The Well
The Well |
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Connecting Hope to the Hurting | |
Friday
September 5, 2008
"And now I am going to Jerusalem, drawn there irresistibly by the Holy Spirit, not knowing what awaits me, except that the Holy Spirit has told me in city after city that jail and suffering are ahead. But life is worth nothing unless I use it for doing the work assigned me by the Lord
Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about God's mighty kindness
and love."
Acts 20:22-24
Jerusalem was often called, "the city of God." Why God chose Jerusalem is unknown to me, but it was definitely a place set aside for God's people. Jesus knew His ultimate destination would be Jerusalem, and today we see that Paul too was drawn there by the Holy Spirit. Where is your Jerusalem?
From the life of Jesus and the life of Paul, we can see that a life yielded to God often brings with it a certain amount of suffering. Each person's life will display a different type of suffering. Yet, we have the assurance that any suffering we endure will be used for God's glory. An example of this is found in the story of Lazarus, found in John 11:4, "But when Jesus heard about it he said, 'The purpose of his illness is not death, but for the glory of God. I, the Son of God, will receive glory from this situation.'"
We all have a work to do – to share with others the Good News of God's amazing grace. We are a people of purpose. Just as Paul knew that the Holy Spirit was guiding him toward Jerusalem, we too can listen to the guidance of God through the power of the Holy Spirit. Step Four in the Experiencing God study says, "God speaks by the Holy Spirit through the Bible, prayer, circumstances, and the church to reveal Himself, His purposes, and His ways."
The words from a reading in God Calling touched me and I share them
with you:
"Dwelling with Me, desiring only My Will and to do My work, My
Spirit cannot fail to pass through the channel of your life into the lives of
others. Many think it is humility to say they do little, and are of little value
to My world. To think that is pride. What if the pipe were to say 'I do so
little, I wish I could be more use.' The reply would be 'It is not you,
but the water that passes through you that saves and blesses. All you have to do
is to see there is nothing to block the way so that the water cannot flow
through. The only block there can be in your channel is self. Keep that out, and
know that My Spirit is flowing through. . .See this, and you will think it
natural to know that they are being helped, not by you, but by My Spirit flowing
through you as a channel."
God helped me better understand His heart by telling me to focus on Jesus and His life. As I read about Jesus, I learned about God by seeing who Jesus went to, hung out with, and what He said. John 11:44 helped me tremendously, "Jesus shouted to the crowds, 'If you trust me, you are really trusting God.'"
Father please show me Who I am trusting today. We trust that when we submit our all to You, the Holy Spirit will guide our very footsteps on the path You have chosen specifically for us. Help us know the truth that Divine guidance brings Divine joy, even in the midst of suffering!
