40 Days of Discover- Day 12

When we are born, we are born into the world to be a man or a woman.  We don't look like, nor do we act like a man or woman when we are babbling babies, pooping, sucking, sleeping and eating.  Yet we inside of us is all the raw materials to become what we are intended to be. But we must grow into who we are.  And if, along the way we refuse to believe that we are men and women with a purpose, we stay immature and childish.  That should never be.


When I am born into my new identity, a child of God, I too, must grow into who God says I am.  He's given me everything I need in order to be who He intends for me to be.  Though today I'm sinning like crazy, and not believing God's promises, I am more than what you or I see today.  I need the Holy Spirit to nurture, and teach me so that I become mature.  So that I become the person God destined me to be.  Only if I choose to believe what God says about me, will I grow up.  Else, I stay an immature baby, with little power, no self-control, and I won't see the fruits of God in my life.  Nor will I walk in the destiny that He prepared for me.  That would be a travesty!

Heavenly Father, tell me who I am again and again, and help me to believe.

My Song

There's a song that begins to stir in my heart,
that begins to surface as I think on the goodness of God.
As I meditate on His goodness,
His grace,
His love,
His Holiness,
His purity...
A poetic prose begins to rise from my soul
It's been hidden there waiting to be found
It's composed by the Holy Spirit and uniquely song by me.
It is a song that's being song in the heavenlies
by the angels
and by saints throughout the ages
This song is a song our hearts have been waiting to sing
Like a woman with child who eagerly awaits the moment of giving birth
She eagerly anticipates the joy of holding her sweet baby in her arms
But there is discomfort,
there is pain to endure
MUCH PAIN
But in the end, it's worth it
for in her arms is a baby
Oh the joy to hold that precious baby!
This song is our baby
Our heart anticipates giving birth to this melody
As we experience life this song grows within us
developing, gaining understanding, maturing
And often there is much pain that must be endured in order to give birth to this song
But Oh the joy that is felt
Oh the relief that the song has finally been freed.
for this song was meant to be song
An unsung song is a travesty.
We must sing our song.
I must sing my song.

Heavenly Father, enable us by your Spirit to sing beautifully, powerfully, truthfully, pouring ourselves out, holding nothing back, singing in this life until all that we know by faith becomes clearly known.

Blessings on Your Life

All these blessings will be upon you and be your constant companion IF YOU OBEY Yahweh (the unchanging, ever-present, self-existing one; the one who reveals Himself to His people) :

You will be blessed wherever you are, whether in the city or in the country.

You will be blessed to bear many children.

And all of your work will produce MUCH  fruit.  Your business will flourish, and your ministry will be effective.

You will always have plenty of food to eat.  Every need will be met with abundance.

It matters not if you are coming or going, blessing will always be near.

Those who rise up against you in order to harm you will be defeated before your very eyes.  Yes, they will come to you in confidence and strength, but they will run from you like roaches scattering when the light turns on!

Your investment and savings will be blessed.  Every venture, and business idea will be successful.

The Lord will set you apart from others as special.  You have a special purpose—a holy calling.  But you must:

Obey ALL of the Lord’s commands.  You must walk in His ways.  His ways are not the ways of man.

Then all people on the earth will see that you are a child of the Most Holy.  They will be afraid to do you harm.  YET you will find favor with them because they think so highly of you. 

You will have ABUNDANT PROSPERITY!  You will overflow with every good thing.  The Lord will open the gates of Heaven and pour out so much blessing that you don’t have the capacity to hold it all.  Everyone you encounter will benefit from your overflow.   You will be a channel of blessing to your extended family, your community, the nation and even the world!

He will send EVERY needed resource in order for your work to prosper.  He will provide the right environment for you to succeed.  All of your efforts will be productive and effective.  (The curse of sin has no power over your work.  Hallelujah!)

You will have so much that you can give freely to many who are in need, and never have need yourself to borrow from others.  You will provided exactly what you need AT THE RIGHT TIME! No Loans!  No Credit cards!  No Debt!  Ever!

You will be a leader, not a follower.  You will set the trend for others to follow.

But you must focus your thoughts on giving your full and complete devotion to none other than God—carefully listening to His voice and following all His instructions exactly.  (Don’t worry about whether it makes sense.)  

If you do, You will always be at the top and never at the bottom!

Pay attention.  Focus.  Don’t get off track.  Don’t be distracted by the world’s promises of pleasure, immediate gratification, or its promise of popularity or quick success.  Don’t follow any of their methods of using debt, deception, using people for their own selfish gain, devaluing the work of others in order to make the largest profit margin, or abusing the environment.  Don’t use their marketing schemes that appeal to man’s sinful cravings, stirring up desires in people in order to get more sales.  Don’t do it!  Resist greed, wastefulness, and overspending.  

Pursue God.  Not the blessings.  For God, Himself is the blessing, the treasure, the inheritance.  In Him we have ALL that we desire and need.

WAIT ON HIS BLESSINGS, for His blessings always come without regret. They always come at the proper time. His blessings, truly satisfy.

A modern day paraphrase of Deut 28: 1-14 (with a few other scriptures added)

What have we done to "the least"? part 2

God made each of us unique.  Each unique difference gives us a glimpse of the infinitely diverse God of the Universe.  When God's people, who were meant to display His beauty to the world, decide to ignore certain people in our midst because they are different from us, we miss out on God's revelation of Himself.  Every person He places in our midst is valuable because God placed His image in each of us.   They aren't people to be changed to fit into our culture.  We shouldn't expect them to conform so that we are more comfortable.  They shouldn't be avoided because we're afraid of offending them.  We need to make an effort to acknowledge "the least" among us.  "The least" need to be noticed--not a polite, uncomfortable "hello", but a welcoming "We're so glad you're here!" 


Have you ever been "the least" in a culture?  I have.  Being a black woman, puts me among "the least" in most places in America.  I have friends that are in "the least" category in other ways.  Some are poor.  Some are disabled.  Some are single moms.  Some are from other countries.  One thing is sure.  People get really uncomfortable around "the least".  And "the least" try really hard to fit in with the majority.  They try to hide their disabilities.  They try change their appearances in order to fit "the norm" of the majority culture.  They try to disguise their poverty with nice clothes.  Poor people don't like looking poor when they're among the "non-poor".  Very few people enjoy being "the least".  So if you can't blend in, you try to find other people like you.   Birds of a feather flock together because everyone wants to feel "normal" and accepted. ( Or you try to elevate yourself--making someone else "the least".)


So how should the body of Christ respond to "the least"?   

Paul tells us in his letter to the Philippians to elevate the needs and desires of others above ourselves.  

Phil 2:3-4  Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. 
 
If we take that seriously, following Jesus' pattern,we will lay aside our on preferences, desires and even our rights in order to lift others up.  In Paul's letter to the Corinthians, he tells us that God purposefully arranged the parts of His body just as he wanted them.  God brought every person to your local community.  Your church body is being designed by God.  Are you paying attention?  Are you cooperating with His work?

1 corinthians 12:22 says "...those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable..."  People who seem to have nothing of value to contribute are the most necessary for a healthy thriving community.  1 corinthians 12:23 "... and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor..."  Some among us have been treated with such disrespect and dishonor.  Some have been treated as though they are invisible.  Some have been ignored.  Some have been oppressed by the culture.  We must elevate them.  We must show them special honor. When we do this, we recognize their worth. 

Let us be people who look for opportunities to elevate "the least". 

God gave His best to "the least".  (In God's economy, we're all "the least".)

Do we give our best to "the least"?

As I consider Jesus' example, he often elevated "the least".  He gave them special privileges, respect and opportunities. He taught them by example that they were valuable in the eyes of their Maker.  Here are a few examples:   He took time to talk to women, giving them special attention and privileges.  This was a culture where women had little value, so it was pretty revolutionary.  He touched the outcasts:  prostitutes, foreigners, lepers, the blind, the cripple,the "half-breeds", tax collectors, "the crazies"--the unclean.  He took time to listen to them, to heal them, to free them from their bondage,  and ultimately gave them a face-to-face encounter with God Himself.   He lifted them out of the depths of degradation, humiliation, and dehumanization.  The God of Heaven humbled Himself to lift them up.   And so He says to us, "Go and do the same."

John 13:13-17  "You call me `Teacher' and `Lord,' and rightly so, for that is what I am. [14] Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another's feet. [15] I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you. [16] I tell you the truth, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. [17] Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

God delights in using "the least".

1CO 1:26 Brothers, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. [27] But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. [28] He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, [29] so that no one may boast before him.

Are we following His example?  

Spring Cleaning

Spring is such a great time for "spring cleaning".  Honestly, I'm not sure why.     It's just a great time to purge, and  get our house in order.  Personally, we clean because we're ending our school year, and the house is a complete mess by this time.  We need to catch up on some much needed cleaning!   

What about your life?  Have you taken inventory lately, and done some spring cleaning?  What things have you held on to that you need to let go of?  Are there people in your life, who are harmful?  Are there habits in your life that are hurting you?  Are there activities sucking up your time that could be better spent developing intimate relationships?  Are there material things that have captured your heart?  This is a great time to purge.  Holding on to the bad--even the mediocre--prevents us from receiving the good that God has for us.  If your cup is already full, how can God fill it with His glorious blessings? 

We are told in Hebrews 12:1 to throw off everything that keeps us from moving forward in God’s purposes for our lives, that includes the sin that would entangle us and keep us from running free and unhindered toward our destiny.  We need to ask God for the courage and strength to help us let go of everything in our lives that is not good for us, so that we can receive the good that God has for us.  

Let me know how I can be praying for you as you "Spring Clean".