Tonight I am in a ‘passionate, fire-y, I have to tell someone’ mood. God’s word is life to me – and there are special days that I get extra enthusiastic about a truth lesson that I have been learning. I know that I never really post on this blog, but I felt like I just HAD to somehow share my little devotion. I am not sure how many people come by and look at my scraps (especially because I am not consistent at all with my posts), but if you are reading this - thanks for taking the time to listen to my small little sermon. =)
Matthew 7:7-8: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened”
James 5:16: “The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”
Nahum 1:7: “The Lord is good, A stronghold in the day of trouble, And He knows those who take refuge in Him.”
Philippians 4:19: “And my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”
As I sit here with my Bible and my book, I am still soaking up the grace and blessing that God has overflowing from His Word. The lessons that I am still learning in Love 101 and The Basics of Prayer are endless, and I rarely seem to get an A in these “truth lessons” I am studying. Still, I am trying.
Below is an excerpt from Amy Carmichael. Out of all the women from history, she inspires me the most. =) And because I am reading her biography right now, I have a feeling that I might just be quoting her a lot more in the near future [though I cannot guarantee that I will be posting here again soon.] :
Idle young ladies who like to do good will work sofa blankets, smoking caps, babies’ petticoats, and tea cosies…..They will entrap old men and young into buying just one ticket for the exquisite chimpanzee which some kind friend presented to aid us in the liquidation of our church debt (he was sick of the creature however, and glad to get rid of it)….Nobody will escape without being regularly besieged by gypsy women, Queen Elizabeths, Mary Queen of Scots, Robinson Crusoes, Robin Hoods, knights, pages, fools, apes and asses, just to buy this very cheap pincushion at 5/11, and this beautiful pair of slippers at L1.19.10, and this sweet baby doll with real petticoats at 19/6 – and nobody will escape our clutches without being pretty well fleeced – that I can honestly assure you. Oh yes! We shall get the money for our poor dear little church, and everybody will have the pleasing consciousness of having devoted themselves to the noble acuse of screwing, wheedling and extorting money out of a selfish thoughtless public – for the Cause of God! Ah, there is where a little congruity seems to come in. Let us fancy for a moment we are a band of Israelites who want to build a magnificent abode for the Mighty Presence to dwell in. We convene a committee…..Moses says, stroking his beard meditatively, “Ah, the people’s tastes must be considered, in the present state of society we cannot do otherwise, though of course it is not a desirable course to pursue.”
“But brother,” remarks Aaron, “the Tabernacle must really have decent curtains, and if they are to be of goat’s hair they will cost quite a large sum of money, and then they must be embroidered….” Then Bezaleel speaks: “You speak, my brethren, as if nothing but the curtains should be considered, but there is a great amount of carving in wood and cutting in stones to be thought of and various curious things to be devised out of gold and silver and brass. These too will cost money.” There is a silence. Moses looks puzzled when in a very hesitating voice Aholiab says, “Have not we, Bezaleel, got both time and talent to devote to this work? Could we not spend and be spent in the service of the sanctuary?” But he is quite squashed by the head-shakings of the committee. Such a thing would never do. “What would become of our families if we worked for nothing? Really Aholiab should be ashamed of himself – such an idea!” etc. etc. Suddenly Moses’ face brightens. “Just what I remarked at first,” he says pleasantly, “In the present state of society we must conform a little to the world. We’ll have a Bazaar!”
“Isn’t it a pretty picture – far superior to: “And they came both men and women as many as were willing-hearted, and brought bracelets and earings and tablets and jewels of gold, and every man that offered, offered an offering of gold unto the Lord.” [Ex 35:22] Three things we may notice:
First as many as were willing-hearted
Second brought their own possessions
Third unto the Lord.
Now we give unto Mrs. So and So who wrote us a begging letter, or Miss So and So who called the other day with a collecting card and unfortunately we were in and could not get off without giving her something…..May there not be some clue to the money mystery in these thoughts, taking as our keynote three sentences, not very much believed in nowadays:
“The silver and the gold is Mine.”“Ask, and ye shall receive.”
“My God shall supply all your need.”
1. Is the work for which we want the money God’s chosen work for us, or our chosen work for Him? If the former, will not He see after the money necessary? If the latter, then how can we expect anything better than we have?
2. Can we expect a blessing to follow money given grudgingly?
3. Should we not see that our Root is right, before expecting flowers and fruit?