Week One was incredibly challenging, wasn’t it? I pray that you confronted many of your own
issues and that you are working with the Lord to turn those issues into
blessing and that you look more like Jesus today than you did yesterday. Week Two appears to be equally challenging.
In the video, Kelly interviews her younger sister, who was
changed by a mission trip. She says she
“saw her sin in the jungle”. When
confronted with people who have nothing in the way of possessions but they have
a passion for Christ that is unrivaled, it’s hard not to be disgusted by the
comforts of home that we routinely enjoy.
Nehemiah learned of the broken condition of the walls of
Jerusalem while he was living in a Persian palace as the king’s cupbearer. He obtained permission from the king to go
and assess the damage. He kept his
mission to himself until he could examine the brokenness and discern what
resources and materials would be needed to repair the damage. That is how a wise caretaker treats such a
circumstance: assess and examine. And there is another lesson for me in this:
the shame and disgrace of brokenness doesn’t mean that we are unprotected by the
Lord.
In the homework, we are encountering a variety of people who
have come together to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem. Perfumers, priests, goldsmiths, rulers,
guards and women work side-by-side to repair the destruction to the wall near a
place of importance: either a strategic
part of the city or near their home.
Some go somewhere else to serve.
Some serve right in their neighborhoods.
It’s the same with us. We don’t
all have to travel around the globe to be useful to God. Sometimes our neighbor is the one who needs
us. I’m discovering that this is the
case in my own situation.
When I was younger, I wanted to be a Psychologist. I never did get my doctorate or a private
practice in counseling, but I realized after doing this week’s study that I can
still be a Christian counselor every time someone asks for my advice at home,
church or work. It was truly eye-opening
to learn that God can use me how He wired me even without credentials that the
world recognizes. Praise Jesus!
How – and where – Is the Lord using you?
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