Good morning,
When I consider Jesus’ life and ministry, I notice that he ministers even when he is struggling with the indifference of that time. Imagine, if you will, struggling with the one group that should have been a source of strength and that was the religious people of that time. Jerusalem was not a place of tranquility like it was in Solomon’s time and it wasn’t a rich town like it was in David’s time, it was a place of consternation and contradiction. Yet, Jesus never gave up and succumbed to the darkness. In the same way with us, Jesus doesn’t wait until we are perfectly at peace and all of our struggles are resolved before sending us out. He sends us out knowing that we’ll find the missing piece that will catapult us into the next phase of our life. When we are going through bad times, it is the best time to pour hope into other people’s lives and the Lord will continue to fill our lives with the words we need to hear. My encouragement for you this Christmas season is that pouring hope into other people’s lives doesn’t negate the severity of what you are going through nor does it diminish your needs. Sharing our life with others helps to open doors in our life that have been shut for a long time.
Verses: 2 Timothy 4, John 4:1-45, 2 Kings 4:1-7
Famous Quote: “The ministry of bearing with one another is learning to hear G-d speak through difficult people.” – John Ortberg.
Father,
In this Christmas season help me to minister to lives that may grow in hope before you. While I know that I do not have all of the answers, I have your spirit that will provide the words I need to speak. I pray for my family today that you will watch over them and keep this day. I pray that you will continue to shake the world and its elected leaders so that they may be silenced before you. I pray for the military, law enforcement, and EMT communities that you will be with every one of them and bring them safely home. I pray over our politicians that you will continue to shake them to their core with the message of the Ephod so that they fully understand whom they serve. I pray for the city of Stacy, the state of Minnesota, and the USA may your Spirit fall fresh upon us. I pray for the truckers who carry supplies to our communities. I thank you for healing our land with rain that refreshes the land and the storms that shake the heart of mankind. I pray for those who need a special touch from you today. Finally, I pray that my words will always be an encouragement to all who read these words in Jesus’ name I pray. May your peace be upon my family, city, state, nation, and world. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer (Psalms 19:14).
IHS
MK
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