The things I love

The treasures of the kingdom of God are great. There are several things in God that are especially delightful to me. One, the presence of the Lord, both in my own soul and in the fellowship with other believers. I don't mean some vague thing, but the very power of His love and might. The deep stiring and great joy, the moving and bubbling forth of the Spirit in my intermost being. This salvation of being born of God is more than my mind or language could express. But I have the rejoicing and worship in my spirit. I love that I can feel God working in me by the Spirit. The sighs, the groaning, the welling up of love to tears. The joy springing up into laughter and songs. The power of His healing balm, the faith to believe all things are possible, and to rejoice in victory over all evil.

I would have been enough for me to be forgiven. To be assigned a place to work for God as a servant. I would have been gratful just to have been admitted to be allowed in His Kingdom. But Oh!, what a Great God we have. As the prodical son I have been made His son, His very own! He has lavished His love upon me and I am now His. How can the heart ever express the overwhelming joy? What act can I do to express my gratitude? My mind can't fathom the blessing that God has bestowed upon me. If I act a little emotional now don't think me strange. It would be stranger if I didn't! Besides, if you think I get carried away now, wait until you see me in Glory! As Paul said, "if I am beside myself it is unto God, if I am in my right mind it is for you".

Do whatever he tells you

In John's gospel we have the account of the wedding at Cana in Galilee.

When the wine was gone, Jesus's mother said to him, "They have no more wine." "Dear woman why do you involve me?" Jesus replied. "My time has not yet come." His mother said to the servints, "Do whatever he tells you." John 2:3

Here we have the disciples, mary, and Jesus, along with many guest at a wedding feast. An occasion of joy and celebration. This is a normal activity for all of us as the song says, "love and marriage go together as a horse and carriage".

In looking at this, I would say that the disciples, and Jesus himself were aware that there was no more wine. But that fact alone didn't involve Jesus. As we can see from His question, "why do you involve me?" This shows us that need in itself doesn't move the Lord. It takes a petition (prayer) of faith. Mary asked of Jesus, and expected his answer to provide. As she then told the servants to "do whatever he tells you".

There are many points to this short narrative, such as, the petition was not for herself, but on behalf of the wedding party. It was not a critical situation, nor a matter of life and death. One lesson we could draw from this is the willingness of the Lord to be involved in the hum-drum everyday activity of our lives. Another could be to remind us to talk with the Lord about situations we find ourselves in to see what he would say for us to do. A third could be to not focus on only those things that are for our own benefit, but for the needs of others. There are a number of other lessons as well. With this in mind I want to focus on another point.

"Do whatever he tells you". In the commission to the disciples we have the mandate to "make disciples, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you". Matthew 28:18-20. The clear lesson of "do whatever he tells you" is a willing, loving, trusting obedience to the whole of the word of God. It is the first place to start in our walk with the Lord. It is not a intellectual agreement, many of the things that the Lord commands go against our thoughts and mind set. We will not think that the word of the Lord is reasonable. I ask you, is it reasonable to fill jars with water and serve it as wine? Of course not. If the Lord spoke such things in the days of His flesh, do we think that He's more inclined to do things our way today? Of course not?

We operate with limited knowledge, his is limitless. Jesus was constantly challenging the thinking of the disciples. Expanding on there knowledge. It is the same for us. Also it was not just the thoughts, but the actions on His word that He desired. It is of no effect to have the right idea, with no action. For example "love your enemies, do good to those who abuse you". Or "do not worry, take no though for your life. Consider the lilly's of the valley". These and many more commands are contary to the natural mind. I ask you, have you been a blessing to those who oppose you. Do you bless the guy in the car that cut you off? What about your heathen neighbor? Are you worried about something, the bills, the children, the world? It is one thing to talk it, but be honest with yourself, do you walk it?

Well you can, if God said it, then he will perform it in you. That is the goal of the word, to transform us into the image of Christ. To make us living epistles. But it is not according to your thoughs, but as the word and the Spirit transform us. How many things in the word do you discount or ignore or change to suit our idea of what we think God said? Can you claim some knowledge of how God ought to do things? He has hid the eternal things for the humble and the lowly. For those who are "babes" he has ordained praise. He has chosen the foolish to confound the wise, the lowly, and the things that are not, to bring to naught the things that are.

Let's say you've examined yourself, and to your knowledge you are quick to obey all that you know the Lord has commanded to do. Good for you. But we need to be open to further instruction in the word. That is why there are the ministry gifts, the anointing for pastors, teachers, etc. If we have the "amen" in our spirit to do all that the Lord would command, then we are on our way to the deeper things of God.

This is the lesson that Peter learned; "never the less, at your word I will let down the net for a catch." The result was more fish than the vessels could hold. This is the lesson of Saul on the road with his encounter with Jesus; "Lord, what would you have me to do?" This then is to be our FIRST RESPONSE. "Lord, what would you have me to do?" Then; "Do whatever he tells you!"