Saturday, September 16, 2006
John 15:5b "Apart from me you can do nothing."
GOD'S RESOURCES
Two women were called to serve the LORD. They were called to serve him in a very difficult way. One of the women had the attitude, "Yes, we can do this! No problem! There's no way we can fail!" The other wasn't so sure. The other had misgiving about her own abilities. She didn't really think she could do it. On the surface, the first woman, who wanted to set the world on fire, looked to be the more dedicated follower of Christ. But it was the first woman, the very self-confident woman, who, literally within a matter of weeks, gave up because she felt overwhelmed by the enormity of the task. It was the second woman who stuck it out. How was she able to tough it out, when she was so full of trepidation to begin with? It was because she forsook her own resources. She understood that if Jesus wasn't there to give her strength day by day she couldn't do it.
But where do we go to fill up on God's strength? Where do we find God's resources? We can start in God's house. There we hear His Word from the pulpit. There we receive His power in the Lord's Supper. There we encourage one another with the Word. That Christians take advantage of the opportunity to gather around God's Word for public worship is part of God's plan for building strong disciples. We also open up our Bible during the week and let God speak to us. That's part of God's plan as well, personal study of His Word. We meditate on our Baptism, its promise, its meaning, its power. We go to those places where God touches our hearts with His love, His forgiveness, His promise of eternal life, His flawless direction for our daily lives. We go back again and again to the cross and the empty tomb which comfort our heart before God, and which strengthen our resolve to follow everyday and always. Without Jesus we can do nothing! With Him all things possible!
