Inside the Mind:
I just finished reading a biography on the life of George Muller, and was simply amazed at the way God was able to use this man of faith for His purposes. Throughout his life, he was put in circumstance after circumstance that tested his reliance on God to the limit. It was almost like a puzzle slowly being put together. God used each and every trial to build his character and reliance on God and prepare him for his orphanage and missionary work. Once Muller was ripe for the picking and the puzzle complete, God was able to do some amazing things.
The reason I mentioned this story, was to bring up the process in which Muller trusted God. He gave up all his worldly possessions along with his reliance on outside help, and trusted in God completely to provide all his needs. Throughout his life, God did not let him down even once. As I think about all these things, I start to notice how dependent I am on man for everything. I find myself looking to man for help instead of God. Could it be that God is just waiting eagerly to bless us beyond imagination, but we are so satisfied with what the world can do for us that we totally miss out on those blessings? Are we so blind that we are settling for this inferior worldly provision, when God is just waiting to pour out his blessings on us if we only ask Him? What does it take to shift your reliance from the world to God? At what point do you give up your earthly possessions as Muller did (If every Christian gave up all their possessions, there would be no one to contribute to missionary and other Christian work)? These are some of the things that have kept my mind spinning over the past week.
Prayer Requests:
So far, I have been able to park on the street at the Lisle Metra Station, but come winter, I will not be able to park on the street after more then 2 inches of snow. This of course means that I will need a spot in one of the commuter parking lots before the winter quarter starts in January. You can pray that God would provide (And that I would trust God to provide).
Verse of the Week:
"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. - Matthew 6:28-34
Shout Out:
Gotta give a shout out to my Chicago White Sox! Go Sox!!!
World Series Magic Number: 9
3 Comments:
Man, I hope this spam doesn't spread to xanga - it sucks. So, on to more relevant topics - I for one, have an incredible admiration for someone like Mueller who had such incredible faith. I think that is probably my weakest area. I see the down times as God NOT coming through - not as a chance for me to trust more. However, unlike Eve, I'm not sure - at least at this point in time in my life - that my ideas are better than God's. I was reminded tonight that God delights in blessing His children when they are obedient and rely on Him - so this is becoming a common theme - guess I'd better listen. Really nice post!!
We live so much of our lives in blindness. How does one put off the blanket which the world attempts to smother us with, so that we might bask in the glow of our Lord and Savior each and every moment of our lives.
Speaking of faith and giving things up. I was just talking to my mom today about orphans, and faith, and what we are willing to give for the Lord in general. Look at the thousands of Christians around the world. Imagine if each family took just one orphan and raised them as their own. So many Christians are busy making loads of kids, what if they just adopted one, just one child. There is a chance to make a huge difference, to change one life that otherwise may have fallen by the wayside of our jam packed lives. I'm reading the prophets right now, God constantly mentions the widows and orphans. Yes, many followers of Christ give regularly to charities that deal with orphaned children. But children are not raised by money, they are raised by parents.
I just wanted to say this because of what you said about giving everything up and relying on God. Many say that they don't do this or that because of 'money issues', yet I can't help but wonder if that is not a cheap excuse (of course, there are the poor in CHrist's family, but that is a problem that would not exist if we did as we should. The people of the early church sold all they had so that their brother might prosper) I think that the problem lies at the heart instead. We need faith, we need to go out on a thin limb for Christ and trust fully that he will hold us up and in fact raise us higher than we have ever gone before.
S.D.G.
For God's Glory Only
Excellent post, anon! I believe, as you said, it cooms down to a matter of the heart. God has given each person a certain passion of their own in a certain area. I think each one of us knows what that passion is, or else would know what that passion is, if we only stopped spending so much time on earthly things. Some he might give the passion for giving, others the passion for service, and still others the passion for leading. Only when these passions are combined can we see the true body of Christ at work. Many times, He does ask us to go out on that limb with our passion. When that time does happen, will we be ready to accept the challenge?
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