Ministry of Jesus

"See, the Sovereign LORD comes with power,

and he rules with a mighty arm.

See, his reward is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:

He gathers the lambs in his arms

and carries them close to his heart;

he gently leads those that have young."

Isaiah 40:10-11

Jesus reconciles sinful man to holy God, making eternal life possible for all who repent and place their faith in Him (Colossians 1:19-20, Mark 1:14-15).  What can I expect as I draw closer in submission to Him?

Nourishment.  By dinner time I'm hungry.  I can feel my blood sugar drop and sense that my brain power has diminished.  Even simple decisions overwhelm in such a weakened state.  Once I eat, I feel better and can again resume life as normal.  I need nourishment in order to carry on.

It's the same spiritually.  This world sucks the life out of me.  As I go through my day, I wear down and easily become discouraged.  I also tend to drift away from His truths and conform to the way the world thinks because it appeals so much to my sin nature (Romans 12:2).  Even though it is contrary to God's kingdom, I find myself agreeing with man and disagreeing with God and His Word.  I need constant spiritual nourishment to rebuild and maintain my faith, to grow it stronger and keep me on track, to realign my thinking with His.  Jesus is that sustenance, and it is only through Him that I can produce any kind of godly fruit that lasts beyond today (John 6:35, John 15:5).  I must stay connected to Him at all times for He is my source of life.

As I submit to Jesus I find myself depending upon Him to nourish my faith.

Strength.  Physically, I'm strong.  Even as a pre-teen I remember being one of only two girls in Junior High who could climb the dreaded rope and ring that bell at the top.  It's nothing I did, just a natural strength that came from God.  Emotionally and spiritually, however, I have found that I am lacking in the strength department.  I used to think the physical muscle translated to other parts of my life until God used a good friend to point out my lack.  I really need a boost to make up for my deficiencies.

Jesus is my strength.  When I am weak, He has the opportunity to empower me to withstand emotional trauma and stand firm spiritually in the face of hard times.  While I might naturally deal with difficulties in an unhealthy way, Jesus gives me the fortitude I need to turn away from those harmful patterns and learn new ways of coping.  He also gives me a strong spine meant to withstand all kinds of testing of my faith so that I can stand firm, not falling away from what I know to be true.

As I submit to Jesus I find that He is my strength when I am weak, which is more often than I first realized (2 Corinthians 12:9-10).

Leadership.  In my life I've gone through a certain progression, changing and adapting as I grew.  I started off making decisions the only way I knew how; by making a list of pros and cons and choosing whichever option made sense to me.  Then I tried to include God in my decision-making process so I'd throw Him in the loop, asking Him to bless whichever choice I made.  Finally I got to the point where I realized He's meant to be my Shepherd who wants to lead me down the path He plans for me to follow.

Jesus is my leader.  He gently guides me, taking me where He wants to go at the pace He deems as best.  While I often get impatient and want to pass Him by, I've learned the hard way that things go better when I let Him lead.  I often get a chance to enjoy life more as the burden of leadership is transferred from my shoulders to His;  what a joy to rest in what He has already done and allow Him to fulfill this role of Shepherd in my life!  As my leader, He also tenderly corrects me when I start to stray or go back to my old ways.  When I pay attention and submit to His discipline instead of complaining that I can never get a break, I learn how to surrender even more of myself to Him.  There is no safer place to be than under the Lordship of my Jesus as He fights my battles for me and protects me from all that could harm me.

As I submit to Jesus I learn what it means to enjoy life under His leadership.

The ministry of Jesus is greater than could ever be completely understood.  While it is through His blood that I'm made right with God and thus find the benefit of eternal life with Him, there is even more to be gained through faith in Christ.  In this life I find that Jesus is the nourishment that keeps me going, the strength that holds me up, and the leadership that guides and corrects.  The older I grow, the more I realize I depend upon Jesus and His amazing ministry.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust Jesus to be my strength instead of trying to put on a strong front.

When do I try to go it alone?

How am I failing to let Jesus lead me where He wants me to go?  Or how do I set my own pace instead of following His?     

Bitter Seems Sweet

"One who is full loathes honey from the comb,

but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet."

Proverbs 27:7

I, like all humans, have a deep hunger for something that satisfies.  I search high and low, trying this and that, but nothing quenches that thirst, satiates my appetite, fills that hole.  Then I encounter the Bread of Life, and I find contentment and satisfaction (John 6:35).  But how do I often work against Jesus' satisfying nature (John 10:10b)?

Junk Food.  "You'll spoil your dinner!"  It's the mantra of mother's everywhere as they try to train their children to prefer that which provides true sustenance and high quality nutrition as opposed to what simply tastes good but is devoid of any nourishment that would promote good health.  It's what is often called "junk food" or empty calories.

There is also a kind of spiritual junk food that can ruin my appetite for God's Word.  When I fill up on other stuff like worldly wisdom that sounds good to my itching ears (2 Timothy 4:3), or false teachings like the prosperity gospel that tells me Jesus came to improve my physical life here on earth (Matthew 6:24, John 16:33), or fluff that does nothing for me but entertain, I lose my desire to hear the Truth of God's kingdom.  Instead of craving meat I settle for milk because it's all I can stomach after gorging on all the junk (1 Corinthians 3:1-2).  When I use my discernment to weed out that which is not from God, I'll find my hunger growing for the unadulterated Word of God.

When I fill up on the junk food of this world, I ruin my appetite for the nourishment found in God and His Word (Matthew 5:6).

Starvation.  I have the habit of putting off eating until I get my work done.  Sometimes I get so caught up in what I'm doing that it's noon before I eat breakfast.  I didn't intend to skip a meal; I just get too busy to eat.

It's easy to do the same thing spiritually.  I'm so busy running from one activity to another, filling my life with things that seem so important and meaningful, that I run out of time to spend with Jesus.  In fact, I get so caught up in this life that I rarely invite Him in to what I'm doing (Revelation 3:20).  To pray continuously doesn't mean I have to sit in my prayer corner all day long (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  Rather, it is an attitude, a desire to be open to what God is telling me, to listen for His still, small voice and watch for Him at work all around me.  It's getting in the habit of living life in relationship with Him in comparison to setting Him on a shelf where He stays until I think I need Him (John 15:5).

When I starve myself of Jesus and His presence, I become vulnerable to every good-sounding message that I hope will take the edge off my spiritual hunger.  Only Jesus satisfies.

Binge-Purge Cycle.  It's a horrible cycle that can lead to death.  In an effort to control her life in some way, a woman caught in this vicious disorder gorges on food, often junk, in an effort to find satisfaction, only to be overcome with guilt and makes herself vomit up all she just ate.  Or, in order to try to keep up appearances, to reach an impossible standard set for her, or maintain the facade of perfection, she purges after meals as a weight-control method.  Either way, the food she consumes is not given a chance to be digested and utilized by the body as sustenance.  As a result, those caught in this web of deceit often find themselves malnourished as well as emotionally tortured.

I can do the same kind of thing with God's truths.  I can listen to sermons and teachings every chance I get, read God's Word each and every day, and talk about how great God is but until I apply it to my own life, letting God use it to change the way I think, to alter my lifestyle, to modify my behavior, it's like I'm entering into a binge-purge cycle (Romans 12:2).  The Truth is never broken down, ingested and allowed to change my heart.  I might as well not bother if the Word I'm hearing makes no difference in the way I live my life (James 1:22-25).

When I gorge myself on the Truth yet fail to put it into action, I have entered into a cycle that will result in spiritual malnourishment as God's Word fails to penetrate my heart.

There are many ways I find myself hungering after that which will do me no good.  I often gorge on spiritual junk food that ruins my appetite for true sustenance, or I starve myself of Jesus which drives me to feed on whatever I come across, or I gorge on God's Word but fail to let it change me.  In these ways I place myself in a perilous position in which even that which is bitter can taste sweet to me.  May I only hunger after that which truly satisfies!

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to let Him fulfill my every need.

When do I fill up on that which will do me no good in the long term?

How am I starving myself of Jesus?  

Never Hungry

"The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry,

but he thwarts the craving of the wicked."

Proverbs 10:3

God promises many things and He is faithful to keep each one of His words.  But this one has me wondering:  Is there more to hunger than an empty belly?

Righteousness.  There are many things I crave while living this temporary life.  I often drift toward selfishness, thinking if I could only find myself and figure out who I really am then I will be happy.  In my tendency to focus on my own needs and wants, I end up going after the things I think that will bring fulfillment and meaning:  success, pleasure, financial security, material wealth, social status (1 John 2:16).  In spite of my efforts, I never find complete gratification.  I'm always wanting more.

Then I remember that I was made for more than this.  In Christ I've been made right with God, the very thing I need to be able to enjoy His favor, to find His blessing, to prosper spiritually.  And when I truly value His better way of living, craving for all that He values like honesty, fairness in my dealings with others, kindness and obedience to His laws, I will find fulfillment and pleasure.  Finally, contentment will be mine as I walk in peace with my Shepherd.

God promises a happy and satisfied heart when I hunger and thirst for righteousness (Matthew 5:6).

Living Water.  She came to fill her jar with the life-giving liquid but came away with so much more.  No one valued her.  In fact, most saw her as worth little more than the grime between their toes.  She was despised by women and used by men.  Because of her station in life, she was constrained to visit the community well in the heat of the day to avoid the gossip and scorn of the other women.  Her heart ached for connection, for acceptance, for true love.

Then came the One who offered her Living water that will quench her deep-in-the-depths-of-her-soul yearnings.  Jesus gave her a new beginning as a woman who was seen and loved by the God who made her, and she received His gift of the abundant life with great joy (John 4:13-15).  

When I follow suit and receive the living water Jesus offers me, I will have everything I need flowing through me.  The indwelling Spirit of Jesus will quench my deepest thirsts, fill my empty places and heal my hurting heart.  He came to turn my worst nightmare into a great victory, not the kind of victory where I rise to the pinnacle of success or gain everything I ever wanted, but triumph over evil, worthless living and all that separates me from His love (Romans 8:31-37).  I am secure in His clutches, and this is the kind of success that lasts an eternity.

God promises to quench my deepest thirst with the living water that is found through faith in Jesus.

Bread of Life.  They saw their chance.  If they followed this charismatic and powerful teacher, they would never have to worry about food again.  Their days of hunger would be over.  Never again would they have to scrap for a few morsels to sustain their families.  Life would be good and they could focus on more than just survival.

Then Jesus brought them back to reality (John 6:25-34).  He came to give them more than just physical food to fill their bellies.  He came to fulfill every spiritual need as the Answer to every question they pondered, the solution to each problem they faced.  Jesus declared Himself the Bread of life that would deliver eternal and abundant life to those who believed (John 6:35).

I, too, am offered this full and thriving life as I look forward to life forever in my heavenly home.  When I trust in Jesus as my Savior, submitting to Him as Lord of my life, I will never lack for anything.  If, however, I stray away, looking elsewhere to supply my needs, to answer my questions, to offer solutions to my problems, I'll spend my days searching in futility.

God promises to satisfy my deepest hunger when I give my life to Jesus, the Bread of life.

The one thing I can count on in life is for God to keep His promises.  Therefore, there is no risk in seeking Jesus as my source of happiness, the Living water who will quench my deepest thirsts, and the Bread of life who fully satisfies my deepest cravings.  In Christ, I will never hunger for what really matters.

As I begin this day it is my prayer that I can trust God enough to be in charge of giving me what I need.

When do I look beyond Jesus to find meaning and purpose?

How am I straying away from my Shepherd who desires to give me what I most need?