Real Credentials

Posted on February 28, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

– Henry Neufeld

When they heard these words, some from the crowd were saying, “This is truly the prophet!” Others said, “This is the Messiah!” But others said, “The Messiah can’t come from Galilee, can he?”          John 7:40-41 (HN)

I have a little bit of an edge in a fight over credentials. I have a master’s degree in Biblical languages, and I read and study the Bible from its original languages. You might be amazed at how many times that has helped when I wanted to get people to listen to an idea, even when that idea was largely unrelated to my area of study. Of course, I’d like the weight of credentials of someone with a doctoral degree, or with numerous scholarly publications, or with a position of importance at a major university. All of those things would increase my potential “weight” in an argument.

But should it be that way? It bothers me sometimes when people take my word for something that I think they should check for themselves. I know we can’t each check everything. There are times when we must rely on the expertise of others. When I need to get some brake work done on my car, I won’t do it myself, and I won’t rely on just anyone. I’ll find someone who knows something about fixing brakes.

But even so, it won’t merely be credentials that determine my choice. Part of it will be determined by experience. I’m going to one shop, and not to another (I won’t name either one) because I have had good experiences at the one, and some not-so-good experiences at the second. In other words, I’m going to use my best judgment.

I think we tend to rely on credentials because it’s easier. We don’t have to do as much research, or go to as much trouble if we can just look for the diploma on the wall. But in our spiritual life especially, we have our own responsibility to God. We can, each one of us, study, pray, and listen to God. We don’t have to go just by the credentials of the person speaking. I think we need to learn to “see” more deeply, to hear what a person is actually saying and to discern its value. Sometimes that will be more work. It will certainly put more responsibility on our own spiritual experience and discipline. But God has often chosen to speak through people who lacked credentials.

Jesus is facing this problem in our story. The crowd is looking for credentials. Can we call him “the prophet.” Can we call him the Messiah? Surely this tradesman from Nazareth can’t actually be the Messiah? Bad neighborhood! Tiny, unimportant town!

But they’ve heard him speak. We’re given the contrast of the folks who were sent to arrest Jesus. They listen, and then they forget (or perhaps simply can’t bring themselves) to arrest him. “No man has ever spoken like this!” they say (verse 46). Then they are challenged with the issue of credentials. Has anyone with a degree believed him? Have the university professors? The pastors? The bishops? How can he possibly be any good if none of the “serious” people have believed? But the guards had actually heard Jesus; without the need for credentials they knew that he was out of the ordinary.

Can you discern the speech of one who speaks as no man has spoken before?

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His Comfort

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Jesus wept. John 11:35    (NIV)

The shortest verse in the Bible. In two words, God can speak volumes.

The writers of the gospels tell us that Jesus did show His emotions, including weeping for the pain of His children (Matthew 9:36) and over the city of Jerusalem who would not hear Him (Luke 13:34) and here for the grief of those He loved (John 11). Jesus was not ‘above’ tears or grief. When He heard about John the Baptist’s death, (Matthew 14:12-13) Jesus “withdrew…to a solitary place”. I think He did grieve. Did Jesus know that John had eternal life? Of course! Maybe He spoke with the Father like I did after my son, James, died. Maybe He even wept as I did. “God, I know that You are in control. I know that James did not die by ‘mistake’. I can even ‘see’ so many miracles and how people have come to know Your Son, Jesus, since James died. I am sad for me because I miss him!” The Father is okay with that conversation and quick to hold me and comfort me as only He can.

Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble.       2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (CEV)

God is ‘on call’ for comfort any time, day or night, 24/7. The sharp pain of a loss, whether it is someone we love, a job, a home, or a relationship, many times will catch us by surprise. It never catches God by surprise. He knows my heart and knows the needs of my heart for healing and nurturing even before I do.

In Paul’s letter to the Corinthian church, he reminds me that as I receive God’s comfort, I become a conduit for His comfort to others. I must receive God’s comfort before I can give it away. I must allow God to minister to me before I can minister to others.

Heavens, raise the roof! Earth, wake the dead!
Mountains, send up cheers!
God has comforted his people.
He has tenderly nursed his beaten-up, beaten-down people. Isaiah 49:13 (The Message)

God comforts (present tense). He is doing it now. He has compassion on those who suffer. Jesus told us in John 16:33 that we would have trouble. Some translations say ‘suffering’. We wonder why God allows suffering. It is a fallen, sinful world. This is not paradise. God has compassion on those who suffer. Sometimes the suffering is through no fault of our own but sometimes it is from poor choices. God has compassion there, too. The consequences may come but so will God’s compassion with His comfort.

 

 

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Taxes and Gifts

Posted on February 24, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

When they had come to Capernaum, those who collected the didrachma coins came to Peter, and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the didrachma?” He said, “Yes.”

When he came into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth receive toll or tribute? From their children, or from strangers?”

Peter said to him, “From strangers.”

Jesus said to him, “Therefore the children are exempt. But, lest we cause them to stumble, go to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the first fish that comes up. When you have opened its mouth, you will find a stater coin. Take that, and give it to them for me and you.” Matthew 17:24-27 (WEB)

Do you need money for your taxes? Now this is a miracle story! Go fishing and the money appears in the fish!

The apostle, James, tells us in his letter that when we want something – we want it. We even kill and and fight for what we want. We don’t have it because we do not ask…God. (James 4:2). The primary point here is: Ask – talk to God – pray. Lay it all out. Get it off my chest – off my shoulders.

God may respond by putting the money in a fish. He may respond with an unexpected bonus or raise. God may just send a gift from someone. He may allow me to learn a lesson about managing my money including anticipating what I need re: taxes, or asking for advice about taxes.

God desires to give me gifts. He also desires my obedience so I need to be faithful in my job, my marriage, as a parent, and as a member of the Body of Christ. That includes keeping my eyes on my relationship and ‘call’ from the Lord. It means avoiding the sin of jealousy and envy over the blessings someone else may receive from God.

A healthy relationship is a two-way relationship. It involves giving and receiving from both parties. It is respect and love from both parties. God is good at that.

“Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you. For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened. Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him! Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.”     Matthew 7:7-12 (WEB)

The key to this passage is not seeing God as my personal vending machine. It is coming alongside of Jesus’ gifts for me, learning His good plans for my life to be a servant just as He is.

Posted in Matthew | Comments Off on Taxes and Gifts

Really Saved

Posted on February 23, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Later, when Peter came to Antioch, I had a face-to-face confrontation with him because he was clearly out of line. Here’s the situation. Earlier, before certain persons had come from James, Peter regularly ate with the non-Jews. But when that conservative group came from Jerusalem, he cautiously pulled back and put as much distance as he could manage between himself and his non-Jewish friends. That’s how fearful he was of the conservative Jewish clique that’s been pushing the old system of circumcision. Unfortunately, the rest of the Jews in the Antioch church joined in that hypocrisy so that even Barnabas was swept along in the charade…

Is it not clear to you that to go back to that old rule-keeping, peer-pleasing religion would be an abandonment of everything personal and free in my relationship with God? I refuse to do that, to repudiate God’s grace. If a living relationship with God could come by rule-keeping, then Christ died unnecessarily.          Galatians 2:11-13, 21 (The Message)

Jesus said I must be born again (John 3:7). He wants me to throw off the old dead me that I was and know who I am now! I am a child who is saved by the love – extravagant love – of God.

I cannot live with God as a sinner. There is no eternity with Him for me if I am not reconciled to holiness like He is holy. And I cannot fix that no matter how hard I try! Paul’s recurring theme is about grace. We are saved by grace not law.

Oh, but we still try to put that milestone around the necks of ourselves and others, don’t we?

  • You aren’t really saved unless you know the day and time you made the commitment and came forward in front of at least – 50 people. (arbitrary number)
  • You are only saved when you know (and so does everyone else!) that you are Spirit-filled.
  • You are only saved if you do (or don’t do) _________.

With this kind of judgmental attitude, I am no better than the hypocrites about which Paul condemned! Paul said that I do not even have to be Jewish to be saved (Galatians 2:15-16)! Paul, the Pharisee of the Pharisees, says that. I am saved because of love. That’s it.

Yesterday, in my testimony, I spoke about how Jesus’ love flooded and healed my heart. It has been an ongoing process to accept this gift that is freely given. My life is brand new and my heart is healed. It is done. But I had another “God moment” yesterday as I was driving down the road. “God, You love me. There are no conditions put on that. You love me. It is a sin for me to reject that gift. My Father wants me to feel His love; His loving arms around me 24/7.” I wept with the sweetness and joy of that moment.

I do not think that I am alone in the difficulty of accepting and understanding the enormity of God’s love for me. I believe that I will learn more about His love the more that I grow in my relationship, spend time with God, and learn about Him. It’s like a great marriage that really gets better and better with each year.

Posted in Galatians | Comments Off on Really Saved

My Testimony

Posted on February 22, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant.

Dear brothers and sisters, I want you to understand that the gospel message I preach is not based on mere human reasoning. I received my message from no human source, and no one taught me. Instead, I received it by direct revelation from Jesus Christ.      Galatians 1:10-12 (NLT)

Paul is offering his testimony to the people of Galatia. I encourage you to read through to verse 24. It is Paul being honest and real. He gives me the three point outline that we should all have, ready to share “in season and out of season” (2 Timothy 4:2). It shouldn’t be long. It should be the truth without embellishments. It should always point to Jesus.

1. This is what I was before I committed my life to Jesus.

I grew up in a church. I went to a parochial school for eight years. I knew about Jesus but I didn’t know Him. I spent most of the first 40 years of my life hoping people would tell me I was special and good. I was one of the ‘walking wounded’ who pretended that everything was “ok” but truthfully did not see that there was anything about me to love and so my relationships with people just brought me more pain. I was good at my job but that did not fill the ‘hole’ in my heart. I had a sharp tongue and a mean temper just like my father and his father before him.

2. This is how and when Jesus changed me.

With my marriage falling apart and my children following me down the same path, I was desperate to find something that would change our course and bring healing to our family. It was through my two oldest children that I went to what has become known as the Pensacola Outpouring revival. One night I heard a message on Luke 9:25-26 where Jesus said, “If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you.” and I was brought to my knees. As I told Jesus that I was sorry for trying to do my life my way and refusing Him, I expected to hear a voice giving me the tongue-lashing of my life. Instead, my heart was flooded with a love that I had never known. It was comforting, cleansing, healing, and I felt brand new. A few weeks later, I was baptized and I came up out of the water feeling new! I committed myself to following Jesus and now, 15 years later, I have never looked back.

3. This is who I am now and where Jesus is leading me.

I have found that God has given me a gift of encouraging others. I really like sending cards and emails. I have found a joy in writing. Now at the age of 56 when many are talking about “retiring”, I am beginning a new life in publishing and writing. Go figure that God would do that. God has brought me through many difficult days and done it with a whole heart and strong spirit when I didn’t think that would be possible. He is so much bigger and more loving than I imagined. He continues to surprise me with His faithfulness and love. I want to share that with my grandchildren and people I haven’t even met…yet.

This is my testimony…today.

Posted in Galatians | 3 Comments

Good News of Jesus Christ

Posted on February 21, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Paul, an apostle (not from men, neither through man, but through Jesus Christ, and God the Father, who raised him from the dead), and all the brothers who are with me, to the assemblies of Galatia:

Grace to you and peace from God the Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us out of this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father— to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.

I marvel that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ to a different “good news”; and there isn’t another “good news.” Only there are some who trouble you, and want to pervert the Good News of Christ. But even though we, or an angel from heaven, should preach to you any “good news” other than that which we preached to you, let him be cursed. As we have said before, so I now say again: if any man preaches to you any “good news” other than that which you received, let him be cursed.    Galatians 1:1-9 (WEB)

What gospel are you hearing? Is it what you want to hear? Is it what you need to hear?

The gospel of Jesus Christ is “good news”. It is God’s good news. It is good news about His Kingdom.

  • Jesus was crucified for me. Only He could be the sacrifice that once and for all atoned for sin. It is an unearned, free gift.
  • God loves me. He wants to have a growing, intimate relationship with me. He is the perfect father and He will love and discipline me toward a closer relationship.
  • God’s plan is to use me to spread His news. I spread it not only with my voice but with my very life. How I live my life in truth and in love.

What gospel are you telling others?

  • Jesus gave me the example to serve others, saying that if I wanted to be great in His Kingdom, I should think of myself as a servant (Mark 10:43).
  • Jesus said my faith was to be like that of a child’s. If I am a leader in His church, I should be helping and encouraging others in their relationship with Him, not misleading or making it harder for them to grow (Luke 11:46).
  • Jesus is my example and standard. There is no one else that I should be modeling my life. Jesus said that He could do nothing a part from the Father (John 5:19) and so He told me to stay connected to Him so that I would grow in my relationship with the Father (John 15).

The Good News of Jesus Christ has its foundation in the Word of God. That is what I should be listening to in worship in the fellowship to which I belong. It is what I should be reading. It is what I should be teaching and sharing. If my ears “itch” for something easier and something that will “go along” with the way the world wants me to live my life (2 Timothy 4:3), I need to pray for His strength to turn and return to His truth.

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The Armor of God

Posted on February 18, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Jesus said to them, “Take heed and beware of the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.”       Matthew 16:6 (WEB)

When Jesus gives me a warning – it’s important! Here He tells me to “Beware”. Sounds like He is warning me about something that I might miss or think it is of no consequence. It could be something that if I am ‘lazy’ or ambivalent – I could be in serious spiritual trouble.

Jesus tells me to put up my ‘guard’. What is my guard?

The Armor of God
(from Ephesians 6:10-17)

The Helmet of Salvation that I know with certainty that I am bought with a price and the Child of the King.

The Breastplate of Righteousness not anything I can earn. It is a free gift. It is Jesus’ righteousness (His relationship), given to me. I can enter the Holy of Holies and be with You, Father.

The Belt of Truth seal it on me with the Blood of Jesus. I want to hear and know only Your voice. All others are deceivers.

The Shoes of Peace ready to take the Gospel into all the world. I speak peace into all my storms, all winds and waves – peace.

The Shield of Faith Father, increase my faith. Increase the shield above my head, below my feet, and around my body. Holy Spirit, be my rear guard.

The Sword of the Spirit, The Word of God Lord, increase my hunger for your Word. May it be nourishment to my spirit.

And Lord, wrap me in the cloak of humility. All glory, honor, and praise belong to You. I am only an ordinary instrument in the hands of an extra-ordinary God. Seal me in the Blood of Jesus. I charge warrior angels around me. I consecrate all that I steward to You, Lord. Use me this day as You will. Amen. (my paraphrase)

Yeast is a tiny ‘bit’ that does permeate throughout the substance. Jesus is warning me that these ‘tiny bits’ can change me – for better or worse. In this scenario, Jesus is warning His disciples and me that “Pharisees and Sadducees” are something dangerous to my spiritual health. Who are they and why did Jesus not have compassion for them as He did other sinners?

Pharisees and Sadducees were leaders in the church and Jesus’ problem with them was their lack of love and their abundance of self-righteousness. They took the ‘laws’ and viciously used them to make the practice of their faith into something that had no resemblance to God and the relationship He desired with His children. God does not tolerate being misrepresented.

It would be easy to say that I would never let a ‘person’ pull me apart in my relationship to God. But I must remember that Jesus warned me about ‘tiny bits’. Looking more at people (preachers, prophets, authors, teachers, etc.) and spending less of my OWN time with God. Missing worship or Bible study because – I can watch _____ on TV or just listen to a CD. There’s nothing wrong with these other ‘things’ by themselves but I must pay attention to my relationship with God and treat it as the precious priority that it is. Jesus warned me.

Posted in Ephesians, Matthew | Comments Off on The Armor of God

Building His Church One Rock at a Time

Posted on February 17, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Now when Jesus came into the parts of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, “Who do men say that I, the Son of Man, am?”

They said, “Some say John the Baptizer, some, Elijah, and others, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets.”

He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”

Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. I also tell you that you are Peter and on this rock I will build my assembly, and the gates of Hades will not prevail against it. I will give to you the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven; and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven.” Matthew 16:13-19 (WEB)

“…You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church…”. I believe this proclamation of Christ has a direct connection to Jesus’ later command to “Go…and make disciples” (Matthew 28:19). It was God’s plan that His Church be built on the ‘rocks’ of His disciples (which includes me and you) with Himself as the chief cornerstone (Ephesians 2:19-20). As I grow in my relationship with Christ and the other ‘rocks’ the Holy Spirit becomes the mortar that connects us together with unity that makes it that refuge for all who will come. Hell with all its violence and fear will not overcome it.

Many of you who are reading this are Christians who desire to grow in your relationship with God. You belong to a fellowship of Believers. Some may not belong to a group of Believers because you are struggling to ‘fit’ and haven’t found a place. Maybe you are even just ‘tired’ of ‘fed up’ with everything that you have seen in an organized church and so you watch TV church. I just want to encourage you and tell you that there is ‘good stuff’ happening in churches of many denominations and non-denominations. I know because I have been in many different churches from Florida to Texas to New York to Costa Rica and Hungary and places between. There are many groups of Believers that I ‘see’ as white hot coals. They are faithfully and prayerfully fanning and adding fuel and tinder to keep those coals hot. They want so much for the coals to leap into flames! Is it possible that God is creating a ‘network’ of these fellowships that are each doing the task that God has asked them to do and doing it the best they know? Is it possible that one day when God allows a terrible ‘something’ to happen that produces such fear in the world that many will frantically look for truth – look for a place of refuge – and these white hot coals, these faithful Believers – will burst into the fires of revival that have been called in prayer? Will we be ready? Will we be the ‘rocks’ that Jesus wants us to be? We have to be ready.

…if my people, who are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.                        2 Chronicles 7:14 (WEB)

I am Jody. Use me, Lord, as You see fit, to build Your Church. I am one of Your rocks.

Posted in 2 Chronicles, Matthew | Comments Off on Building His Church One Rock at a Time

Got Problem? Got Worry?

Posted on February 16, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside.
was so foolish and ignorant— I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you.
Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny.
Whom have I in heaven but you?
I desire you more than anything on earth.
My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak,
but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever.

Those who desert him will perish, for you destroy those who abandon you.
But as for me, how good it is to be near God!
I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter,
and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.              Psalm 74:21-28 (NLT)

Did you go to bed last night praying and weeping for someone or some situation? Was your sleep restless because you can’t figure something out? Did you wake up this morning wondering “What am I going to do?” or “What can I do to help _____?” How is this way of handling things working for you?

Jesus said that we should come to Him when we are burdened and heavy (Matthew 11:28-30). He said we should learn from His way because that burden is light. He suggests that I trade my burdens for His. And yet, when I am in the deepest trouble, I withdraw from Him and His ways. I pull in and increase my way of doing things; try harder and think that will bring me a different outcome. Isn’t doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome a mark of insanity? Duh.

Got a problem? Got a worry? Then let us spend more time with Jesus and learn from Him. Let us try being meek and humble. Let us connect with Him like a branch does to the vine. Most of us are not self-motivated enough to do it alone. We need others in His Body, especially when we are so burdened, to lift our arms in encouragement and hold us accountable to His true path.

Let us not be foolish and ignorant like the psalmist says. Let us trust like a child instead of being stubborn like a mule! Is it a step of faith? Absolutely. Does it feel like you are taking a step off into space? I cannot be totally relying on God until I realize that I have nothing else in myself that works.

God is faithful. God is love. God is my Father. Jesus is my friend. His Spirit is there to comfort in so many ways that I cannot understand. No, I cannot earn it nor do I deserve it. I am a child trusting her father. Let us embrace God’s wisdom today and give Him our problems and worries. Come on, move in closer…Give it all to Jesus.

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God’s R and R

Posted on February 15, 2011 by Jody Neufeld

Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done, and how he had killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah, saying, “So let the gods do to me, and more also, if I don’t make your life as the life of one of them by tomorrow about this time!”

When he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. 1 Kings 19:1-3 (WEB)

Elijah was afraid and ran. Why? In chapter 18, we read that Elijah has just had the ‘game’ of his life. God took him and destroyed 450 Baal prophets! Elijah challenged them to a ‘My God is bigger than yours’ – and Jehovah, the I AM, came down with fire and ‘hit a home run’. Elijah took those prophets and slaughtered them after their defeat. Jezebel the Queen gets mad and threatens to kill Elijah. 450 prophets have just been chopped up into pieces and Elijah is afraid of one queen? He is afraid enough to leave town. Why?

Many people would give that famous reminder that satan is usually waiting to attack us as we come down from a mountaintop experience with the Lord. While that may be true, why is it true? Why is it that after we ‘see’ or ‘hear’ God in a tangible way that we often hit the bottom of a surprising ‘pit’? Whether in an extraordinary worship service or conference or when we witness a miracle of salvation or healing or a sweet time of personal spiritual breakthrough, it does seem like a crisis or challenging situation follows.

As I have been reading this story and others I found myself going back to the gospels to learn some wisdom from Jesus. Jesus spent three intense years and yet the gospel writers thought it important enough to tell me how Jesus rested or relaxed. Jesus went away to pray (talk to the Father). (Matthew 14:19 and 23, Matthew 26:36, Mark 1:35, Luke 6:12, Luke 11, Luke 22,) He slept or rested. (Matthew 7:24, John 4:6) He routinely worshiped in the synagogue with other believers. (Luke 4:16) Jesus also attended social functions. (Luke 14, John 2 and 12) All of this made me think – maybe Elijah could have used some rest and taken some time to absorb what had just happened and received the encouragement and knowledge of who God is. Maybe he would have known with an assurance who was with him and not been afraid of who was coming against him!

God is faithful. When I allow myself to get spiritually or physically ‘run down’, God will not leave me or forsake me. Just as God responded to Jesus’ need (Matthew 4:11, Luke 22:43) so He responds to mine. Too often I find my self speeding through life trying to run with every opportunity (as if all of them are from God!) and spending not enough time with God receiving His refreshment and restoration. I must follow Jesus’ example and run with His example. My journey is a marathon – not a sprint!

When he saw that, he arose, and went for his life, and came to Beersheba, which belongs to Judah, and left his servant there. But he himself went a day’s journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, “It is enough. Now, O Yahweh, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.”

He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold, an angel touched him, and said to him, “Arise and eat!”

He looked, and behold, there was at his head a cake baked on the coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank, and lay down again. The angel of Yahweh came again the second time, and touched him, and said, “Arise and eat, because the journey is too great for you.”

He arose, and ate and drank, and went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb the Mount of God. He came there to a cave, and lodged there. 1 Kings 19:3-9 (WEB)

God sends ministering angels to restore His children. He provides us with any and all the food and rest we need. And we do need it. May we rest with the same obedience that we work. Both are in God’s plan.

Posted in 1 Kings | Comments Off on God’s R and R