I am very busy today, so I thought I would share one from the archives. Many people wrote to me or made comments on the blog about this particular entry. I hope it ministers to you. JN
"One spoon of ten shekels of gold, full of incense:" Numbers 7:14
For twelve days the children of Israel presented their gifts to the Lord. Each day the gifts were exactly the same, but God inspired them to be repeated for 76 verses in this chapter. God took the space to review the freewill offering of each tribe over and over again. Do you realize how important your contribution to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is? He makes sure that even the tiniest details of your service are recorded in heaven. All that you do in and for Christ is important. Twelve times we are told about the same gifts--there are no unimportant contributions for Christ. Twelve times God records that they were devoted to the temple. He wants us to be equally devoted. In God's economy there are no big "I's" and little "U's". All are equally loved and respected in Jesus. Even if you feel that your little contribution is nothing more significant than the little spoon recorded in each offering, it is important to our Savior. Don't you sometimes feel like a little spoon in the service of Christ? So many of us feel unimportant--we all sometimes feel like the little spoon offered in the Lord's service.
How many times have I visited someone who compares themselves with others and then bemoans the small contribution they made? I have heard people say, "All I can do anymore is pray!" They say this as if prayer is unneeded or as if prayer were unimportant. Look again at the verse above. What did the little spoon contain? It was full of incense! Oh! That God's people would see the overwhelming power of prayer once again! Oh! That we would realize the need of prayer warriors for churches, pastors, unsaved loved ones and a lost and dying world. What would the ministry of the church in America be if those who could "just" pray were filling heaven with the incense of prayer? What would it be like if we would embrace the ministry Daniel Nash had with Charles Finney? Finney said of Nash that he prayed as if he would do violence in heaven. Maybe that is why Finney's revivals changed the spiritual temperature of New York during the early 1800s? If all you can do is pray--then pray with the heart of a lion!
Think of all the uses of a spoon! They are used as a standard measure. Let your life show the standard of Jesus Christ to those who are in need of salvation. Let your life be a standard for the youth to follow or the new convert to emulate. Spoons are used to add spice. Are you not the salt of the earth? Spoons are used as musical instruments. Let your life be a song of praise in Christ that brightens the hardest of hearts. Spoons are used to feed others. Let your life be one that feeds the starving and wounded of this world. Spoons are used to stir things up. Let your life stir other believers into greater service for their Savior. Spoons are used as decorations. Let your life be a decoration of honor in the house of Christ. Spoons are used a souvenirs. May you live such a way that you bring others in remembrance of Jesus! So you are only a spoon? You sound pretty important to me. You are a golden spoon. One that is precious to the Lamb that died for you.
For twelve days the children of Israel presented their gifts to the Lord. Each day the gifts were exactly the same, but God inspired them to be repeated for 76 verses in this chapter. God took the space to review the freewill offering of each tribe over and over again. Do you realize how important your contribution to the Kingdom of Jesus Christ is? He makes sure that even the tiniest details of your service are recorded in heaven. All that you do in and for Christ is important. Twelve times we are told about the same gifts--there are no unimportant contributions for Christ. Twelve times God records that they were devoted to the temple. He wants us to be equally devoted. In God's economy there are no big "I's" and little "U's". All are equally loved and respected in Jesus. Even if you feel that your little contribution is nothing more significant than the little spoon recorded in each offering, it is important to our Savior. Don't you sometimes feel like a little spoon in the service of Christ? So many of us feel unimportant--we all sometimes feel like the little spoon offered in the Lord's service.
How many times have I visited someone who compares themselves with others and then bemoans the small contribution they made? I have heard people say, "All I can do anymore is pray!" They say this as if prayer is unneeded or as if prayer were unimportant. Look again at the verse above. What did the little spoon contain? It was full of incense! Oh! That God's people would see the overwhelming power of prayer once again! Oh! That we would realize the need of prayer warriors for churches, pastors, unsaved loved ones and a lost and dying world. What would the ministry of the church in America be if those who could "just" pray were filling heaven with the incense of prayer? What would it be like if we would embrace the ministry Daniel Nash had with Charles Finney? Finney said of Nash that he prayed as if he would do violence in heaven. Maybe that is why Finney's revivals changed the spiritual temperature of New York during the early 1800s? If all you can do is pray--then pray with the heart of a lion!
Think of all the uses of a spoon! They are used as a standard measure. Let your life show the standard of Jesus Christ to those who are in need of salvation. Let your life be a standard for the youth to follow or the new convert to emulate. Spoons are used to add spice. Are you not the salt of the earth? Spoons are used as musical instruments. Let your life be a song of praise in Christ that brightens the hardest of hearts. Spoons are used to feed others. Let your life be one that feeds the starving and wounded of this world. Spoons are used to stir things up. Let your life stir other believers into greater service for their Savior. Spoons are used as decorations. Let your life be a decoration of honor in the house of Christ. Spoons are used a souvenirs. May you live such a way that you bring others in remembrance of Jesus! So you are only a spoon? You sound pretty important to me. You are a golden spoon. One that is precious to the Lamb that died for you.
OK, I'm A Little Spoon, but because of your story I now want to grow up to be a ladle.
ReplyDeleteHmmm What could a ladle do that a spoon never could?
It might take 10 spoons to be a ladle, (ha!)
Am I missing your point? Just Kidding, John.
But I need to get a life. A better prayer life, that is..
Never arrived, always working, getting better everyday, eating more meat, trying to stay off the milk, like I said, never arrived...
Gerie
I may have to share that! Grow up to be a ladle! HAHAHA
ReplyDeleteI don't think any of us arrive to where we could be in Him. However, to those who hunger and thirst, He fills. Just keep on! We are going to get there. I'm Trying to get at the meat of the Word too. I find the more I study, the less I really know!!!!! How can a man ever understand all of the unfathomable riches of an Infinite God and His infinite Word?