1 John 2: 5-6 “But if anyone obeys His Word. Love for God is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in Him. Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus walked.”
It is good to sit back down and dwell in the presence of God as I blog out what He places on my heart. It has been far to long since this has taken place, and I am grateful for this time.
The Polar vortex has consumed much of my time as feet upon feet of snow accumulate day after day here in the Mitten state. When I asked to plow at Crown I didn’t know how much God was going to provide! I do apology my Michigan friends, God has truly answered my prayers and literally rained his provisions down from Heaven! 
As of late, through the busyness of life, God has been tenderizing my heart. It has been his focal point as I have asked Him how to continual prep for this journey. Today at Church, we had a guest speaker preach from the book of Lamentations. The first thought that scurries through everyone’s mind is, “I hope I don’t doze off.” Haha. But that could have been further from the truth as it was one of thee most engaging and heart felt services of the year.
The overall message was to share in the stories of others. not just step in for a quick peep and bug out back to our cozy little hide outs we call the church. Most of us here in the states live a blessed life, never having to think of survival. We live in state of perpetual prosperity, filled to the brim of whatever material things we may spontaneously desire. Then when what we have gets “old,” we dump them off on the less fortunate and hope that makes there lives better. And this is what most of us call our good deed, our Christian giving.
But is that really truly sharing in someone’s story? Is that how Christ walked this earth? Is that how we are to lament with others?
Not by any means. To share in one’s story, to journey in life with another, is to share fully in their sufferings. To feel what they feel. To hunger as they hunger. To survive as they survive. To mourn as they mourn. To hurt as they hurt. To physically feel what they feel day in and day out. If our hearts are where God’s heart is for His people, then this is how we ought to live. If our hearts are filled with the Spirit then we long for this. We desire to imbue what is on God’s heart. And God’s heart is always deeply and perpetually on all of his people of the earth. Longing to love them and give them the bread of life.
When we hear the horrifying stories of mass executions, child starvation, disease filled countries, or any ailing form of oppression my hope is that our hearts be wrecked. Never hold back the feelings that God overwhelms you with as you hear such stories. Never try to hardened up your heart to feel numb to it. But rather let God’s heart become your heart. So that your reaction is to go out and share in these stories as Christ did, rather than shriveling back into our homes as the devils heart desires.
So at the heart of it all, may we be counted worthy enough to share in the sufferings of Christ. May we be courageous enough to step fully into someone else’s journey, and lament with them as we pour out God’s ever flowing love and promise to them. Let us not stand idly by, but may with take up the cross and share in one another’s burdens, so that ultimately the Glory of God and His kingdom be established in every nation, and in every people!
Christ walked this walk. Let us have the guts to follow in His footsteps!
Praise be to Almighty, and the all the glory that is in Christ Jesus our Lord and our Savior. Amen & Amen!
