Verse of the Day 5/18

Through the Bible - 1 Kings 14-15, Matthew 9:18-38

 

Good morning,

Yesterday we considered "open the eyes of my heart" and the need to have our hearts "flooded with light" that we may see Him.

 

I've been reading David Platt's book, "Radical Together" where he instructs his readers to pray and God to give you "laserlike focus on Christ and His purpose in the world.  Ask God to give you new eyes to look at what you're doing in ministry and ask Him to give you a willing heart to put everything in your life and in the church on the table before Him.  Pray for Him to reveal what He most wants you to spend your time and resources on."
 

This prayer does not call for an "easy button", but, what would happen if we prayed it in sincerity?

For today's verse we'll go to this morning's New Testament reading in Matthew 9.

 

Matthew 9:37-38 (Amplified Bible) Then He said to His disciples, The harvest is indeed plentiful, but the laborers are few.

    ³⁸So pray to the Lord of the harvest to force out and thrust laborers into His harvest.

 

Notice how the Amplified Bible says "thrust laborers" into His harvest.  You kind of get the feeling "ready or not here I come".  Not that we shouldn't be prepared, but that there is no time for delay, the time for action is now, there are opportunities before us.

 

Earlier in the book David Platt writes, "the gospel compels the church to go to God with everything we have and everything we do and then ask, "What needs to go?  What needs to change? What needs to stay the same?  .... and then wait for God to answer."   Its the kind of waiting we've considered recently, being passionately patient, waiting with great expectation, ready to answer the call.

 

A lot to think about, more than that, a lot to pray about.  What is God compelling you to do today?  Read the short passage from The Message below.  Will yours be some of the "harvest hands"?

 

Blessings,
Mike
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Matthew 9:35-38 (The Message)

 ^35-38Then Jesus made a circuit of all the towns and villages. He taught in their meeting places, reported kingdom news, and healed their diseased bodies, healed their bruised and hurt lives. When he looked out over the crowds, his heart broke. So confused and aimless they were, like sheep with no shepherd. "What a huge harvest!" he said to his disciples. "How few workers! On your knees and pray for harvest hands!"