Yesterday our church family loved on our community with oil changes, haircuts, feeding them, clothes, medical check-ups. We made a great effort in showing them the generosity of God's love and mercy.
Nehemiah had gone back to Jerusalem to rebuild the broken down walls. We live in a culture where so many are broken and hurting. Just look around, there are many opportunities to reach out and be generous in our giving to people's brokenness.
In a toddlers world they have their own set of rules with their property. Here it is as follows; if I like it, it's mine. If it's in my hand, it's mine. If I can take it from you, it's mine. If I had it a little wile ago, it's mine. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine. If it looks just like mine, it's mine. If I saw it first, it's mine. If you are playing with something and put it down, it automatically becomes mine. If it's broken it's yours. That's pretty funny but it's really true isn't it?
In mans early development, we were born just like the toddler. It's only by the transformation and salvation in Jesus Christ that we learn how to take on the DNA of God's nature and be changed.
It was beautiful seeing all the hands involved yesterday in loving on people in our community. There's no greater joy that fills a heart than giving out to those who are in need. That's what Christ did, He reached out to their hurting brokenness.
In 1912 when the Titanic was going under, people started getting on the lifeboats, but sadly many of the lifeboats were not full. In lifeboat number 7, there were 65 seats but only 24 got aboard that lifeboat. Lifeboat number 1, there was room for 40, but only 5 passengers and 7 crew members got on board.
What went wrong? Why weren't all the seats taken? Why did the captain cancel the drills of getting on the lifeboats the day before? Was there a lot of pushing and shoving, "that's my seat?" If we're not careful we will go through life as a toddler only looking out for ourselves. It's amazing to me how many still have a toddler's mindset.
Where would you be today had not God reached out to you with His mercy? He is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. If you had of lived in Nehemiah's day, would your name be on the list in rebuilding the broken walls? God takes the time to list each leader and worker who is engaged in the rebuilding of the broken walls.
I encourage you today to take time to engage yourself in the rebuilding of broken lives. Jesus said, "The spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised."
Lifeboat 13 was the only lifeboat that went back, pulling people out of the cold frigid waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. Will you take the time, the risk, and the effort to rebuild broken lives? I pray you have moved on pass the toddler's stage. There is a reason the creator created your life. It's more blessed to give than it is to receive.
daanysdevotional.com
oceanwayag.com
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