized as infinitely greater than themselves. What does God think of this? What do you believe God would think of this 'let's come together' stuff?
I know what I think. I can probably make a fair guess of what you might be thinking of at a time like this. But what, if it is even possible to know, is God thinking of this? Well it is very special to Him! In fact the word of God says the words become His very special treasure. Have you ever seen this scripture Malachi 3:16-17? 16 'Then those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the Lord and honored his name. 17 “On the day when I act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them...." Those who feared the Lord, talked with each other, the Lord listened, heard. They are God's treasured possession!
In Psalm 4:2, we witness a heartbroken King David as he pleads on behalf of God: How long will you people turn my glory into shame? How long will you love delusions and seek false gods? Throughout the Psalms and Prophets, you will hear a familiar lament "why would God's own children reject Him so through their enmity with each other?" Was it for lack of love? Never on God's part! Was it because they were mistreated in some way? Of course not! However, somehow mankind allows their hearts and minds to become locked into the vanities of life - false riches, false security, idols made and fashioned by their hands. What if we got together? Set them aside for God's sake? What if we all just got together and set ourselves aside for God?
What a stark contrast are of those who love God set against the back drop of those who get locked and blocked into the things of mankind versus mankind, obstacles to God's grace. Something miraculous happens when together we open our hearts to His love. Our hope is in the name of the Lord. Our glory is that we finally stopped to hear Jesus' call to us and finally recognized in that moment - the voice of the Good Shepherd (John 10:3,4). Do you hear the Shepherds voice saying to you: “On the day when (they) act,” says the Lord Almighty, “they will be my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as a father has compassion and spares his son who serves him."?
Let Us Pray: Dear heavenly Father, until Jesus comes back, we, your people will live through all kinds of seasons together. Indeed, “there is a time for everything and a season for every activity under the heaven. A time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance”. In Christ, our seasons providentially change, because we are a broken people in a broken world utterly dependent on you, our sovereign Father and redeeming Lord. Seasons are subject to you. You are an every present help in times of trouble, periods of pain, moments of madness, seasons of sadness. Come to us now, Father, we plead before Your Throne, come to us today.
Because of you, mighty Father, the river of restoration and streams of grace flow to us even as “mountains fall into the heart of the sea… waters roar and foam, and the mountains quake with their surging.” Your hand causes real gardens to bloom in real deserts; you bring the gladness of the Gospel into the agony of our pain; you bring the message of hope of your kingdom into our kingdom - size hurts. Please, Come to us now, Lord, come to us today. We hurt, we cannot do it alone, we need your hope.
http://www.youtube.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment