Chosen To Sit

"Sit here while I go over there and pray."(Matthew 26:36)

No one likes to sit and wait. We often feel that we are to be busy and about our Fathers business, but here we see that Jesus commanded Peter, James and John to come with Him into the garden and sit. I find it very interesting that only three were chosen out of the eleven to come with Jesus into the Garden where He would be betrayed by one of His own. I find it even more interesting that He chose these three as the men that He wanted with Him at His most difficult hour. Three fishermen, all with tempers. Peter was impulsive and lacked self control. James and John were known as the "Sons of Thunder" and mommas boys. These three were quite a trio! Even though they lacked so much, Jesus saw their potential. He saw their future and what they'd become. He looked past their impulsiveness and foolish remarks, past their confidence and cockiness and saw a tough and tenacious trio that would stand the test of time. Jesus gave this trio three commands; to sit, to watch, and to pray. This would be hard for these three to accomplish. As they sat in the Garden late at night and watched Jesus they would learn a great and valuable lesson. A lesson of patience and prayer...and a lesson of obedience.These three had the blessing and advantage of watching Jesus in His most difficult hour. They observed His dealings with the guards, His words with Judas and His humble meek compliance as He was a sheep led to the slaughter.

This would forever change these men. The formally impulsive and overly confident Peter would become the leader of the early church.  The hot tempered and persistent James and John would be used greatly by the Lord to help establish the church and bring many to Jesus through the love of Christ. Have you been chosen to sit for a while? It might mean that the Lord has chose you to have a time of preparation before He sends you out. If you are in the garden of preparation learn from Jesus...sit, watch and pray..."lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."(Matt. 36:41)

We see this in Mary and Martha. Two sisters that loved the Lord, but only one chose the better thing. Mary chose to sit, watch and learn from Jesus while Martha chose to serve. Mary took advantage of Jesus being with her, and Martha chose to serve Him, rather than first sitting and receiving from Him. This too, is a great lesson for us ladies... who tend to get busy serving and become distracted to sit. We can often neglect the greatest thing and chose a great thing, but not the best thing. Jesus told Martha; "Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chose that good part, which will not be taken away from here."(Luke 10:41-42)

Simply sitting at the feet of Jesus and learning from Him is the best thing. There, at His feet, we observe His ways, receive His strength, and are encouraged by Him to continue, to serve, to grow and to share His love with all we come into contact with. When we chose the "good part" first we will then become the most effective servants, the best prayer warriors, the most powerful preachers, and most compassionate Christians around. Learn to stop and sit with Him before you start your day. Be like Mary and the chosen trio...embrace the blessing in the garden and you will blossom into the most beautiful fragrant flower oozing with the sweet smelling aroma of Jesus scent!

New Years Resolution...Undo The Do!

Now that Christmas is over we look to the New Year with excitement. 2013 is closing and 2014 is at hand. For many of us this means New Years resolutions. We often resolve to do more this coming year than we did the past year. As Believers, we often resolve to read the Bible more, to pray more, to go to church more, and to serve more. Also making our “to do” list is spending more time with family, more time exercising and of course more time eating right.

But, I want to suggest that we “undo” our “to do” list. That we put all that behind one key “to do”, and that is to REST in  the Lord. We often get so busy doing for the Lord that we forget to rest with Him, alone in a quiet place of solitude. Someone once said; "Meditation is the Sunday of the mind." In our busy times we need to give our minds to a "Sunday"...a time of rest in which we do no work, but instead we are simply still before God...looking to heaven and soaking in the rays of Sonshine. Many times these are forced by the Lord. We may end up sick in bed and then we are forced to be still and look up.  When Elijah had just slain the 400 prophets of Baal and was running in fear and excitement, it says that he ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot all the way to Jezreel (1 Kings 18:46). But, the run had been too much for him and took all of his strength, causing him to become depressed.  As Elijah sat under a broom tree he asked that he might die. But God had another plan for Elijah… God’s plan was to get Elijah to the place of rest and refreshment. As Elijah sat alone, tired and hungry he became depressed. When we experience a time of great victory in our lives as believers, we can be met by the enemy with fear, and despair. This can cause a heavy depression much like Elijah, where we feel alone and there, we can become defeated. BUT GOD was with Elijah all along…in his victory, on his run, and under the tree.

What Elijah failed to see is that he was exactly where God wanted him… “Then as he lay and slept under a broom tree, suddenly an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat.”  Then he looked, and there by his head was a cake baked on coals, and a jar of water. So he ate and drank, and lay down again.  And the angel of the Lord came back the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”  So he arose, and ate and drank; and he went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights as far as Horeb, the mountain of God.”(1 Kings 19:5-8)

Are you tired today? Are you feeling worn out and weary? Are you feeling alone? You are not alone…God is with you. HE will give you strength when you need it. HE will supply all you stand in need of. HE will provide nourishment for your hungry soul. As with Elijah, the refreshment and nourishment which would sustain him was not in the battle, nor in the victory, it was under the tree when he was alone with God and sleeping that he was touched. If you are running around today, stop, and get alone somewhere with God. Rest in Him and allow him to touch your weary soul. He is all the food we need to sustain us. Let your New Years Resolution be one of  R&R  in Him. You will find that you will accomplish much more when you attempt less, and spend more time in quiet rest waiting upon God. Resolve to have your diet be the Word of God and your exercise be that of quiet solitude before Him. As you stop doing and start resting you will be blessed and bear much fruit in this coming year! 

He Has Come

What would Christmas be like without Jesus? There would be no manger and no star of Bethlehem. No shepherds and no wise men. There would be no Mary or Joseph?  In fact, there wouldn’t even be a Christmas without Jesus…for He is Christmas.

Christmas is the celebration of the birth of Jesus.  Without His birth He wouldn’t have died and without His death there would be no salvation. And without salvation, we would be hopeless.  Depending upon our best efforts, our charitable gifts, and our kindness alone to get us to heaven. We could go on and on about what life would look like if Jesus had never come.

But, He has come, and for that we have much to celebrate. The solution to our greatest problem in all the world was born 2,000 years ago in a cold, dark, cave on Christmas day. For that alone we have much to rejoice in today. We may not have many gifts to give this year, much money to spend or a nice house to entertain in, but what we do have is worth far more than all those things put together. We have the greatest gift ever given…Jesus! He has come to give us life and that more  abundantly.