Saturday, February 28, 2009

Impoverished or Almighty

I have been feeling impoverished lately. Does anyone else struggle with moments of uncertainty and angst about the way things are going? Whenever we talk to people back in the US we get off the phone feeling scared and uncertain about jobs, the economy, and the future. Several events of late have just been difficult. My mom recently shared a message her pastor friend e-mailed her about remembering "in uncertain times we have a certain God". If I focus on what I know of God and what we have experienced of Him I am reminded he is present and Almighty. It is a daily chose to think about him, yield to His will, draw up to his presence, and take in the words of encouragement and peace he gives. Jesus called himself "the bread of life" that we need to "feed on". Like physical food for our physical body we have a spiritual need for a constant daily dose of God's fresh presence in our lives. I have felt discouraged and disappointed about the way things are going but I am trying to look up, take in, and rely on something beyond myself and my circumstances. I thought this message below from Oswald was befitting.
The impoverished ministry of Jesus
Posted by Oswald Chambers under My Utmost for His Highest
From whence then hast Thou that living water? John 4:11.
“The well is deep”—and a great deal deeper than the Samaritan woman knew! Think of the depths of human nature, of human life, think of the depths of the ‘wells’ in you. Have you been impoverishing the ministry of Jesus so that He cannot do anything? Suppose there is a well of fathomless trouble inside your heart, and Jesus comes and says—“Let not your heart be troubled”; and you shrug your shoulders and say—‘But, Lord, the well is deep; You cannot draw up quietness and comfort out of it.’ No, He will bring them down from above. Jesus does not bring anything up from the wells of human nature. We limit the Holy One of Israel by remembering what we have allowed Him to do for us in the past, and by saying—‘Of course I cannot expect God to do this thing.’ The thing that taxes almightiness is the very thing which as disciples of Jesus we ought to believe He will do. We impoverish His ministry the moment we forget He is Almighty; the impoverishment is in us, not in Him. We will come to Jesus as Comforter or as Sympathizer, but we will not come to Him as Almighty.
The reason some of us are such poor specimens of Christianity is because we have no Almighty Christ. We have Christian attributes and experiences, but there is no abandonment to Jesus Christ. When we get into difficult circumstances, we impoverish His ministry by saying—‘Of course He cannot do any thing,’ and we struggle down to the deeps and try to get the water for ourselves. Beware of the satisfaction of sinking back and saying—‘It can’t be done’; you know it can be done if you look to Jesus. The well of your incompleteness is deep, but make the effort and look away to Him.

2 comments:

Christa said...

Almighty!

It is such a difficult time for many, and the article you posted reminds me that so many times we look to ourselves in difficult times to make things happen. We ask, "how can I get myself, my family, out of this mess?" and do not entrust our faith in God to pull us through. God IS Almighty and HE loves us and will carry us when we fall, and be our strength when we are weak.

I love that although you are thousands of miles away, God is still teaching through you here in Knoxville, TN. Thanks for sharing.

Looking forward to your return on May 2nd! Much love to all.

Anonymous said...

It's hard to believe your year is almost up and plans are already in the making for a return to Knoxville. We've enjoyed your photos and your blogs, and SO appreciate the honesty and transparency with which you write. It sounds like God continues to work in and through you and we'll keep you in our prayers as you plan to head home. In the meantime, Ben keeps telling his girls that we live in "God's economy" and amidst the stresses, my heart takes hope in knowing that these "light and momentary troubles [that don't feel either "light" or "momentary"] are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all(2 Corinthians 4:17). Be encouraged, sweet friends, just like Paul wrote to the Romans, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer."
Thanks for sharing your hearts, your faith, your journey ... you are loved!
Ben, Pam & girls