Esther 4:14
English Standard Version (ESV)
14 For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father's house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?”
Have you ever been nudged to do something, but then justify or flat out ignore the niggling in your heart? I have.
I wish I could say that I've always been obedient and ready to jump into action, but often my life takes precedence over, well, everything! Which is stupid. The whole point of my life is that it's not my life at all.
We have been called to more than 'I'. Yet will live in a world controlled by iPods, iPhones and iPads. They can use a small i if they like, but let's get real. It's all about me when we tune others out once we turn those devices on.
This is my downfall. This is all of North America's downfall.
We have been called to die to self and to live for Christ; to be His eyes, arms and feet here on the earth. Somehow I don't think we're doing a great job when we are so engrossed in the tiny screens that we are tuned out to those around us.
We are all called 'for such a time as this' and if we 'keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise . . . from another place'. I think this is where we are really tuned out. We don't realize what a privilege it is to be used by God! When we don't heed His call, He will use a willing soul instead. His will will be done on earth, whether or not we tune in or not. When we don't, we are the ones who miss out!
I remember not too long ago I drove by an elderly man who was flat out on the sidewalk, a white haired tiny woman stooped over him . . . paramedics were checking his vitals. Clearly and without any debate I felt the Lord telling me to go and offer assistance. To use my cell phone to notify someone, to give the woman a lift to the hospital, to pray. Instead I kept driving as I had somewhere 'important' to be. What a loser! Three blocks down the road as I debated turning around, I felt the Lord say, 'Don't bother, I found someone else - your loss'. Months later and I still feel the twinge of regret and longing to know the 'what if' of that missed moment. I can't shake it.
I'm making 2013 my year of intentionality. I'm not delusional, it's going to be hard to break the habit of opening up my phone and surfing when in line-ups instead of looking around to engage others around me. To step out of the 'i' world I have created. But, it's time to change; to engage those around me. To be His hands and feet.
Eventually, we will be standing before the Lord and He will ask us what we've done with our time on earth.
I want to finish well.
I wish I could say that I've always been obedient and ready to jump into action, but often my life takes precedence over, well, everything! Which is stupid. The whole point of my life is that it's not my life at all.
We have been called to more than 'I'. Yet will live in a world controlled by iPods, iPhones and iPads. They can use a small i if they like, but let's get real. It's all about me when we tune others out once we turn those devices on.
This is my downfall. This is all of North America's downfall.
We have been called to die to self and to live for Christ; to be His eyes, arms and feet here on the earth. Somehow I don't think we're doing a great job when we are so engrossed in the tiny screens that we are tuned out to those around us.
We are all called 'for such a time as this' and if we 'keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise . . . from another place'. I think this is where we are really tuned out. We don't realize what a privilege it is to be used by God! When we don't heed His call, He will use a willing soul instead. His will will be done on earth, whether or not we tune in or not. When we don't, we are the ones who miss out!
I remember not too long ago I drove by an elderly man who was flat out on the sidewalk, a white haired tiny woman stooped over him . . . paramedics were checking his vitals. Clearly and without any debate I felt the Lord telling me to go and offer assistance. To use my cell phone to notify someone, to give the woman a lift to the hospital, to pray. Instead I kept driving as I had somewhere 'important' to be. What a loser! Three blocks down the road as I debated turning around, I felt the Lord say, 'Don't bother, I found someone else - your loss'. Months later and I still feel the twinge of regret and longing to know the 'what if' of that missed moment. I can't shake it.
I'm making 2013 my year of intentionality. I'm not delusional, it's going to be hard to break the habit of opening up my phone and surfing when in line-ups instead of looking around to engage others around me. To step out of the 'i' world I have created. But, it's time to change; to engage those around me. To be His hands and feet.
Eventually, we will be standing before the Lord and He will ask us what we've done with our time on earth.
I want to finish well.
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