The Peripheral
Another friend called this week and asked how my husband was doing and I replied, "He's busy." This fellow responded, "Now Boo, you are the one who taught me what busy means. 'Buried under Satan's yoke.'" I don't remember that one, but it is food for thought.
What life has taught me is that what God is up to is usually taking place on the peripheral. It's not what we see as the spotlighted focus. We need to ask for wisdom to have eyes to see where God is at work and ask if He wants us to join him in the process. (Wisdom from Henry Blackaby)
Do you remember Jesus' conversation with His heavenly Father at Lazarus' tomb? Jesus was aware of the people standing around Lazaraus' tomb. He was aware of the hearts that needed to believe.
Whether you are walking into a doctor's office, sitting by the bed of a hospice patient, reluctantly attending a family reunion, entering a place of business, classroom or church keep your eyes open to what you see going on in the peripheral sphere. Ask God to show you the hurting hearts that he wants to heal.
"38 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39 Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41 So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42 I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” 43 When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” John 11:38-44
Lord, open our eyes that we may see those who need to believe in Jesus and be set free. In Jesus' name. Amen
