Together
Sunday, June 28, 2020 Good morning, Lord V.O.D.: Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! While I live I will praise the Lord; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.—Psalm 146:1-2 M.O.M.: Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. John 14:27 Today's reading: Job 14-16 Acts 9:22-43
To Stand Beside
Lonliness is a favorite weapon of the enemy. All effort is put forth to create this greatest void-void of life. The thought patterns embraced by many of the lonely have them guarding their lonliness disguised as privacy. Think about all that we do to guard our privacy. Then think about the known fact that drug and alcohol dependents do most of their consumption alone-in private.
No, folks do not need to know everything about you-there are things that are just between us and God and that is for the best-as long as we are honest before God. But, people need to know you. Moreover, you need to know people.
Friends are worth their weight in love. That is how God intended it to be. (Jesus said),"Greater love has no man than he lay down his life for his friends." John, chapter 15, verse 13.
We may be forced to limit time physically spent together but we are never limited by the Spirit. What do I mean by that? I mean that we if we pray alone-that we can pray alone-together.
When I was chaplain years ago, I knew the Lord was always with me as I walked the halls of the hospital. I felt His presence everyday. But some of the things I saw and some of the things I heard-and yes, some of the things I said-could only be credited to the divine presence of God. Some years went by and one day I was talking to a little lady and she told me that she and a few of her friends prayed for me and the ministry at the hospital at 8:30 a.m. each day. They were not physically able to meet but they all had it on the schedule to pray at the same time everyday for us. How humbling-I knew I was seeing the hands of God move around me but now I knew that a group was lifting me up daily.(For whom do you pray everyday?)
Saul was feared. He had beaten the new church folks down but now was lifting them up and preaching about Jesus and some really feared Him and would not trust Him. But one man-Barnabas-was Saul's support-one man stood up for Saul(Paul). If Barnabas had not taken a stand for Saul...? But he did stand up for him and the church did accept Him and Paul did go on to write half of the New Testament.
Two things-Prayer and friends...
We cannot be who God intends without prayer. This is a fact. Prayer for ourselves as we reach for God's heart and prayers for others as we seek God as a community-as friends-these are all worth their weight in Love.
It might take you a little while but you can find one or two people who would agree to pray at the same time everyday. God wants us together whether we are in the same room or across the country-Gods pulls us together and hears us.
God never intended for us to feel alone-never. Jesus said, 'I am with you-even to the end of the age",Matthew 28:20.
Barnabas stood beside Paul. With whom will you stand? With whom will you kneel...?
...because He loves us...
Father in Heaven. Forgive me for not being serious about praying with Your body, Your church. Show me how-I will listen. Listening, loving God of all mercy... In the name of Jesus, Amen