This is coming a bit late because God heard your and my prayers and allowed me a great night of restful sleep--even sleeping in. PTL! Keep praying. I feel so refreshed as I am moving through my abiding time after a great nights sleep. And that's really good with all that is on the plate the next few days. Thanks Lord! And thanks to you for praying!
Good Morning Resting in the Lord, Doers of His Word! Wait! Isn't that a contradiction of terms? Nope! We abide and rest in the Lord and reload to follow Him to his plans for us each day. That's the Way and how good fruit is produced. However we often fail at following the Jesus way well. What is your priority, agenda, or focus today? Maybe I should ask Who is your priority, agenda and focus? Jesus is!
Check out this song as you begin your time with the Lord. The Jesus Way: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ARSGgC9iQb0 Sarah has encouraged us to move into May with this focus. The first believers were called the Way or The Follower of the Way. Jesus is the Way and we are learning to walk in His Way afresh and excited to follow well. Make that your priority, agenda and focus today--always! Who are you following? Is your focus on Him or the waves around you? Turn off the noise, TV and media and open the Living Word and abide in it today! Are you choosing healthy rhythms of working from resting and abiding. Choose the best! Choose Jesus' way today!
God gave me a word of reminder and a couple of devos to share that reinforce the above thoughts. In the past as I worked on becoming a disciple maker, the premise was put forth that we need to "be before do". Be before do? Yep! The "BE" part was part of what led to the Become Me in '23 Challenge. It was a time to focus on becoming the people we are created to be. We are created uniquely and in love to love and become more like Jesus. We are made in God's image after all. How's that going for you? You are His masterpiece, workmanship, special creation. Have you asked the Potter to rework you into who you are created to be? Surrender. Die to self. Crucify some things. And be still and abide and rest in His loving presence with an open heart that receives correction and His loving best. Be all that you are created to be! It's awesome! But we are created for more and we become activated to become who we are created to be and even more--to do what we are created to do. That was part of the Become More in '24 Challenge as we began working on being doers of the Word and things we are created to do. We are created for custom special purposes that flow out of who we are created to be and the new creations we become in Christ. I heard a great thought the other day, "Come as you are is not an invitation to stay as you are!" Meditate on that and talk to God about the molding, gifting, and enabling process that will lead you from BE to DO. He has some amazing, custom made things for you to discover and grow into as you become more like Jesus and step out in faith to do what you are created to do. He also has some that have come as they are for you to help to transition to the more God created for them and for our gathered and sent Body. Be before do also means you actually have to choose to do some things. What might they be? Who are you partnering with to work on these things, pray through these things, and hold each other accountable. That is part of all this as well--be before do and do both with some teammates. Begin with resting and abiding in His loving, refining, presence and then receive and discover the plans He has for you throughout each day to move towards doing the things He has for you and custom made you to do. As you do, you land in that sweet spot filled with much joy and peace as you don Jesus' easy yoke crafted just for you and find yourself walking with Him all day, everyday with much joy and thanksgiving for creating, gifting and enabling you to be you and do what He has planned along the way. And that leads to much good fruit and worship. And that is what the Come Alive in '25 Challenge is all about! I'm praying for you all to find that sweet spot, some partners and understand God's best for you that leads to great joy, praise and fruit! Amen! Talk to Sarah or me about any questions about any of this. And come abide before stepping out--be before do. But then get moving too. We are called to more and God is hearing, answering our prayers and moving through our surrendered and earnest hearts. It's the Jesus way! Amen!
Sarah Young
I to We
TWFYT
UR: More than Enough
Glory to God, who is able to do far beyond all that we could ask or imagine by his power at work within us. - Ephesians 3:20 (CEB)
One year I was helping to organize the Christmas service and celebration at my daughter’s school. The past two Christmas celebrations had been online due to the pandemic, and I was excited that my daughter finally would be able to celebrate Christmas with her friends and teachers in person!
However, the planning team was unsure how we would cover the cost of the event. We asked for donations from the students’ parents, but we didn’t expect much. Many of us were experiencing financial difficulties, and it was hard enough to collect our monthly tutor fee.
In today’s scripture reading, Philip and Andrew similarly didn’t know what to do when Jesus asked them to feed the great crowd. They did not have enough. I prayed and asked God what to do, and God encouraged me to contact friends and relatives. God touched their hearts so that most of them agreed to help. Much like Jesus did with the loaves and fish, God made the impossible possible in our Christmas preparations. The donations exceeded our expectations. We were able to afford the gathering, and we had money left over to cover the tutor fees for at least four months. God is good!
Today's Prayer
Loving God, we thank you for your love and care. May we always remember that we can count on you to help us overcome challenges. Amen.
