And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19)
Have you ever bought someone lunch, when they really needed a cartful of groceries? Have you ever prayed with someone for three minutes, wishing you had three hours?
In compassion, as disciples of Christ, sometimes we reach out to help others, but struggle with a sense of inadequacy because their needs (financial, relational, physical, spiritual) are greater than any resource we could personally provide. Yet in meaningful and compassionate measures to assist others, our need-filling cannot be comprehensive because that radical capacity is reserved for God alone. Our contribution is only one means God uses to help them.
Though we can assume that God is always using us in our spheres of influence, we are not the ultimate fulfiller of promises.
In fact, to accomplish His ends, couldn’t God use a flea on the ceiling?
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Tim Hare On March 21, 2011 at 10:55 pm
Lynn, you crack me up. So does God. He seems to use this flea in creative ways!
Lynn (another one) On March 22, 2011 at 8:10 am
Your “flea on the ceiling” comment (not the content, necessarily) reminds me of Corrie Ten Boom’s example of their prison ward which rarely had guard visits. Her sister Betsy had challenged her to give thanks to God in all situations. As she hesitantly thanked God for the fleas, they soon realized the benefits…they rarely had guard visits BECAUSE of the fleas. Therefore, they were given the opportunity to study freely.
Bless your writing!
Lynn Hare On March 22, 2011 at 9:20 am
How cool that they could study the Bible in prison because of fleas. I love the illustration and had never heard of that before. God sure used the fleas on their ceiling! Talk about a Paul and Silas experience. Amazing!
Jessica On March 22, 2011 at 6:42 pm
Isn’t it amazing how “pride-full” we can be by thinking, even in our “sense of inadequacy,” that we were the only help God would send for a person. Thanks for the reminder that He’s a BIG God and can certainly handle our little problems through his creative, massive ability.