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November 29, 2010
Truth Connections
Devotions for Parents on the Go
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Value What God Values, Part One: The Job Description
Background Passages: Isaiah 61:1-11
Today's Focal Passage:
1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners;
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of our God's vengeance; to comfort all who mourn,
3 to provide for those who mourn in Zion; to give them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, festive oil instead of mourning, and splendid clothes instead of despair. And they will be called righteous trees, planted by the Lord,to glorify Him.
4 They will rebuild the ancient ruins; they will restore the former devastations; they will renew the ruined cities, the devastations of many generations.
5 Strangers will stand and feed your flocks, and foreigners will be your plowmen and vinedressers.
6 But you will be called the Lord's priests; they will speak of you as ministers of our God; you will eat the wealth of the nations, and you will boast in their riches.
7 Because your shame was double,and they cried out, "Disgrace is their portion," therefore, they will possess double in their land, and eternal joy will be theirs.
Isaiah 61:1-7 (HCSB)
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Stuck in Your Comfort Zone?
I went on my first international mission trip in 2007. It was an amazing experience that left me wondering why I had waited so long to go. I had used every excuse in the book not to go abroad to minister- finances, busy schedule, couldn't be away from family, not the right timing, and so forth.
I went with a group from my church to Cape Town, South Africa, the most beautiful place I had ever been but also a place with some of the poorest, darkest areas I had ever seen. One afternoon, my team worked with children in an after-school program in a shantytown called Masipumalale. After the program was over, my team made a visit to a family in the area with seven children and a mother confined to bed, sick with AIDS. Their house was approximately 15 by 15 feet with dirt floors and tin walls and roof. The roof was held down with old tires and large rocks.
A portion of the money we paid to go on the trip went to purchase school uniforms for children. If a child does not have a uniform, she cannot go to school. And, if she does not go to school, she will likely get involved in drugs, alcohol, prostitution, and other kinds of trouble. When we gave the clothing to these kids, they could not wait to try them on and model for us. The smiles on their faces made the trip most worthwhile.
God has called us out of our comfort zones to reach out to those in need in our communities and across the ocean. All believers are called to ministry. That means you and me. We are called to give out our abundance to those with nothing.
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Think It Through
o Who are the brokenhearted, captive and prisoners in your community?
o How can you minister to them?
o How has God empowered you to do this?
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