It is good to have another day to bring glory to the precious name of JESUS and to share in the study of HIS WORD!!! What a shame I have to re post something, instead of supplying fresh manna to my readers!!! In the LORD's time though, in the LORD's time!!!
Luke 7:11-13
"Soon afterward, JESUS went to a town called Nain, and HIS disciples and a large crowd went along with HIM. As HE approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out- the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her, HIS heart went out to her and HE said, "Don't cry."Here we see a suffering widow, having lost her only son, a sad condition even for today. There would be no one to carry on the family name or inheritance. Compassion for her filled our SAVIOR's heart and HE said but two simple WORDS, "Don't cry." At many times in life we fight with lesser problems and we allow them to overwhelm us. Breaking us down to our very foundations, where we cry out to GOD for relief. How much more grief would we be suffering, if it were us in this woman's shoes? Seeing the hopes of all the years, being carried out to be buried?
As usual though, the LORD hasn't left me with just this view of this occurrence. We often treat most of our problems in this very same manor. Crying over things that we should realize are all within the ample hands of the LORD. They're all covered somewhere along the lines of scripture, within HIS promises to us as believers. So why do we cry about all these little things, when we hear HIM telling us, "Don't cry," over these little problems? Is it because our faith is so insignificant in comparison to our problems? Or is it because they're so much larger then our LORD? Truly I hope none of you have answered yes to either of these questions. For if you did, you had better re-examine your beliefs and just how you envision the LORD!
It is usually because we have a large lapse in memory and don't remember all the great works the LORD has done within our lives. Our current problems seem to loom so large in our sight, that we envision them to be humongous mountains that can never be overcome. We have lost sight of HE that created all of the universe with but a few simple WORDS, "Let there be."? Here we are cowering on the ground, whimpering like fools about our tremendous difficulties and we call JESUS our LORD and SAVIOR!!! Think long and hard about this. The GOD of all the universe has take up residence within us. HE has made many, many promises, of which HE can't break the simplest of them without being in violation of HIS very nature. HE is all knowing, can be in every place in the universe at the same time and can keep even a single sparrow from falling to the ground without HIS allowing it!!! So what do we really have to cry about?
We are told to pray and ask the LORD for our needs and desires and we're also told that HE already knows them! We should, instead of crying out over them, simply state the problems before HIM, thank HIM for hearing our request and for answering them according to HIS will and not ours. No tears, no jump in our blood pressure, just a simple request, short and sweet. So the next time all of hell seems to be knocking at your door and tons of weight is hanging from your shoulders, remember these two simple words, "Don't cry!!!"
Please don't take me the wrong way on that which I'm led to write. I myself, for years and at times still do have such problems in my walk with the LORD! Being a human and weak by nature, we all can forget who it is that we place our reliance upon and exactly how great HE truly is!!! These are learning lessons, not thrashings for doing wrong. Take them and savor them, look deep into their lines and LORD willing, we will a someday hear HIM say, 'Well done, my good and faithful servant, well done!!!'
Other verses of interest: Matt. 4:23,24; Mark 5:21-24, 35-43; Luke 4:40,41, 13:10-13; John 11:1-44
Use these verses, but don't stop with them, cross reference and seek out GOD from within HIS WORD!!!
Prayer request can be sent to: prayers@vineofchrist.org
GOD bless and good day,
Rev. Marshall Barth
Vine of CHRIST Ministries
Vine Ministerial Network International
