After
sharing last month about my personal areas of scarcity, I found my
mind turning
to the opposite truth—the abundance we have in Christ! There are no
scarcities in all
that He offers
to us as His children...only overwhelming quantity.
What a comfort!
Extravagant
Invitation
I
have always enjoyed Isaiah
55 where we are invited to come and delight in God’s abundance (vs.
1-2).
God
promises abundant pardon to all who come in repentance (vs. 6-7).
That invitation is ultimately
fulfilled
in Christ and
all that He did through His death and resurrection. He continues to
invite the spiritually thirsty and hungry to come to Him for eternal
life (John
7:37,38),
full/complete
life (John 10:10), and entrance into His wonderful light
(1
Peter 2:9,10).
We, the unworthy, are
invited to received
God’s rich
mercy
(Ephesians
2:4)!
Christ’s
invitation is also for those who are stressed or anxious (Matthew
11:28-30). Who has not felt this during these unusual days? He
promises to exchange our burdens for soul rest and His personal care
as we release our burdens to Him (1 Peter 5:6,7).
Amazing
Transformation
Spring
is a time of transformation when the earth bursts into vivid color
with the longer hours of sunlight. Isaiah 55:10,11 remind us that as
the rain and snow (both seen by many of us this month of May!) are
used by the Creator to bring new life and harvest, so God’s Word
will accomplish what He has purposed, resulting in much fruit as we
abide in Him/His Word (John 15:5). God even goes as far as to say
that those who are in Christ are a “new creation”--totally
transformed (2 Cor. 5:17)! God’s Spirit uses His precious Word so
that we are “transformed into His likeness with ever-increasing
glory...” (2 Cor. 3:18).
We
all love to hear stories of transformation; I heard one recently from
VOICE Philippines. A
student
in
a large Manila High School attended an
after-school Values Class and her life was changed. She began
attending a youth group as well as a cell group in one of the
churches that
sponsored the class.
As
some of us look back on many years, we can testify that it is the
living God who has been so faithful and allowed us to “flourish”,
even bearing fruit in old age (Psalm 92:12-15). A recent testimony
from a puppeteer in Uganda revealed transformation of his own life
and those to whom he now ministers via puppets. That and a few other
things prompted me to use ventriloquism again and encourage others to
reach out with this tool producing video clips during lock-down time.
Inseparable
Love
Who
has not felt for those who have lost loved ones during these days of
covid-19 and other situations that have taken lives, some violently!
Our hearts ache as we hear of grief and hardship including job losses
globally. People in some nations are faced with food shortages
forcing some families to eat only one meal a day—scarcity! But, for
those who belong to Christ, there is the absolute assurance of Romans
8:35-39: “Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall
trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger
or sword?...No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
(abundance!) through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that
neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the
present nor the future, not any powers, neither height nor depth, nor
anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the
love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” What abundant
security in these uncertain times! No wonder Paul spoke of Christ as
the “unspeakable/indescribable gift” (1 Cor. 9:15).
Precious
Prayer
Have
you ever been struck
with the amazing breadth
of some of Jesus’ promises about prayer—“...Ask
and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it
will be opened to you. (Luke 11:9),” “If you ask anything in My
name, I will do it (John 14:14),” “the
Father will give you whatever you ask in My name, (John 15:16b),”
to name a few—certainly no scarcity/limitations in those promises! But that's not all prayer does. As
the Lion of the Tribe of Judah triumphs in Revelation 5,
golden bowls of incense, which are the prayers of the saints, are
presented to Him (v.8). Prayer is such a privilege and so important.
Recently
I listened to a radio sermon from a faithful supporting church, and
the reference of Romans 8:26 so touched me, “…the Spirit helps us
in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to prayer for, but the
Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that word cannot
express.” The Spirit of God prays for us. Further, the living
Christ intercedes for us (Hebrews 7:25). What truth for our soul’s
scarcity… comfort unspeakable!
Of
all topics to be recently requested to do ventriloquism, it was
prayer. I chose Philippians 4:6 to share with the children, “Do not
be anxious about anything, but in everything...present your requests
to God.” Are these days not a call to believing prayer, whether it
is prayer individually and corporately, whether by phone, Skype,
zoom, What’s App, etc.? We can be totally confident in God’s
overwhelming love, care, and ability to answer.
Jubilant
Celebration
Recently
I was listening to a CD of Handel’s Messiah that belonged to my
late Aunt. In these days of pessimistic news overload from the media,
how wonderful to get perspective through hymns and spiritual songs.
What abundance in Handel’s Messiah music, and the lyrics from the
Scriptures. Indeed God will have the last word, and “He shall
reign forever and ever”! There is a day of great joy coming when
God completes His salvation and the earth will be freed of its curse
(Isa. 55:12)—all scarcity left behind! Even so come, Lord Jesus
(Rev. 22:20).
