Do Others See HIM Through Us?
HOPE.
This word is so easy to pull out of our vocabulary pocket and overly use, much as we overuse another word so often—LOVE. Hope & Love.
It’s so cool how the second word (Love) has the power to create the first word (Hope).
There are two places where we can see this truth—our Daily Lives & the Word of God.
When we are loved, the ones who love us lavish us with time shared in their presence and with gifts provided by the outcome of their time shared with us.
Let me tell a story of sitting at my Grandma Dixon’s “grown-up” table. When I was a kid, we moved from the great state of Indiana to this great land of Kentucky. While growing up, I learned the value of work through my parents and grandparents, and pretty much through my entire family because we grew a crop of tobacco each year–together. My mom was a master of making the work more fun because she constantly sang little songs, and we would join her in these songs while we worked. (Still today, I am ever grateful for her songs).
My dad was a master of working alongside us, never sending us out to do a job without coming alongside us. He would point us (kids) in the right direction, and then we would look up from our work to see his presence right there in the field, working at the same task he sent us to accomplish.
My aunts and uncles joined in the fun too. Saturday after Saturday & night after night, I shared time with them (Uncle Gary and Aunt Betty & Uncle Charles and Aunt Shirley).
Then, there were my grandparents (the farm-owners) who gifted us with a place to work, as well as a table to pull up to and fill our bellies time after time. In my grandparents’ home, there were two tables–the grown-ups’ table & the children’s table. Amazingly, my grandma grew up in an era when the girls ate AFTER the boys, so the men and my cousins (the boys) sat at the grown-ups’ table, while the women, my sisters, little cousin Sherry, and I sat at the children’s table.
Now, don’t get me wrong; I love to eat, and the meal grandma cooked for our starving stomachs was ALWAYS delicious, but in my head, I never could understand the separation of the boys and men from the girls and the ladies, but I obeyed and pulled up to my assigned table….Until one day. There was a distinct day when grandma set the table for our lunch and then invited ALL of us to the large round table in her dining room. What A Great Day That Was!!! I could not believe that I was invited to pull up my chair, to take my seat at that table!!!
Grandma’s table reminds me so much of my Savior Jesus Christ but do not believe me; believe God’s Word.
God’s Gift of Mercy given to us through one of David’s psalms of praise.
“The LORD is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.
(Psalm 145: 8-9) &
The LORD is good to all, and His mercies are over all His works.”
God’s Gift of Mercy seen by us in the Apostle Paul’s letter to believers living in Corinth, one sent to encourage them.
“Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given you in Christ Jesus.”
(1 Corinthians 1: 3-4) &
God’s Gift of Hope spoken to us by the Apostle Paul in his letter to believers at Thessalonica.
“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace,
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17) &
comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.”
God’s Lavishness of His Divine Favor shown to us through the words of David.
“You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing.
(Psalm 145: 16-19) &
The LORD is righteous in all His ways and kind in all His deeds.
The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth.
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them.”
God’s Eternal Salvation seen by us in the Apostle Paul’s letter to believers living in Ephesus.
“But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,
(Ephesians 2: 4-7)
even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),
and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.”
& On & On & On & On & On…
Truly the world can see the goodness of Almighty God! If fact, I am often amazed that they cannot.
People love to be encouraged, to receive blessings. Our words can change the present and future moments of another person’s day. Let us be mindful to do just that—Encourage and Bless Others. When we do, God performs a miracle.
The one receiving encouragement reacts with an appreciative heart and great kindness.
Then a miracle occurs. The one we encouraged—-encourages another, then that action is passed forward, & again & again & again…
- God meets our daily needs….All the time.
- God met our single-most important need….When He died to set us free & to save our soul.
- God comforts us and makes us strong….in His power.
- God guides our earthly walk….through the indwelling of His Holy Spirit.
- God lavishes us with His divine goodness….when He provided Jesus Christ, the only way to know Him.
God promises us to bring us home, to take our seat at His table, the great banquet table provided to us through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus.
Thank You God for setting a table large enough for ALL who Accept Jesus.
Who are we living for the world to see?
May we walk in His mercy, live in His grace, show compassion to others, love the people like Jesus, and speak encouraging words to those we meet today.
May Others See HIM Through Us!