Like
a rose, trampled on the ground… He took the fall and thought of me.
What a thought about our LORD! Crucified… laid behind the stone;
rejected and alone. Certainly; these reflections can and do bring tears;
but herein is the Joy! Luke 24:34 and John 11:25-26
On
a trip to the state of Washington and in the old section of Seattle we
bumped into a young man who had no money. It seems that in that section
of town there were many without money or places to live. However, these
homeless folks were busy as they all seemed to be searching out people
(tourists) who might give them a buck or two. The man said he was from
Canada and was traveling with his wife and child asked if I could give
him enough money to get his car fixed and his family back home. I had
already determined to give him some money, but my wife was skeptical and
asked me to get the man to take us to his wife and car. After a few
blocks of roaming, we happened to past a woman walking with a baby
carriage on the other side of the street. He called out to her, but did
not respond. She is embarrassed, he said. Okay was my reply; are we near
your car. Oh yes he said, it is right over here. I noticed that it had
Washington plates, it was also locked and he said that his wife had the
keys. There was no baby seat and there was a pack of cigarettes in the
front seat. Well, in my mind I had already turned the money over to the
LORD so with Matthew 25:31-46
I gave the young man three five dollar bills. At some point in our
conversation he said that he was saved, if so then what he did with
those few dollars are between him and the LORD.
Some
of us have a tough time parting with money that they have worked hard
for. Even a little pocket change for some is hard to dig for when
someone asked for help. The hair on the back of our neck responds, our
eyes become beady and even a little anger creeps in. I can be like this;
but somewhere along the line of time the LORD changed my heart. I can
look into a persons eyes and see need. Now this does not mean that I
walk around with my wallet open, but it does mean that 1 Corinthians 9:7-8 is alive and well in the course of my day.
Why
would this be? Unless the LORD builds the house; those that labor,
labor in vain. If you disregard the LORD of you soul, the cost of a
hired watchman is more costly. If we labor, we labor for the LORD and no
one should live to him or herself, nor does one die to him or herself
but if we live, we live to the LORD and if we die, we die to the LORD,
in this… we belong to the LORD.
So Psalm 127:1-5; Romans 14:7-12 and 2 Corinthians 9:1-15
have this in common. Life needs to be lived. God is supreme in giving
in that He first gave of Himself as an example of the good things to
come to those. What He gives to us is a gift that is indescribable.
Jesus Christ… laid behind the stone, rejected and alone; like a rose
trampled on the ground. He took the fall and He thought of you, He
thought of me, so together we have the empty cross, the empty grave and
the Risen LORD; O halleluiah, halleluiah; what a friend we have in
Jesus. Spend time with Him today and you and He will be full of Joy.
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