Chasing

By Lexi Ellis

“For You have been my help, And in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. My soul clings to You; Your right hand upholds me.”

Psalm 63:7-8 (NASB)

I recently read the words of an actress discussing turning 40 years old. She said, “The trick for me turning 40 was to really evaluate what I wanna do with this next phase in my life…The one thing I don’t wanna do is chase what I looked like at 20.”[1]

I think of actresses who very clearly “chase” what they used to look like through plastic surgery. We roll our eyes at it, but think of the multi-billion dollar industries that thrive on our chasing what we used to look like. Think of the money and resources we spend to change - - desperately chase - - in an attempt to recapture what used to be.

The more I thought about it, the more I saw how silly it is on paper. Why chase something that’s gone? Why spend the time and money desperately trying to look 20 when you’re not? How foolish to chase something that isn’t now obtainable.

And yet, I do the same thing. What do I chase instead of God? What do I desperately run after in my life that isn’t obtainable? I chase control. I chase consistency. I chase my plans. I chase my way. I chase my timing. I chase outcomes I want.

These things I chase aren’t for my best. They’re not obtainable if I want to serve and love others like Jesus did. They’re not things I can dwell on if I’m about advancing the Kingdom. The things I’m chasing, the things I’ve built my security on, are distractions and obstacles to fully surrendering to Him.

Instead of chasing things of this world, how would my life look differently if I intentionally chose to chase after my Creator? What kind of words would I use differently if I was continually chasing God’s will? What kind of attitude would I have if I strove to chase my Savior? The best part about chasing God instead of my own agenda is that it’s a drastically different result, as in, it’s an obtainable relationship.

The petty things I chase affect my relationship with God because they consume me. They reveal my selfishness. I need to deliberately choose to chase God, to choose to cling to Him like the psalmist David does in Psalm 63. This actress realized chasing something unobtainable like younger looks is foolish.

May we see the insignificant things we chase and choose to make a shift so we find ourselves chasing Him.

GOING DEEPER:

1.  What worldly things are you chasing?

2.  What do you need to do right now to chasing your God?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 63:1-5; Deuteronomy 13:4

[1] http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20360857_20694095,00.html

Lexi recently married Andrew, serves with Children’s Ministries at Oakwood, and is a fourth grade teacher at Lake Country Christian Academy.

Who am I?

By Brita Crouse

“Then King David went in and sat before the LORD, and he said: ‘Who am I, O Sovereign LORD, and what is my family, that you have brought me this far?’”

2 Samuel 7:18 (NIV)

Who am I? I’m a twenty-two-year-old college graduate. I’m a sister, daughter, and friend. I love music, good conversation, and cooking. But, it wasn’t until recently that I saw any of these things as blessings.

I have this problem: I compare blessings. I see things that other people have or can do and immediately compare my blessings to their blessings. For instance, many of my friends are getting married or starting jobs. So, naturally, I think, “Where’s my  husband?” or “How come I  don’t have my  dream job with a $60,000 starting salary yet?”…instead of thanking God for what I do  have. Have you ever caught yourself thinking things like that before? It’s silly, really, when you see those thoughts written out.

Think of it this way: Would you like to receive the same gift as all of your friends? God blesses each of us in different ways, according to our own individual needs. He lavishes His love on us in ways that are best for us. As much as I would like to get married someday, now is definitely not the time. So why am I comparing my situation to my friends who are?

It’s in those moments of comparison where I have to stop and ask God, “Who am I, that you have brought me this far?” Who am I that God has allowed me to graduate college in three and a half years? Who am I that God has given me a family and friends who love me? Who am I that God has sanctioned gifts and abilities that are unique to me?

David asks God the same question after he is reminded of how far he has come. David was brought out of a sheep pasture to become the ruler over Israel. He defeated his enemies with God protecting him, and God was always with him. And, he wasn’t comparing his situation to those around him. He was grateful! These are some serious blessings, and David acknowledged that, yet it was still hard for him to fathom.

When we can take time to say, “Who am I, God, that you have brought me this far?” and recognize our own blessings, we will experience that same kind of awe David did.  

GOING DEEPER:

1.  How has God blessed you this week? Take time to thank God for those blessings.

2.  Keep a list for the next week of things you are thankful for.

FURTHER READING:

Exodus 3:11; 2 Samuel 7:28-29; 1 Chronicles 17:16-21

Brita recently graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Psychology, has been attending Oakwood for sixteen years, and is currently part of our Just Among Moms weekly childcare team.

Chipping Away

By Jeannine Sawall

“And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”

2 Corinthians 3:18

There is a story about a sculptor who was working on a current project. He was carving a wolf out of a large stone. As a man stood by watching the sculptor chip a little bit away here and a little bit away there, he asked the sculptor how he knew what to carve off. The sculptor stopped what he was doing for a moment, looked at the man and said “I chip away whatever doesn’t look like a wolf. When I’m done chipping away those unwanted parts, then I will have a wolf.”

We are like that block of stone in the hands of God. While God loves us just the way we are, He loves us too much to leave us in our raw state. He desires for us to become more and more like Jesus. He wants us to grow and change and reflect His Son’s nature in our nature. He does this by chipping away those things that are not like His Son. Even though the chipping away can be painful at times, it means we aren’t stuck with the nasty, unlikeable things in our nature. God is working to change those things.

As Christians, we want to bear the image of Jesus. Not because it makes God happy; He already loves us in our imperfect state and not because it will help us get to heaven. Christ died on the cross and did the work of salvation for all men. No, we want reflect the image of Christ because it’s His image shown through us that draws others to Him and His glory. As we become more and more Christ-like in our nature, people are drawn to that “thing” that makes us so different. They’re drawn to Jesus in us, which becomes more and more apparent as our old nature is chipped away.

Having our rough edges chipped away can be a long and tedious process; however, the beauty that lies beneath is worth the lessons learned and the time required. It’s no mystery, we are flawed people and we will never see perfection this side of heaven. However, if we allow God to work in our hearts, chipping away all those things that are un-Christlike, we’ll soon bear the image of Jesus and His glory more and more.

GOING DEEPER:

1. What areas in your life does the Lord need to chip away at?

2. Who in your life needs to see Christ’s image in you?

Further Reading:

Romans 12:2; Romans 8:29; Isaiah 64:8

 

Jeannine is a wife and mother of four active boys. She works in the property management business. Jeannine is actively involved in ministry to those walking through grief.

Promise Keeper
By Susan Klein

“The Lord is faithful to all his promises and loving toward all he has made.”
Psalm 145:13b

I remember, as a girl, being in the Girl Scouts program. In our pledge, we promised to do our duty to God and our country, to help other people at all times and to obey the Girl Scout laws. Quite a lofty promise! One I’m sure I didn’t always keep.

We hear people making promises all the time; elected officials, teachers, spouses, parents, clergy, our children...But do they always keep them? What about the child who promises to never be naughty again, the alcoholic who promises to never touch another drink, the spouse who promises to be more considerate, the President who promises to cut taxes and get our country out of debt.... While all of these may have the most honorable of intentions, their “promises” cannot always be trusted.

David, in the Psalms, promised to obey God’s words yet we know for a fact that he sinned against God by murdering an innocent man. The Israelites promised to trust and obey God when He delivered them out of Egypt, but they continually doubted and disobeyed Him. In our human efforts, we tend toward failure when it comes to keeping our promises. We let other people down and they let us down. We do succeed some of the time, but not all of the time.

Scripture shows us over and over again that God is the only real Promise Keeper, 100% of the time. Most of the references to the word “promise” in the Bible have to do with His divine promises to us. And many speak of His faithfulness in fulfilling those promises. He promises rest for the weary, answers to prayer, deliverance from our sins and troubles, power for our weakness, grace to sustain us, good to be worked out in all things for His divine purpose, unlimited spiritual blessings, a resurrected body and eternal security for believers. He makes promises to the afflicted, the believers, the humble, the generous, the obedient, the penitent, the poor, the seekers, and the tempted. His promises are unfailing, assured by His supernatural power, and of infinite value.

The Lord isn’t just faithful to some of His promises, but to all of His promises, because He is loving toward all He has made! And that includes you!

GOING DEEPER:
1. Are you struggling to trust in God’s promises, perhaps because other people in your life have disappointed you with their broken promises?
2. Are you willing to meditate on His promises, believing that He can and will do as He says?

FURTHER READING:
1 Kings 8: 56-58; 2 Corinthians 1:20, 7:1; 2 Peter 1:3-4; 1 John 2: 24-25

Susan is a We Women Bible Study Coordinator and one of its teachers. She and her husband Mark enjoy tutoring and working with inner-city youth.

Memorial Day

By Tracy Smith

“He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.”

Psalm 147:3 (NIV)

Memorial Day is a day our country has set aside for remembrance. It is a day to remember those that have served our country and paid for our freedoms with the ultimate sacrifice - - their lives. Usually on this day, my mind is focused on how to best honor these brave men and women. 

This year, I have also been thinking about another aspect of Memorial Day - - the families left behind, the Gold Star Families. [1] For every sacrifice made on the battlefield, there are loved ones at home mourning the loss.

I cannot imagine the grief a mother feels when she buries a son, or a brother feels when he says good-bye to a sister, or child feels when he cries out in the night for his daddy, who cannot be there. My heart is heavy for those who grieve. I wish there was something I could do to ease their grief.

While there is nothing I can do, my prayer is that every person grieving knows the ultimate healer, the Lord. When life takes you down a road that you had not planned, leaning upon the Lord as you try to understand the new path is the only way to make it through.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30 (NIV)

My prayer this Memorial Day is that we all take some time to remember those that have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our country and those that mourn their loss.

GOING DEEPER

1.  Will you commit to spending some time in prayer this Memorial Day for those who are brokenhearted?

FURTHER READING

Matthew 5:4

[1] http://www.floridalegionpost13.org/p13goldstarhistory.html

Along with being a wife and mother to two boys, Tracy is an administrative assistant at Oakwood, serves on the Women’s Ministry Special Events Team and leads a great group of Junior High girls.

Hallelujah

By Lexi Ellis

"After these things I heard something like a loud voice of a great multitude in heaven, saying, "Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God."
Revelation 19:1 (NASB)
 

For as common of a word, it’s not an easy one. For simplicity’s sake, hallelujah, sometimes spelled “alleluia,” typically means “praise ye Yah” or “praise the Lord.” It pops up 24 times in the Hebrew Psalms and four times in one chapter in Revelation. It was most likely chanted by Levite choirs in the Jewish tradition. But it really shows up in the Christian faith: in Orthodox, Roman Catholic, Anglican, Protestant liturgies, hymns and prayers. [1] It’s commonly heard when proclaimed in Handel’s musical masterpiece, and is the title of a popular song on the soundtrack for that cinematic masterpiece, Shrek.

Because of our church’s sermon series on prayer and connecting with God, I’ve begun trying to identify hallelujahs - - specific “praise the Lord’s” - -  in my prayer life. Hallelujahs that go beyond counting blessings or things to list at Thanksgiving, but hallelujahs for the depths of God’s grace, the weight of His redemption, the intimacy of His love.

Hallelujah, God, thank you for sending your Son to restore my broken relationship with You. Hallelujah, God, thank you for creating me to long for community and for establishing Your Church - - a community of believers who do life together. Hallelujah, God, thank you for the gift of Your Word that You use to speak to us and give us examples of Your faithfulness. Hallelujah, God, thank you for Your Spirit, your very presence indwelling me when I accept Your gift of salvation.

What is your Hallelujah?
A word so big they couldn’t translate it
But took the Hebrew and reshaped it
Hallelu - to joyously praise
Jah – Yahweh, Jehovah, God

Not a word but a call:
Praise God, you peoples,
Praise God, all creation,
Praise God, O my soul

Hallelujah Hallelujah
What is your Hallelujah?

Sung with majesty in Handel’s chorus
Shouted in a passion of praise
Spoken with hope in a tricky situation
Whispered with relief when it all turns out OK

Sometimes it’s a cold and broken Hallelujah
Deliberately declared as an act of faith
Through doubt
Through tears
Through pain
Hallelujah Hallelujah Hallelujah

Sometimes Hallelujah is an attitude,
A deep breath taken,
A kindness given,
Precious time spent
Practical acts of praise

But it’s never just an expression,
A word to pad out worship songs,
A sarcastic utterance,
A Christian catchphrase

Praise God, you peoples
Praise God, all creation
Praise God, O my soul

Down your tools,
Your lifestyle props,
Your tiredness, your frustrations
Your everyday distractions

And hold this word high:
“Stand before the Lord of Song
With nothing on your tongue but Hallelujah”

Hallelujah Hallelujah
Give Him your Hallelujah. [2]

GOING DEEPER:

1.  Make a list. What is your hallelujah?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 67:3-6; Psalm 150:1-6

[1] The New SCM Dictionary of Liturgy and Worship by Paul F. Bradshaw, SCM Press, ©2002;  http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/252791/hallelujah; “Hallelujah” entry in A Dictionary of the Bible by F.H. Woods, Charles Scribner’s Son Publisher,  ©1902

[2] What is your Hallelujah? By Chloe Axford & Sam Hargreaves; http://engageworship.org/ideas/Hallelujah_reflection

Lexi recently married Andrew, serves with Oakwood’s Children’s Ministries, and is a fourth grade teacher at Lake Country Christian Academy.

Life in Transit

By Brita Crouse

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”

Jeremiah 29:13 (NIV)

“We have maintenance looking at the issue right now. Please remain seated.” Those were the last words I ever wanted to hear. I was sitting on a broken down plane in New York City, jet-lagged and wanting to be home in my bed. Having just returned to the States after a month long mission trip to the Czech Republic, I still had another connection to make in Detroit (that I ended up missing) before landing in Milwaukee. I was by myself in a big, unfamiliar city, and I hadn’t slept in nearly thirty hours. I was stuck...in transit.

Obviously, I eventually made it home, but it took much longer than I expected. Isn’t that how it always works? When traveling from one place to the next, obstacles present themselves, making our journey much longer than intended.

I’m having another one of those “stuck-in-transit” times of life right now. I’ve recently graduated from college, and I’m taking time off before going back to graduate school in fall of 2014. That’s nineteen months of being between two phases of life! I never expected my journey to come to a place like this. Going into college, I didn’t expect to graduate early. Coming out of college, I didn’t expect to have all of my plans fall through, leaving me unemployed and searching for a job.

But, it’s in these unexpected, transitional times of life where we find ourselves depending on and seeking God the most. When I was stuck on that plane, I had no other person to turn to. I had to completely rely on God for strength, alertness and protection. In my life right now, many things are changing, but God is the one thing that is constant.

I have no idea what my life will be like a week, a month, a year from now, but isn’t that kind of exciting? I know that by earnestly seeking God and listening for His voice, a deeper trust and dependence is being formed within our relationship.

Being stuck in transit doesn’t necessarily have to be a bad thing. These times are a wake-up call, reminding us that we need to be seeking God in times of change and uncertainty.

Maybe you are experiencing a transition phase right now, too. My advice? Be patient. God will bring you safely to the next phase of life. He will bless you in unimaginable ways.

Seek Him. He won’t leave you “stuck in transit.” 

GOING DEEPER:

1. What are some times of transition you have experienced? How has God seen you through those times in the past?

2. How can you demonstrate trust in your current situation?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 25:4-5; Romans 8:24-25

Brita recently graduated from Taylor University with a degree in Psychology, has been attending Oakwood for sixteen years, and is currently part of our Just Among Moms weekly childcare team.

You Are What You Have Been Becoming

By Carolyn Hulliberger

“Don’t be misled: No one makes a fool of God. 

What a person plants, he will harvest.”

Galatians 6:7 (The Message)

If you had a crystal ball and could see the future, how do you imagine your life in…

10 years?

25 years?

50 years?

The funny thing about this exercise is that if I reverse it and go back in my head to the person I was 10 or 25 years ago, I wouldn’t have been able to see my life exactly as it is now. But the decisions I made in those years have absolutely impacted my reality today. You see, our future eventually becomes our present. So often, we are lulled into complacency, thinking we have plenty of time to work on that future “me.” In actuality, the only day any of us is guaranteed is the day we are presently in.

Choices matter. The media we watch, how we treat our bodies, the friends we have, are all important. Perhaps you’re like me: All too often, my choices today don’t necessarily reflect the person I would like to think I’m working to become, especially in my relationship with Jesus. Because He is not physically next to me demanding my time, it can be easy to choose checking email or catching up on Facebook over spending time in my Bible with Him, developing my prayer relationship with Him, or even writing this devotional.

I read a quote recently: “You are what you have been becoming.” It made me think about who I want to be, and to look for role models in those areas. For instance, my grandma was the definition of a “prayer warrior.” I find myself often thinking of her when I pray these days. I have other friends who have exceptional hearts of compassion. They are influencing me, as well. It can help to find a “Jesus with skin on,” a person who is demonstrating how to live out an aspect of the Christ-following life, to have as a mentor.

So, back to the original question with a twist…how will Jesus be demonstrated in your life in 10 years? 25? And what can you do today to start to get there?

GOING DEEPER:

1. Ask the Lord to show you how you can be involved in another’s life as a role model or mentor.

FURTHER READING:

Hosea 10:12

Along with caring for her husband and two children, Carolyn works as an insurance representative, serves in Oakwood Church’s Student Ministries with an awesome group of junior high girls, and is the treasurer for Women’s Ministries.

Carriers
By Peggy Kleckner

“Some men came, bringing to him a paralytic, carried by four of them. Since they could not get him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof above Jesus and, after digging through it, lowered the mat the paralyzed man was lying on. When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’”
Mark 2:3-5 (NIV)

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by the needs of your friends and family? Have you wondered what to pray or how to pray for people whose needs seem bigger than your faith?

I was walking and praying one day when I just had to flat out tell God that I had no idea how He should or could resolve the issues in my friend’s life. Her struggles seemed to be jumbo-sized and the list just seemed to continue on relentlessly. I wondered aloud how to pray for a friend like that. What words could possibly express or contain that immensity? In a moment, I had His answer.

Have you ever seen the series MASH? Out of that series came just the picture I needed. Remember when all the wounded would be brought in carried by corpsmen? They would line up all the stretchers that were filled with the wounded, casualties of all types. The chief doctor would look each one over and determine what was needed. Once that determination was made, the corpsmen were told where to put each patient and what order each should be brought into the operating room. Well, that’s our job, too. We are just the corpsman. We don’t determine what is needed. We bring our prayer concerns to the Father without telling Him what needs to be done.

We are only the “carriers,” like the people in the verse we find in the gospel of Mark. Those friends brought their friend on a stretcher. They were relentless in their pursuit to bring him to Jesus. They came together to bear him up. They didn’t give up until he was at the feet of Jesus. Mark doesn’t note that they even made a request. They were just carriers. Jesus knew what was needed and He answered their faith.

What a relief to know that we don’t even need to know what to say, we are just to bring our friends to Jesus. He knows just what they need.

GOING DEEPER:
1. Have you been trying to tell God what to do with each of your prayer requests? Are you willing to just bring them, lay them at His feet and trust Him to know just what is needed?

FURTHER STUDY:
Romans 8:26-39; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; James 5:13-20

Peggy is a wife and mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and is an active encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield.

Only One Stone

By Elin Henderson

“Then David put his hand in his bag and took out A stone; and he slung it and struck the Philistine in his forehead…and he fell on his face.”

I Samuel 17:49 (NKJV)

God delights in using the simple and unusual to defeat the great and mighty. Numbers are a non-issue to Him, He only needs ONE. One man or woman devoted to Him. One stone to fell the Giant. One staff to split the Red Sea. One shout to fall the walls of Jericho. And, one phrase to still the sea. One is not a lonely number with God. It is a powerful number when He accompanies it.

We find strength in numbers; it makes us feel secure. Which would you rather have, one friend or many friends? One dollar or many dollars? One option or many options to choose from? The number grows exponentially as the need grows. The bigger the giant, the more stones we want!

But, God is calling us to boldly approach the giants of our life, reach into our bag and take out a single stone. Then, let it fly by the power of the Lord on High and watch the giant fall on his/its face!

So, let us lay aside our desire for great numbers and find strength in the ONE stone, ONE rod, ONE shout, or ONE phrase that He may want to use to defeat the giants in our lives. 

         

GOING DEEPER:                                               

1. Can you think of some current giants or obstacles that are in your path?

2. What ONE thing do you think God might want to use to conquest your foes?

                                                           

FURTHER READING:

I Samuel 17:47, 50; Luke 18:27; Psalm 46:1

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to thirteen-year-old Callie and ten-year-old Elias. They are currently in America on Home Assignment.

Things I Know (But Some Days Fail to Remember)

By Lisa Boyer

“Many, LORD my God, are the wonders you have done, the things you planned for us. None can compare with you; were I to speak and tell of your deeds, they would be too many to declare.”

Psalm 40:5 (NIV)

I know how amazing the God of the universe is:

“For the LORD Most High is awesome, the great King over all the earth.” Psalm 47:2

“… for the LORD your God, who is among you, is a great and awesome God.” Deuteronomy 7:21 

“He performs wonders that cannot be fathomed, miracles that cannot be counted.” Job 5:9

“For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.” Deuteronomy 10:17

“Then I said: "LORD, the God of heaven, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with those who love him and keep his commandments” Nehemiah 1:5

I know that God created me(!):

“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” Genesis 1:27, 31a

“Know that the LORD is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.” Psalm 100:3

“Your hands made me and formed me” Psalm 119:73a

I know that God chose me to have a relationship with Him:

“For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight.” Ephesians 1:4

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Peter 2:9

“In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.” Ephesians 1:11 

I know that God has a plan and a purpose for my life:

“For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”  Ephesians 2:10

“He called you to this through our gospel, that you might share in the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.” 2 Thessalonians 2:14 

Even though I know these things, some days I fail to remember them; but not today, today I will remember!!!

GOING DEEPER:

1.  In the busy-ness of daily life, what is it that you fail to remember? Today will you go to His Word to be reminded by Him? 

Lisa has been married to Ted for over 20 years and they have two teenage sons. Lisa administers Fresh Start’s Facebook and blog, and loves hanging out with and impacting teenage girls for Christ.

“Look for the Helpers”

By Tracy Smith

“not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others.”

Philippians 2:4 (NIV)

After the tragedy of the Boston Marathon bombing, it was so hard to continue to hear the awful details of what happened that day. It was tragic and so very sad. Through Facebook, I was reminded of a quote by Mr. Rogers:

"When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, 'Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.'"

Those were the stories I focused on and the stories I continued to read and watch. Over and over again, you would hear stories of people running towards the danger to help others - - with no regard for their own safety. You heard stories of runners finishing a 26.2 mile run and continuing on to local hospitals to see if they could donate blood, and average citizens giving first aid in order to save a life. Boston locals stepped up in many ways also: offering a place to stay for stranded runners, feeding them and offering the use of their phones to runners that were lost after being diverted off the course of the marathon. Amazing.

Those examples showed how people responded in an extreme circumstance. What can this look like in our everyday lives? Luke 3:10-11 (NIV) says this, “ ‘What should we do then?’ the crowd asked. John answered, ‘Anyone who has two shirts should share with the one who has none, and anyone who has food should do the same.’” We can do this by looking out for people in need, and when we see the need, try to find a way to meet it.

There are so many options: volunteering at a non-profit that helps those in need, helping an elderly or disabled neighbor with yard work, offering a glass of water or a cup of coffee to the person fixing your washing machine, giving a frightened child a hug, or just smiling at the cashier who is having a rough day. The opportunities are endless, if we just take the time to slow down and look. I hope someday that someone remembers me as the helper who made a difference.

The next time the news shows something scary happening, take the time to look for the helpers.

GOING DEEPER

1. Is there someone in your world who needs a helper? If so, are you willing to pray regarding what you can do to be a helper?

FURTHER READING

Matthew 25:35-40; Hebrews 13:16

Along with being a wife and mother to two boys, Tracy is an administrative assistant at Oakwood, serves on the Women’s Ministry Special Events Team and leads a great group of Junior High girls.

Leaving a Trail of Life

By Elin Henderson

“I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”

John 10:10b(NKJV)

What would you do if tomorrow’s headlines read, “After a night of amazing events, (your name) fled the scene, leaving a trail of life in his/her wake.” You would probably be pretty shocked!  I can only imagine that in the time of Jesus, if newspapers had already existed, the headlines after each of His visits, would have looked very similar to this! Everywhere He went, He left a trail of life. Whether it was physically or spiritually, He gave LIFE to all those He came in contact with. 

Where did He get this life? God the Father poured it out into Him and Jesus in turn poured it out liberally to those around Him, leaving a trail as He left.  People everywhere were impacted by this incredible life.

That same headline could be a reality for us today. We have the same source of life and power within us in the form of the Holy Spirit. As we abide in Him, He gives us life abundant and free.  That life should be spilling out and leaving a trail behind us everywhere we go, impacting the world for Him. So, let’s ask Him to make this headline a reality in each of our lives today and, like Jesus and His disciples, leave the world wondering and amazed at the trail of life we leave behind. 

         

GOING DEEPER:                                               

1.  How does understanding the concept that He is the vine and we are the branches, help us to grasp what this life is all about?  (John 15:1-8)

2. What were some of the ways that Jesus left a trail of life behind Him? How is He asking you to do the same in your current life situation?

FURTHER READING:

Galatians 2:20; John 1:4; Romans 6:4

Oakwood’s missionaries Elin Henderson (a registered nurse) and her husband Phil serve as church planters with New Tribes in Mozambique, Africa.  Elin is mother to thirteen-year-old Callie and ten-year-old Elias. They are currently in America on Home Assignment.