"And the word of the Lord came again to Zechariah: This is what the Lord Almighty says: Administer true Justice; show mercy & compassion to one another. Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the alien or the poor. In your hearts do not think evil of each other."
-Zechariah 7:8-10
Late last night and this morning the Lord lead me to read in Zechariah, it's funny to me how I'll be reading in one place and the scriptures will mention the name or character of someone and then the Spirit leads me to that book because of my hearts desire to know that person and what their story is. That is exactly how I ended up in Zechariah - I was reading about him in the Gospel of Luke and it lead me to figure out where he came from and what he was about, so I headed to the Old Testament. This was obvisously in God's plan. This scripture speaks so deeply to my heart and the work that I have been doing all summer here at IJM. I am still in awe - yes with less than a month left to my internship here in Washington D.C. - at how God got me here, all that he has been teaching and all the greater things he still has in store for the little bit of time left here with IJM and the time ahead in Boone come mid August and then the time of sending me on into new and adventurous things. God's word is just so clear about justice and compassion and oppression and as believers its beautiful to walk out these commands that touch on these topics and not just here at IJM during my work day but as I daily commute on the metro and see homeless, fatherless, widows and the poor - it is the call of God on our lives as believers to stop to actually take the time to slow down and take notice of these, the least of these, the aliens and those who are outcasts - its not an option - it is a command. If I truly love God and I am actively seeking His face daily then I will be sensative to His holy spirit and see his children all around me and long to reach out to them. These acts of love are what bring forth the kingdom in the world, the broken, dark and lost world. God's plan to bring love and restoration and justice and compassion and mercy is carried out through you and me - that is his plan - no plan b - plan a, God's plan is to use those who have come to know him and believe in him with all there heart, mind, strength and soul as instruments of his love in the earth. We are the plan, if we do not allow ourselves to be used by God for the glory of his name and his kingdom this world may not see the light. I don't know about you but it seems pretty clear what my purpose is as a believer, as a daughter of God, as a child of the King and the beloved of Christ - my purpose is to love.
To first love God above all else & then to love my neighbor in the same way -
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your strength, with all your soul and all your mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself" - Luke 10:27
The beautiful thing about this plan of God's is that it includes us and it is a calling but there are promises that come along with the calling - God provides and promises greater for those who follow him, believe in him and walk in obedience to the commands he has given us:
"I tell you the truth, anyone who as faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Son may bring Glory to the Father. You may ask for anything in my name, and I will do it. If you love me, you will obey what I command." - John 14:12-15
"See how the flowers of the field grow.They do not labor or spin.Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matthew 6:28-34
God promises to take care of us and provide for us and to bless us beyond measure if we abide in him. He says this and affirms it so many times throughout scripture. We are to chase passionately after him and to love him first and above all things and then love those he is calling us to love in this world in order to reveal Him and his glory which are ultimately greater than all things in this world and ultimately more satisfying that any love or desire we think will fulfill our deepest longings. God is good and he lays it out pretty simply -
"Remain in me and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me...If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be give you. This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples." - John 15:3&7-8
This scripture just continues to humble me and remind me all of this loving that God calls me to do is impossible on my own. I cannot see the Jesus in other people and I cannot love all others and my neighbor as myself if I am not remaining in Him first and foremost. I am not able to love so abundantly on my own, I am weak but He is strong.
So here I am writing to you to tell you to let your love grow into action. Let the Lord in and let His love take root in you heart so that it may grow deep down into who you are and begin to nourish your spirit and soul and bear much fruit for the glory and advancement of the Kingdom of God which we so desperately need to come forth and flourish in this dead and groaning world.
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are my ways your ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than you ways and my thoughts than your thoughts. As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it." - Isaiah 55: 8-11
Be Blessed and Be a Blessing.
Pray Always & Pray Expectantly.
He is able to do abundantly more than we know or believe.
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