Missing! (Galatians 6)
Galatians 6.9 And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. [nkjv]On 1st March 1989, Debbie and Mark Baskin faced every parent's worst nightmare. Their two children disappeared. Christie & Bobbie, then seven and eight years old respectively were abducted. Over the years various sightings were reported to the police however the children were never located. Computer generated images of how the children may have aged were released to the media but to no avail.
Debbie & Mark, who were training to be Baptist ministers at the time of the abduction said, "We've prayed for them each and every day like they were alive and asked God to watch over them and bless them and to give them a normal life in the midst of insanity, in the midst of what they have lived through."
20 years later, God has answered their prayers! In February this year police contacted the Baskins say that they had located the children, now in their late 20's and charged Marvin Maple, the children's grandfather with their abduction. You can check out the news report here
There are many times we pray in earnest and don't see immediate answers to those prayers. No matter how difficult it is or how urgent the prayer, the simple truth is all we can do is all we can do. And we leave the rest to Almighty God.
The key is not to give up. It's easy, but dangerous to lose heart. In the ancient world, this phrase 'lose heart' was used to describe the kind of exhaustion a woman experiences during labour but before delivery. It was used to describe a time when the work is hard and painful, but also unfinished and unrewarded. But the encouragement from the Lord is when you walk through times like that don't grow weary in doing what you know to do, because in due season you will reap a reward.
And if you don't believe me, just ask the Debbie and Mark Baskin.
6 comments:
Sometimes in our narrow focus we can miss how big God can be. Stay faithful :)
Verse 15: It doesn’t matter whether we have been circumcised or not. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation.
Gal 6:2 Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
I initially nearly skimmed right past it, but then thought 'what is this "law of Christ"??. As I continued to read, I realised that it is central to the whole chapter.
The Law of Christ ie Jesus' summary of the law (his intention for my life!) is to show others that I am a Christ-follower through loving others as intently, humbly, and self-sacrificially as he loves me John 13:34-35
I note that of all the examples given, the key is my attitude - loving, caring, supporting, challenging etc out of sincere and selfless love for the other person, not pride, to look good, feel good or any other self-serving reasons.
Impressing others, myself or even trying to impress God is completely pointless, even contrary to the whole point of my spiritual walk.
After all, Its there in black-and-white - v15 "It doesn’t matter [what others think, or what we look like externally]. What counts is whether we have been transformed into a new creation."
Galatians 6:6
For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life
When we put greater value on the pursuit of things that please our physical desires than we do our spiritual life we will only receive rewards in the physical world.
Whilst it is not wrong to do well in life and enjoy the fruits that we obtain we should do this through our belief in the Spirit rather than our own efforts for instant gratification. Our rewards will only be fleeting, as they will be restricted to the world in which they were obtained. Our eternal reward can only be obtained by following the Holy Spirit.
Gal 6:9 "So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up."
How true!! Sometimes when we're praying and hanging on to God for His promises in our lives we can get discouraged and lose heart. We can feel that no matter what we do we're just not seeing a harvest. Perhaps the right time hasn't yet come - but believe me it will!
I'm just now seeing a harvest after more than 30 years of hanging on and believing for God's promises in my life and in my family's lives. And I believe there is still more to come!
God is sooooo faithful!
Galatians 6:14
May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which[b] the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.
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