Now is the time...... To Believe

You are blessed because you believed that the Lord would do what he said. Luke 1:45

As I write it is but one week until a new year will begin; yes it is Christmas Eve and I have been reading again the story of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ. This evening I watched the Carols by Candlelight on TV, an annual institution in Melbourne for the past very many years, and a delightful way to spend Christmas Eve………even if I was doing ironing while I watched!

It was in reading the verse above that my heart was stirred afresh by Mary’s simple trust and humble obedience. We have heard and read the story so many times that the full impact can easily pass us by, but as I think again on the story I am challenged afresh to examine my faith and see how real it really is.

Mary was a very young woman who received an amazing visitation from the angel Gabriel which was awesome in itself, but the message Gabriel brought was earth-changing, not to mention life-changing for Mary and Joseph. What an amazing faith-filled couple this was. I guess God knew that when he chose them for ‘the job’. Mary’s immediate response was “Yes, I’ll do it.” She actually believed that God would do what he said, as her cousin Elizabeth reminded her a few days later.

Then there was Joseph. He had a problem on his hands but God spoke to him in a dream (Matthew 1:20) reassuring him that Mary’s child was the promised Saviour of mankind and not to be afraid to go ahead with his marriage to Mary. Just as Mary did, Joseph believed and quickly obeyed the instructions he was given. In fact God spoke to Joseph in dreams a few times and he was always quick to believe and obey.

Many years ago God spoke to me in a dream. It took me a little while to realise that God was indeed speaking into my future, but he did do what was indicated in that dream.

Sometimes I sense that as I grow older in years and in my faith, I am not always as quick to believe God as I was in my earlier years. I am challenged by the fresh faith of some of my Bible study ladies who are mostly new Christians. Tonight I feel that I need to challenge myself afresh to believe God in the coming year. Not only to believe, but to actively expect to hear from him. (I know I don’t always listen well.)

How is it with you? Has God spoken something to you that you need to believe him to do? There is much to be done in his kingdom. We need to become willing to allow him to use us to accomplish his purposes. Let’s commit ourselves to a refreshing of our faith and obedience as we head toward 2011.

Prayer: Gracious Father, forgive me to allowing my faith to wane in the busyness of life. Help my ear to be ready to hear you when you speak and give me a willing heart to obey you quickly. Amen

Now is the time..... To Be Amazed Again

Then Mary said, “……let it be to me according to your word”. Luke 1:38

It can be difficult to keep the wonder of the true meaning of our Christmas celebrations in mind at this busy time of year. We are too busy being amazed at how many gifts we still need to buy, how many things we still have to prepare, how many groceries still to be bought, and, often we are amazed at how much money we have spent! When seen in the light of God’s eternal plan for mankind, our busyness seems so trivial.

It is good then when God breaks through and gives us another revelation of His amazing goodness that we can focus on and be amazed at again. That happened to me a couple of weeks ago during my quiet time. I don’t even remember what I was reading now but suddenly it dawned on me again……….. God is amazing in all His ways! That now brings to mind a verse in Psalm 115:3, “Our God is in heaven; He does whatever He pleases.” What pleases Him involves justice, mercy, favour, righteousness and equality. All that He does is good.

The thought that caught my attention was that God has always had in mind a plan for man and woman to be equal in his equation and in bringing about his purposes on the earth. In Genesis he called Abraham, a man in the closing years of his life, to take a huge step of faith; to leave his homeland and his family, to step out into the unknown, not knowing where he was going, just that God would show him. His job was to say ‘yes’ and to go in obedience, which he did. God then blessed him with offspring (Isaac), through whom the whole world would be blessed. It was from this line that Jesus Christ would come. God called a man – Abraham.

Many generations later God calls a woman - Mary - to be obedient. The angel of the Lord spoke to Mary, a young woman, to be the bearer of His Son, Jesus Christ who was to be the Saviour of the world. She too had to be willing to say ‘yes’ and to be obedient to the humiliation, the pain, all that being the mother of Jesus Christ would involve.

In these two people so many generations apart God showed me that he uses both man and woman to bring forth his purposes, he also uses the young and the old. So often in our world there can be the feeling that it is only those in the middle part of their life, between young and old, that God uses significantly. That is so not true. There is a place for each of us. Let us stir ourselves up to stand ready to be used for God’s purposes every day of our life. These two people didn’t know what was to come from their obedience. Neither do we know what God will do through our obedience. Let’s stand and be amazed again that God will use men and women, young, old and in between to accomplish his purposes on earth and let's be ready. Hallelujah!

Prayer: Wonderful God, thank you that to accomplish your purposes on earth you will use whoever is willing and obedient. Help me to stand ready and available for your purposes today and every day that you give me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Now is the time.... To be Generous

They (the elders at Jerusalem) desired only that we should remember the poor, the very thing which I also was eager to do. Galatians 2:10

The phone rang last week and usually when there is a delay before someone answers I know it’s computer-generated with someone either selling something or wanting money for a good cause. Because it’s usually the former I quickly hang up before the operator can come on and ‘bug’ me with “Hello and how are you today?” I don’t know why they ask that because I know that they are not the slightest bit interested in how I am at all, it’s just an opener to a conversation I would rather not have! Oh dear I sound cranky!!!

Anyway this particular day it was an organization which we have supported for the past couple of years wanting our financial support yet again. I confess, to my shame, that I inside my attitude was not good (after all it is coming up Christmas with all its expense) but I did agree to give again this year.

I was convicted about my attitude because I had recently read this verse in Galatians 2:10. Paul was writing about the time he had visited the church leaders in Jerusalem to discuss with them his conversion some years before, and his subsequent ministry. The elders were quite happy with the teaching that Paul was doing which he’d received not from man but from the Holy Spirit (Galatians 1:12). The only thing that the apostles asked was that Paul remember to help the poor.

Jesus said that we will always have the poor among us (Matthew 26:11), and that He was sent to preach the gospel to the poor (Luke 4:18). A generous spirit comes from God who is generous beyond measure. If He dwells in us it will be seen by our desire to bless others when we can. He has shown us how to give by his own examples in His life, and the final gift to surpass all gifts – His life for ours. Our giving should include money but should not be limited to money. A generous spirit will give time, energy, a listening ear or a helping hand.

In a world drowning in debt let us show the world what a blessing it is to give financially and to give with a happy heart this festive season. Remember it is the season of remembrance of God giving His only Son. Let us open our hearts to see what he requires of us. In case you need a little extra encouragement may I leave you with 2 verses in closing. “He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given “(Proverbs 19:17) and “He who gives to the poor will not lack, but he who hides his eyes will have many curses.” (Proverbs 28:27). Nothing goes unseen by the Lord, He will reward.

Prayer: Lord God, help me to see the needs around me through your eyes and give with a generous heart. May blessing flow from me freely in thankfulness to you for all that you have given to me. Amen