This weekend, the small group we attend were discussing who we could serve on a regular basis. We all had great ideas - work in a soup kitchen, befriend different people at a nursing home, pray for and rake leaves/shovel driveways for folks who can't do it themselves and so on. What we see is that there are so many needs out there and we could never meet them all. There is need in every community, every city, every state, country, world, etc! As individuals or as a group of believers, where do you begin? How do you make the decision on who to serve? I look to John 5:30 which says I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge and My judgement is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. In Proverbs it says to seek the Lord and He will show you what path to take. We must sit quiet and ask the Lord to show us who and where to serve. We need to be doing what we see the Father doing. When He is at the center of it, more lives are impacted and influenced for the Kingdom of God.
Ken and I often sit down and ask the Lord if there is someone who has a need - whether it be financial, healing or otherwise. We ask the Lord who He wants to bless, where to go and what specifically we are to do when we get there. Often times He will send us to a hospital room to pray for someone. We have seen salvations, physical, emotional and/or spiritual healing.
Some of you may have heard this story but it's one I love to share because God is so good and so loving! I remember one time, the Lord gave us details to visit room 417, bed 1, Olathe Medical Center. We heard broken heart. On the way to the hospital we heard John 17:21 which at the end of the verse it says, they will know I sent you. John being the 4th gospel, 17th chapter to coincide with the room number we were going to. We entered the room and approached the lady in bed 1. We asked her if we could pray for her and she said yes but told us she had a contagious disease and we need to put the gloves on for protection. When we walked up to her bedside, we asked her if she believed in Jesus and she said yes and that she had accepted Him as her Lord and Savior 20 years ago. We began to pray. The Lord had me hold her hand while we were praying. She was taken back that I would want to hold her hand. As I prayed, the Holy Spirit gave me the words to pray. I said God, there is something specific she is asking You for and I ask that You would honor her hearts desire. She began to cry. After we finished praying, she said to us "I know the Lord sent you to me, because just five minutes before you walked in, I was praying and asking the Lord to either heal me or take me home to heaven. You see I'm lonely and I have a broken heart and in walked my brother and sister in Christ to pray for me. She went on to say that she had been in and out of the hospital for the past year with this disease and she didn't have many visitors due to the contagious part of it. A few days later I found out, she was released from the hospital and was completely healed! Praise God!!
I believe the Lord wants to use us ALL to reach others. There are so many people out there who need a touch from God whether they know the Lord or not!! The only way He can reach them all is if we are willing to seek His will, His direction and then be obedient and step in faith to do what He calls us to do! This is how we can make an impact in the world, one life at a time. The definition of impact means intentional collision. These are my favorite words...impact and intentional. Do you want to make an impact? If so, you must choose to be intentional in what you do each day.
This morning in my quiet time, I was reading in the book of 2 Corinthians Chapter 8. Several verses jumped out at me that relate to our discussion yesterday and what I just mentioned above.
Verse 3-5 - For I testify that according to their ability, and beyond their ability, they gave of their own accord begging us with much urging favor of participation in the support of the saints, and this, not as we had expected, but they first gave themselves to the Lord, and to us by the will of God.
When people give themselves to the Lord, when they spend time His Word and time just listening and seeking His Kingdom, His will is revealed to us. He will show us who He wants to touch. He will show us who has need. He will show us what cause to support.
Verse 10-15 - I give my opinion in this matter, for this is to your advantage, who were the first to begin a year ago not only to do this, but also to desire to do it. But now finish doing it also, so that just as there was the readiness to desire it, so there may be also the completion of it by your ability. For if the readiness is present, it is acceptable, according to what a person has, not according to what he does not have. For this is not for the ease of others and for your affliction, but by way of equality at this present time, your abundance being a supply for their need, so that their abundance also may become a supply for your need, that there may be equality; as it is written, He who gathered much did not have too much, and he who gathered little had no lack. Amen!
Ken and I have been living these verses lately. Over the last 8 or 9 years, the Lord has been teaching us the principle of giving. For a long while we had what we would say the resources to give. We had an abundant supply. We gave cheerfully. We gave according to what we had and our ability. Our abundance was a supply for others.
We have also learned the spiritual law of sowing and reaping and now we definitely are seeing that as you give, it will be given back to you (Luke 6:38). Our supply has dwindled down. We are in a season of receiving. I have to say honestly it's not quite as fun as giving. It's humbling. It's hard. It's hard because we have to totally trust God for our needs to be met. That's not always easy when we have been used to having "abundant supply". But God is faithful and He has been showing us that for a while. Each day, we give Him thanks and praise for what He has supplied, for the blessings He does give us. He surrounds us with people who encourage us. What a gift friends are from God!
Our readiness and desire to give is even greater now, though we would call our resources in "lack". How cool is that! As God lays people on our hearts - we step out in faith to give, to support or to encourage.
So today, I encourage you to seek the Lord. Ask Him what His will is for you today! What would He have you do today to bless someone in need. It may not be financial. It may be someone you work with, neighbor, friend, family or even a total stranger! Faith is action! And if you're willing, email us and let us know what God did through you today or this week! We'd love to hear your stories!
UPDATE ON PERU!
First - THANK YOU to those of you who have been so kind in donating to us. Thank You! Thank You! Thank You! We are still about $3500 short with only 25 days to go (plane tickets to purchase). And THANK YOU for those who have offered to keep us covered in prayer between now and the end of our trip. That is probably the most important part for us! My health has been slowly improving. I am still getting over a bad chest cold but the worst is behind me. My doctors are seeing results on the adrenal fatigue and other issues, as they have been changing out medicines and supplements. Praise God for wisdom for the doctors!! Please continue to pray for complete physical healing!!
I got a call from a friend who gave me some tips on how to shop for airline tickets - and was able to find some flights that will be more affordable. Another great idea is frequent flier miles. What would work most affordably is if someone had 40,000 or 80,000 Continental or United miles they would use to help book our flights. I've checked into transferring miles to our account (as someone has offered) but the cost to do so, would be a lot! Thank you Lord for friends with experience and great ideas!
Ken and I have been spending some time in prayer about Peru and the people we will meet there. He has been good in showing us some locations and clues (as we would call them) on who to pray for! Whoohoo!! We can't wait to get there!!!
Bless you again!
Ken & Michele Cole
michele@wantinsight.com
https://wantinsight.blogspot.com
This is how you can give if the Lord so leads you:
Tax deductible donations can be made by visiting:
1. https://www.hhmin.org/make_donation_projects.php, select Ministry Projects, then use drop down box Ken & Michele Cole - Want InSight?
2. Or you can donate through my medical account, select Medical Projects, then Michele Cole.
3. Non tax deductible donations can be made directly to us by:
4. Paypal - account is michele@wantinsight.com
5. Send check to our home. Please contact us for the address.
Any donations made through Helping Hands will be anonymous. If you want us to know that you supported us through them, please let us know personally. Thank YOU
Thank YOU so much for your kind comments and offers to pray
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