Sharon Glasgow
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." I Peter 4:10 (NIV)
God uses His people as messengers of hope to those in need. Every dark storm I have been through is chronicled by someone God sent to help me through it.
This past year our family experienced extreme hardships: our daughter and her husband's baby died at birth; six weeks later she was in the hospital hemorrhaging from complications of the birth. We experienced financial stress. A dear friend of ours lost her job, found out she had cancer and needed a place to live, so she moved in with us. We had a fire on our property that burned down barns, fences and animals. We had a flood in our house…and this was not all! I cried out to God for help. He heard my cry and sent helpers.
I can imagine God sounding the alarm in heaven when we pray for His help: the angels standing to attention ready for their ministering orders, and the Holy Spirit quickly nudging people in the path of the needy saint with urgency and direction. The ones who have become accustomed to obeying the Holy Spirit's leading quickly follow and run to help.
When we were going through our hardships, our help came in various forms through different people. Some sent money, others prepared meals, some helped with the funeral. One friend came and cleaned our bathrooms; others sent notes and cards of encouragement with verses that spoke God's promises of hope. Friends came and helped remove rubble from the fire, while others sent gift cards to help us get through, and some even helped anonymously. Every act of grace was needed and got us through our darkest of days.
In the Bible, there are many examples of people who helped serve others faithfully. In Acts 6, we read that Stephen, a man who was martyred, was chosen to serve tables! In Acts 9, Dorcas was full of good and charitable deeds. In Exodus 17, Hur held Moses' arm up and the battle was won. These are just a few of the servants mentioned in the Word who helped others.
God watches the servants' hearts that follow the call and sacrifice for the needs of others, and He is well pleased. I believe all of Heaven watches and applauds the one who carries out God's assignments. God commands everyone to serve others, but not everyone moves to action when nudged by Him.
Everyone has different abilities to help with - never underestimate what your ability is. God created you to use your ability for His glory for His people. Many people are going through hardships today. There are people in need living next door to you, working with you, going to church with you. Strangers that you meet and even your own family may be those who need help.
God's words tell us to be constantly alert for what God wants us to do. It is required that we show love in action - not just in our words, but in deeds and in truth. When we wake in the morning, let's ask the Lord to help us hear His voice more clearly, to have spiritual eyes to see, and to give us His ability to carry out the mission He has for us this day.
I will be forever grateful for all the grace given to our family this year. After this year, I see the urgency to keep my eyes open to God's call to helping daily. Can you imagine what the world would look like if we all obeyed the call to serve others daily?
Dear Lord, I want to be faithful when You call me to help someone. Help my spiritual eyes and ears to become more acutely in tune with Your leading. Help me not to be so controlled by my own plans that I miss Your assignments. Thank You Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Sharing Grace: A Collection of Recipes-Family Traditions-Gift Ideas by LeAnn Rice
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself by Mary Lance Sisk
Form or join a Gather and Grow Group to love and support those around you.
Application Steps:
Ask the Lord daily to show you who He wants you to help.
What are your abilities? If you cook, you may need to prepare a meal.
If you have money, you may be asked to give a financial gift.
If you are a caretaker, you may need to take care of an elderly person, handicapped person or small child.
Are you a doer? You may need to accomplish a "to do" list for a hurting person.
Does God give you His Word to give others? Send cards or letters with verses that He gives for them.
There is a "Grace Epidemic" starting. People are being challenged to purposely show acts of grace. There is a website to track how far-reaching a single act of kindness can be. To be a part, visit Grace Epidemic.
Reflections:
How have I been helped? How can I do the same for others?
Am I prepared to help a stranger God brings to me today, wherever I am, even at the gas station or grocery store?
Power Verses:
John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (NKJV)
© 2009 by Sharon Glasgow. All rights reserved.
"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." I Peter 4:10 (NIV)
God uses His people as messengers of hope to those in need. Every dark storm I have been through is chronicled by someone God sent to help me through it.
This past year our family experienced extreme hardships: our daughter and her husband's baby died at birth; six weeks later she was in the hospital hemorrhaging from complications of the birth. We experienced financial stress. A dear friend of ours lost her job, found out she had cancer and needed a place to live, so she moved in with us. We had a fire on our property that burned down barns, fences and animals. We had a flood in our house…and this was not all! I cried out to God for help. He heard my cry and sent helpers.
I can imagine God sounding the alarm in heaven when we pray for His help: the angels standing to attention ready for their ministering orders, and the Holy Spirit quickly nudging people in the path of the needy saint with urgency and direction. The ones who have become accustomed to obeying the Holy Spirit's leading quickly follow and run to help.
When we were going through our hardships, our help came in various forms through different people. Some sent money, others prepared meals, some helped with the funeral. One friend came and cleaned our bathrooms; others sent notes and cards of encouragement with verses that spoke God's promises of hope. Friends came and helped remove rubble from the fire, while others sent gift cards to help us get through, and some even helped anonymously. Every act of grace was needed and got us through our darkest of days.
In the Bible, there are many examples of people who helped serve others faithfully. In Acts 6, we read that Stephen, a man who was martyred, was chosen to serve tables! In Acts 9, Dorcas was full of good and charitable deeds. In Exodus 17, Hur held Moses' arm up and the battle was won. These are just a few of the servants mentioned in the Word who helped others.
God watches the servants' hearts that follow the call and sacrifice for the needs of others, and He is well pleased. I believe all of Heaven watches and applauds the one who carries out God's assignments. God commands everyone to serve others, but not everyone moves to action when nudged by Him.
Everyone has different abilities to help with - never underestimate what your ability is. God created you to use your ability for His glory for His people. Many people are going through hardships today. There are people in need living next door to you, working with you, going to church with you. Strangers that you meet and even your own family may be those who need help.
God's words tell us to be constantly alert for what God wants us to do. It is required that we show love in action - not just in our words, but in deeds and in truth. When we wake in the morning, let's ask the Lord to help us hear His voice more clearly, to have spiritual eyes to see, and to give us His ability to carry out the mission He has for us this day.
I will be forever grateful for all the grace given to our family this year. After this year, I see the urgency to keep my eyes open to God's call to helping daily. Can you imagine what the world would look like if we all obeyed the call to serve others daily?
Dear Lord, I want to be faithful when You call me to help someone. Help my spiritual eyes and ears to become more acutely in tune with Your leading. Help me not to be so controlled by my own plans that I miss Your assignments. Thank You Lord. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Sharing Grace: A Collection of Recipes-Family Traditions-Gift Ideas by LeAnn Rice
Love Your Neighbor as Yourself by Mary Lance Sisk
Form or join a Gather and Grow Group to love and support those around you.
Application Steps:
Ask the Lord daily to show you who He wants you to help.
What are your abilities? If you cook, you may need to prepare a meal.
If you have money, you may be asked to give a financial gift.
If you are a caretaker, you may need to take care of an elderly person, handicapped person or small child.
Are you a doer? You may need to accomplish a "to do" list for a hurting person.
Does God give you His Word to give others? Send cards or letters with verses that He gives for them.
There is a "Grace Epidemic" starting. People are being challenged to purposely show acts of grace. There is a website to track how far-reaching a single act of kindness can be. To be a part, visit Grace Epidemic.
Reflections:
How have I been helped? How can I do the same for others?
Am I prepared to help a stranger God brings to me today, wherever I am, even at the gas station or grocery store?
Power Verses:
John 13:35 "By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another." (NKJV)
© 2009 by Sharon Glasgow. All rights reserved.
Labels: Finances, Friendships, Prayer, Relationships, Serving
6 Comments:
This is a wonderful devotion. We all need to give and to help others. I have gone through so much in my life. My house has burned down, I always had broken down cars, or no transportation at all, sometimes without food, lived in homeless shelters, homeless,etc.... all kinds of trauma.
I also worked as a meat wrapper, a bagger who had to get carts in the rain. lol
I teach my children to do unto others as you want them to do unto you. I once was so bitter and didn't understand why I had to endure so much, as a child, teenager, and then an adult, until the Lord showed me that the reason why I have such a passion for helping people is because if I can help someone as I so yearned for someone to help me in those difficult situations, I could be further than I am. So, I make sure that I push my cart into the little shelter that they have for the carts,or push them back into the store, because I know how it felt when I had to go and get those carts almost close to the road in the rain. I don't throw the meat everywhere after I look over it and choose which one that I want, because I know how it feels to have to keep going out to the meat case fixing the meat over and over. If any one needs a baby sitter, I won't charge them, because I know the anxiety of needing child care but yet having no money to pay someone. I take people to where they have to go, and won't charge them any gas, as long as I have gas in the car. And the list goes on and on. My friend was pregnant, and she needed a ride to the doctor's office once. I took her and then sat in there for hours and hours, she told me that I didn't have to do that. I told her, yes I do, because this is what I wanted some one to do for me.
Whatever you didn't have, try to give it to someone else. It will bless you.
I once thought as myself as being cursed, and at times asked the Lord why didn't he send me help when I needed it, in so many difficult times. He told me that I wouldn't be as I am now if He did. So, I am grateful for the Lord allowing me to endure so much hardships because it just tickles me pickles when I get a chance to help someone in a way that can bless them or help them.
What an inspiration. I feel so convicted at how little and self focused I've been on the challenges of raising three small children. Thank you for opening my eyes that this is not all I am. That my life is full of grace and I need to pass that along.
Thank you.
Thank you for this devotion. Recently I my husband and I just lost our daughter, I was 17 weeks pregnant. In the past two weeks I have felt so alone and have been trying to figure things out on my own. It wasn't until I read this that I realized how God has been sending people to help me. I have received food offerings, flowers, and random phone calls and emails with people thinking about me. I am very thankful and realize God is looking out for me and my husband. Thank you for helping me realize this.
I appreciated this devotion a great deal! It calls to mind the verses from 2 Cor. 1:1-7 - about how we can comfort others with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. These verses are actually the basis for a support group that a friend and I started after experiencing the loss of our infants. I wanted to tell you about this group, for your daughter, and also am hoping that Kim (who also posted a comment) will see this post. The group, Mommies with Hope, has a website and blog and I hope you will visit it and find comfort and encouragement! www.mommieswithhope.com and http://mommieswithhope.blogspot.com
Blessings,
Teske
Thank you Teske, I created an account and will be checking your website regularly!
Want your batteries charged? - then read this devo and apply with expectancy!
Great usage of 1 Peter 4:10 - Reminds me of Phillip's being led by God's Spirit, Phillip actually RAN to the chariot!- Yes! - When we are "tuned in" and have the world "Tuned out" we do not grieve His Spirit! - infact service is anticipated and the powerful outcome of His Strength will be witnessed!
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