The scene is the Israelites are marching into battle with the Philistines, they are losing BIG time. When I say big time, I mean there are about 4,000 Israelite men who have died already. So, they take the ark of the covenant out into battle and the Philistines say what is quoted above. They have heard of the power of their God dating all the way back to the Exodus. But, you know what? They still win the battle? Why? Keep reading, "Take courage, and be men, O Philistines, lest you become slaves to the Hebrews as they have been to you be men and fight." You see, I don't think the Israeli entourage was convincing. Sure, they had heard the stories of the God of Israel, but the problem seems to be the people in the present day didn't have that story in them. They weren't living out the the story of God and they weren't letting God weave his story into their own lives. So, he was beginning to do it for them.
When I read that this morning, I was taken back to a conversation I had this week with a precious little boy. He wanted to know if the things like the story of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego can happen today, why they don't happen today, and if they were even true. I was sadden. You see because in this child's day, we don't proclaim the story of God's work in the world. We don't take the time to see the deliverance he gives us from the firey furnace. We are all too self absorbed and selfish to God's miraculous hand working. We don't tell God's story.
Every week at CentriKid we share the Gospel with children. The good news about Jesus that starts with creation and weaves through the fall, and to Jesus' free gift of salvation. The Gospel, is God's story. But, you know what? If we are proclaiming to people that the Gospel ends when you close your Bible we are doing to a great dis-service to the good news of salvation for all people. Because the saving power of the gospel, the story of Jesus Christ should be expanded and lived out more and more every day in each one of ours lives. Here are some faces to show you how God has been telling his story to me lately. The gospel is:
Men who loves Jesus and pursue him each day. Men who, challenge me to do the same thing every single day.
Kids that smile. Tell me you can't see the joy of the Lord on these precious faces?
Energy. That can come only from the Lord, especially when you think you have absolutely nothing else left to give.
OMC. Need I say more?
Showing Christ love to kids who have never heard of it.
Getting a little messy for Jesus when we need to.
Being the leaders God has called us to be.
Teaching spiritual truths through games.
God raising us beautiful people to teach and serve the next generation and to show them the Lord.
Learning to find our rest in the Lord.
Finding God in the midst of chaos...even chaos back stage managing boys....with egos (or tight jeans which ever)
Kids giving sacrificially each week to missions.
Those are just a few of the ways God has been showing me his story lately. That is how he is using me to be part of his story. How is he using you? Go tell some people. And if you want to hear more about how he has been using 20 twenty-somethings to spread his word this summer, continue to check back here.
