To Be Filled

Scripture:

Psalm 42:1-2 (ESV)

As a deer pants for flowing streams,
so pants my soul for you, O God.
My soul thirsts for God,
for the living God.
When shall I come and appear before God?

Devotional:

This morning I woke up to hear thunder rumbling in the background.  I could hear the rain falling.  Sometimes it was heavy and loud.  Other times it was soft and faint to hear.  The rain is necessary for life.  Not only does it give life it cleans the air and ground.  Rain washes away the pollution leaving the air to smell fresh.  I love the way it smells on a spring day just after a storm. 

This brings to mind the Holy Spirit.  Jesus came and washed away our sins, just as the rain cleans the air.  The Holy Spirit can wash upon us giving us life.  The Holy Spirit can wash upon us and fill us.  We can be of renewed spirit, full of life.  Each of us has the Holy Spirit within us.  But are you overflowing? 

I don’t want to have just enough Holy Spirit in me to live or get by.  I want to be over flowing with so much of God’s spirit that I am overflowing.  As a cup overflows, it can spill out and fill other cups or bowls.  Can you imagine if each of us is overflowing with the Holy Spirit?  Think of all the lives that can be effected.  Think of all those people that can then be filled with the Holy Spirit as well.  Is your cup half full?  Are you three quarters full?  Maybe you are just brimming to the top but not allowing any to spill out.

Look at a cup of coffee.  You can fill the cup with hot coffee.  After a while the coffee will get cold.  You cannot refresh the cup if it is never emptied.  But if you drink some of the coffee or share it with another person you can then refill it with fresh hot coffee.  We all know the Holy spirit doesn’t get stale or cold, but we can.  Allow yourself to be filled to over flowing.  Allow yourself to be refreshed.  Don’t settle for half a cup.  Be overflowing so that you might share with others.

God is Calling

Scripture:

Matthew 28:16-20 (ESV)

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Devotional:

The great commission, most of us have heard or read it several times in our lives.  We tell ourselves and each other that we want to follow God where ever He leads.  But when it comes down to it how many of us actually follow through with our verbal commitments?  Don’t get me wrong.  Most of us believe we will and actually intend to.

Recently I have been faced with a decision to make.  It is a game changing event not just for me but it effects my family.  This not so simple decision can take me down two paths.  One is to continue to following God’s plan and be where He wants me to be.  The other is to try and do things on my own seeking my own path.  Listening to the world and the world views the choice is simple.  Listing to God and what His plans are is not so easy.  One thing to remember is that Jesus never promised a bed of roses.  He tells us to take up our own cross, Matthew 16:24.  Most of us would agree that God’s way is the best way.

What if the decision is not that clear cut?  What if your choices all look good and appear to be in a direction God is calling you in?  What do you do then?  We have all heard the advice to right down on paper the pros and cons, or the good and bad, for each choice.  After doing so we can get a better idea of what direction to take.  It is also wise to seek council.  The trick here is not to seek any council but Godly council from other with deep relationships with Christ.  Most importantly it is best to pray.  Yep simply pray. 

Ok now you might be thinking what does this have to do with the great commission.  Alright here is the tie in.  How does your decision stack up with what we know for a fact what Jesus tells us to do?  Will your decision be a step toward the great commission?  Will you be stagnant or do nothing?  Ok maybe you have several choices and you can see how each are viable.  Maybe this added factor can help you narrow your choices down.

I recently was offered a job.  Nancy and had been praying about it and we both thought it would be a good change.  One factor we looked at is the possibility of touching many people’s lives.  In the end though it just didn’t seem the right choice.  God had opened doors.  He showed how it would work.  He even left the decision to us.  Either choice would be good.  However, in the end we just felt staying with my current job seemed to be where God wanted us.  I can’t really say why or how but it just seems to be the right choice.  Sometimes the right choice could be one of two or three.  Maybe God says I can use you in either, you decide.  Sometimes He has a specific place or task for us.  Most of the time I feel it is somewhere in between.

One thing is for sure, the great commission is not about a job.  It is about sharing the gospel and helping others grow.  It is reaching out into your local community as well as going on overseas mission trips.  Ask yourself one question.  How am I living out Matthew 28:19-20???  The bottom line is that each one of us is called.  Some of us are called to places far away.  Some of us are called to our own backyards.  Then some of us are called somewhere in between.  Make no mistake God is calling each of us.  How will we respond…