To Seek Something Greater…
In Matthew 10 we have the record of Jesus sending out the twelve, to go to the lost sheep of Israel (v.6), and to preach the nearness of the kingdom of heaven (v.7). They were to heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse the lepers, drive out demons, and trust God for all provisions (v.8-10). If rejected, they were to move on. They were to be shrewd in their dealings, yet remain innocent of wrongdoing (v.16). When persecuted they were to flee elsewhere (v.23), not of cowardice, but to preserve their evangel. Fearless of man, they were to proclaim the message He would give them. He told them,
“Whatever I tell you in the dark, speak in the light; and what you hear in the ear, preach on the housetops.” (Matt. 10:27).
On this theme Oswald Chambers comments,
“…pay attention when God puts you into darkness, and keep your mouth closed while you are there. Are you in the dark right now in your circumstances, or in your life with God? If so, then remain quiet. If you open your mouth in the dark, you will speak while in the wrong mood— darkness is the time to listen. Don’t talk to other people about it; don’t read books to find out the reason for the darkness; just listen and obey. If you talk to other people, you cannot hear what God is saying. When you are in the dark, listen, and God will give you a very precious message for someone else once you are back in the light.” – Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, Feb. 14 entry
Fasting can be very much like darkness. Like prayer, it is to be a closeted thing (a dark place), a private thing (“done in secret”), hidden from the applause of men but given to God in sacrifice… in worship. With it comes promise of reward… openly… “in the daylight.”
“The Christian denies himself because he seeks something greater,” said Pastor Andrew.
What do you seek?
More tomorrow…
To hear Pastor Andrew’s Sunday message, go to the Facebook page of Lincoln Baptist Church, or link to the livestream from the church website.
thebrokenrunner 