For a purpose

10 Oct For a purpose

Blessed Tuesday y’all!

I have a great week ahead…lots of “in the community” engagements which is always exciting…so please pray for all that…that God’s Word would be heard & his promises made clear enough to trust. I’m leaning heavily on the Holy Spirit!

In the midst of all that…

1. Zoom Bible Study Catch-up

Friday 13th October 2023 @ 1:00 p.m. – Philippians 2

Join Zoom Meeting  —  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/83586782734  —  Meeting ID: 835 8678 2734

2. Living Water AGM – this coming Sunday, 15^th October immediately following worship.

Please stay for the meeting, we’ll set up morning tea & then get going. There’s much to be thankful for over this past year & much to anticipate as we open the pages on our next decade together as God’s people in mission in Wagga Wagga in the Name of Jesus.

Yes…this IS a Morning Tea week!

 

I’m sharing this particular verse of Scripture in a few places this week…It really struck me in my devotions so I reckon that means something.

“I, the Lord your God, hold you by your right hand, and I say to you, ‘Don’t be afraid, I am here to help you.’” – Isaiah 41:13

I read that this week in the context of our theme verse from Sunday, “God is working in you, giving you the desire & the power to do what pleases him.”

What I find striking in Scripture is that God is always active in our lives…God is always in motion with & within us. In Biblical terms, the “right hand” is the hand of power, strength, getting stuff done. So if God holds your “strong hand” it means he’s empowering you for his purpose to be accomplished through you. We noted that Paul is confident that God provides the “want to” & the “can do” for us a Christ’s disciples. Again…God takes hold of us not for a passive bliss-filled existence, but for the hard scrabble gritty work of making his love tangible for those around us.

 

Most days we’d like this world to make life easier for us & can get cranky with God that so much challenges us & strains at our sense of peace & well-being…but this world is never going to do anything but rebel & destroy…until we start showing in all we are and do a better way, the way of Christ. The early church lived their lives devoted to Jesus in such a public way that people wanted to be part of it. That responsibility now falls to us…and as surely as the church was persecuted, that might well be our lot too. But we’ll be in it together & Christ is always with us, working in us, giving us the desire & the power to do what pleases him.

Be encouraged this week…pray like never before…love like your life depended on it!

See you Sunday

John