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Subject: Devotional #19: August 16, 2001 Author: Gail [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] Date Posted: 07:56:00 08/16/01 Thu Topic—Master Builders Power Point—Obedience is the key to being agents of restoration for God. This Week’s Memory Verse—2 Corinthians 5:18 Access Database—1 Kings 17:1–16 "There" Is a Place by Eric Partin A deeply spiritual (though misinformed) missionary I know used to pray for special guidance about the most trivial matters. She would even try to decide whether it was God’s will that she wash her hair on a given evening. She was right in understanding that God is interested in the mundane affairs of life, but she was wrong in believing that she always needed a special sign. Obviously she was a mental wreck. She did not realize that the will of God is simply living in obedience to whatever lies ahead. His guidance is not mysterious. In short, if your hair needs washing, wash it, and if God says go, then go! This is where we see Elijah. God tells him to go to the Kerith Brook because he has commanded ravens to feed him "there." You see, "there" is a place. If he would have gone "here," there would have been no food for him. It was only "there." Later, when the brook dries up and the ravens quit bringing him food, God speaks to Elijah again. This time He tells him to go to Zarephath, where he has commanded a widow to provide for him "there." Again, "there" is a place. It was a place where God had specifically told Elijah to go. Because of Elijah’s obedience, not only was Elijah provided for, but he also was able to bring salvation to the widow and her son. If Elijah had gone "here" instead of "there," he would have missed out on God’s provision, and he would not have been in a place to bring the miracle of God to the widow’s house. Elijah had what the widow needed. You have what this world needs. You are in a place, like Elijah, to be an agent of renewal and restoration to your community. Like Elijah, when God says to go "there," the eternal fate of individuals, families and even communities hangs in the balance of your obedience. Now go back and read 1 Kings 17:1–16 one more time. Identity Matrix—Disciples of Christ... Know God—In what way did God reveal Himself to you as you read His Word? Live for God—What one lifestyle change is God calling you to make? Love Others—In what way is God calling you to minister to someone in need? Bear Fruit—In what ways will you set the example and the standard for others to follow? [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ]

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[> Subject: Re: Devotional #19: August 16, 2001 Author: Gail [ Edit | View ] Date Posted: 18:56:10 08/16/01 Thu Yeah, God's Will...heh heh...a tough subject. How do we know what He has planned for us? What he wants us to do? Well, one way we can think of it is that saying of "WWJD" - What Would Jesus Do? Are the things we doing pleasing to God? And how do we know what is pleasing to Him??? That, we will know if we know our God well enough-we know what He expects of us, that if what we do (or do NOT do) fulfills our standards and His standards. Are we standing up for Him? Are we imitating Christ in the best way possible? Do we acknowledge how much we so need Him? Like the devo. states, we know we are pleasing Him when we obey His word. Obeying Him is doing His Will...even when it's tough to follow what we KNOW he wants when WE want something else! ^_^ After all, I've been wanting to move out and away from home...but God says NO every time! hee hee hee... And yet, whatever happens to us affects others, indefinitely! I mean, if we follow his will, in result, we will affect others in the way God intended, right? For example...if I decided one day to forget about who I am and go gambling ("gummy needs a new pair of shoes!") and spend all my money, it doesn't affect just ME. It affects everything--first, it affects my character. it also affects others, like I probably would not spend so much time on the youth lessons, right? And that would have an effect on all of you! I may not have enough money to pay for my bills, cars, etc...and that would affect my parents, who would have to pay for me. and who knows what else it can do? See, when you think only YOU are involved in something and that noone else can get hurt, it's wrong-it's like that saying where they say "no man is an island" or something like that. Whatever you do, it affects someone other than you, ALWAYS! ^_^ [ Post a Reply to This Message ]