He is Faithful

Coming to the Red Sea

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Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14

One of my professors at Bible college often said that the Christian life wasn’t hard to live, it was impossible! In our lives the Red Sea represents that place of impossibility.

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It is impossible for us to become Christians, impossible to grow in our faith and impossible to accomplish anything without the miraculous grace of God. The story of Moses and the children of Israel leave us an encouraging example of how God chose to work by His miracle grace. Maybe you are in an impossible situation or one is looming on your horizon like a dark cloud. It is like facing the Red Sea with the sound of your enemies at your back. While it is quite natural to feel a sense of panic, but in that in that moment remind yourself that God Himself has led you to that shore. One of the greatest fears we face is the fear of the unknown. We can’t imagine how our life will be if x, y or z happens. But God specializes in doing his best work when we don’t understand. Let your faith work in the same way that you welcome anesthesia before a surgery. Since you will be asleep your confidence doesn’t lie in your ability to direct the surgeon’s hands but in the confidence that he is operating for your good. You will never have a greater opportunity to grow in your trust towards God. Nothing is by chance in the battle you are in. You haven’t taken a wrong turn and this is not a dead-end. In fact you are in exactly the right place. God has brought you to your own Red Sea. Stand strong with expectancy and you will discover what only God can do next!

 

Passing Through the Notch

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Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff— they comfort me Psalm 23:4 NRSV

Coming home from work I used to drive through a notch

KIMG0848in the hills called Sugar Hollow. The interesting thing about the place was that in late afternoon the angle of the surrounding hills blocked out most of the sun when it was low on the horizon. You would drive out of bright sunshine into a sort of twilight for a few miles. Then after a few long minutes suddenly the shadows lifted and the sun came shone again as you passed through to the other side.

That passing through may be what you are experiencing today. Maybe everything seemed pretty normal in your life till unexpectedly the boss called you into the office or the doctor called about those test results. The bright sunshine of your day in a moment changed to a shadowy path. If you are at all like me it feels at those moments that even the most familiar of lP1020256and-marks seem strangely different in darkness. That is the time to remind ourselves to hang on and keep going. We do not need to panic. Jesus has promised to be with us always. Whatever deep river, hot fire or dark valley that lies ahead is temporary. Just past the shadows of the notch we are passing through, His road will lead us into sunshine and all the way home!

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Mustard Tree Faith

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And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.”             Mark 4:30-32 ESV

We often hear of how Jesus said that the kingdom of God is like a mustard seed. But what is forgotten is that Jesus didn’t teach us that His kingdom was a small seed but that it could grow. In fact Jesus taught that His kingdom was like the smallest of seeds that grew into the largest plant in the garden. For those of us in nursing home ministry, Mustard Tree Faith calls for us as members of God’s kingdom to minister to the needs of the long term care community –  residents, caregivers and family members. Our vision is that the kingdom of God – in both our personal lives and in our communities must grow. In order for our faith  to grow according to God’s design we are called to follow the three simple steps Jesus gave us in both our daily lives and ministry.

First we must be planted. All of us who are Christians today come from the single seed of Jesus Christ planted on the hill of Golgotha. Because Jesus surrendered His life willingly on the cross we have the hope of eternal life. As followers of Jesus we must also give ourselves willingly and completely to serve where he has called us. Nursing home ministry is not just for special occasions, holidays or when we feel impelled by momentary pangs of guilt. We joyfully and consistently dedicate ourselves to sharing the hope of eternal life found only in the message of Jesus death, burial and resurrection.

And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. Romans 5:5 ESV

Second we dedicate to growth. Giving ourselves fully to God’s ministry does not mean being content to do our work without seeing any growth. The mustard seed Jesus talked about grew to be the largest plant in the garden. First we must grow down! In practical terms that may mean getting involved with special events being planned at our facilities, networking with the staff and going the extra mile in visiting those in need outside of regularly scheduled nursing home services. Our connections are not only to make our own ministry grow but they open the door so that others can come alongside of us in service. The needs in long term care are so deep and so many that no one person, no matter how dedicated gifted or energetic can possibly meet them all. Our roots give us stability and security so our outreach can branch outward. Do not be afraid to try new things. Doors that God opens are meant for us to go through. If our motivation is firmly based on the love of God people they will know it. There are times of loneliness, isolation and despair for residents, care givers and family members in long term care. Only Jesus Christ can meet them at their lowest points and give the assurance of faith they need. Our job is to faithfully show up and let God can arrange that meeting!

Third a mustard tree becomes a place of refuge. People will be able to come to us and find a place of rest, refreshment and safety. They will be able to “make their nest” or in other words, find a home. We are not just to skate in and out of our place of service like movie stars making  guest appearances. We are called to be family members to those who sometimes have lost theirs or been forgotten. When we have been there through both good times and bad we will one day look around and discover that the mustard seed of faith God gave us has grown to be a tree!