August 20, 2023
Reading: Matthew 25:31-46
Focus: Matthew 25:40 – The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Father God, I open myself to Your words today. Thank You for the wonderful morning worship service this morning. Thank You for allowing me to be a blessing to a sister in Christ. In Jesus Name, Amen.
This is going to be one of those blogs that comes from the heart. Several things occurred this week that God prompted me to act on. I am glad I paid attention because I got a blessing out of each one of them. And not only me, but several others of my church family have felt the leading of God to take action and be a blessing. I want to share these with you. But first, I need to share one time when I didn’t pay attention to what God was asking me to do.
Back when I was just beginning this blog. In fact, the very day that God confirmed to me that this was what He wanted me to do, I was standing in the check-out line at Costco. The man behind me and I were watching a man in the neighboring line check out with cases of tortilla chips and, I think, nacho cheese. It was a huge load. It was Super Bowl Sunday. We both remarked that he was probably a vendor and needed the supplies. I commented that there would be two commercials about Jesus during the Super Bowl. The man asked if I believed in God. And I proudly said yes, I did. Then I invited him to visit our church. I am ashamed to say I didn’t continue to talk to him about God. It wasn’t until after we had left the store and were on our way home that I realized I had missed a God moment. An opportunity to talk to someone about God and about Jesus. I had to ask God to forgive me for missing that open door. I promised myself that I would try to look for those opportunities to reach out to someone who needed it. Whether it be prayer, kindness, help or some kind of just plain encouragement.
I have tried to make sure to not miss those open doors since. I have stood in the check-out lines at Wal-Mart and heard people talking about God and joined in the conversation. Occasionally another would become interested in the conversation and we would tell them about what God has done for us. Last week, I had to renew my driver’s license. The lady at the window was really nice and I felt the urge to give her one of my cards about this blog. Tears welled up and she told me she had really needed that. I guess she needed to know that God still cared. I reached out and grabbed her hand and prayed for her right there. I was blessed to be able to do that for her. I don’t know her need but God did. But l acted on the prompting of the Spirit.
This morning at church was unusual. Prayer seemed to be the theme of the day. Our Sunday School class was just getting started. One of the men in the class is an Uber driver. He has felt called to bring Christ to those he drives to the various places. He calls his car “The Uber Church”. He has also felt led to assist people in his neighborhood. One of his neighbors was particularly resistant to his offers of assistance. But recently she had hurt her foot rather badly. Yesterday, he felt the Lord telling him to take food to her. Now! He said it stuck him as extremely urgent. So, he prepared a plate and took it over. He called the lady but learned that she was at her mother’s house. God urged him to drive to her mother’s and deliver the food. So, he did. The plate of food was received with surprised gratitude. The lady said she was surprised that he would feel the need to bring her food. He felt he had an open door and shared that God had told him to do it. That opened the door wider for him to be able to talk to her about Jesus. Who knows where that will lead?
Another classmate shared about 40 years of being a neighbor to a man who didn’t like them very well. They picked up his mail, watched over his home while he were on vacation. Brought food to him when his wife died. Brought food to him when he was sick. They were Jesus to him for 40 years. Two days before he died, he came to them and thanked them for being a neighbor to an old man. They had always talked about Jesus to him but he never seemed to accept it, until then.
As church began this morning, I saw my mother-in-law praying with a friend. It seemed rather intense. When she was done, I reached out to hug her and asked how she was. I have to say that when you ask someone how they are, be prepared for them to tell you. Not everyone will but on occasion a need will be so great that they will have let you know. My friend had been without funds and food for three days at this point. The urgency of that situation struck me. I had to do something. My mother-in-law had handed her some money and the gentleman beside her did the same, but I hadn’t seem that.
As I was talking to my Sunday School class treasurer to see if we could help my friend, my husband came up behind me to tell me that the Nursery attendant for the day had gone home sick. The Nursery is my responsibility and so I headed out. He asked me what was wrong. I told him. Without hesitation, he said to go across the street to Wal-Mart and get some money. I did and he got someone else to fill in the Nursery. I went back to my seat behind my friend, grabbed her hand and pressed the cash into it. She grabbed my hand and pulled me into a hug. We wept and prayed. I prayed peace, provision and guidance over her. I prayed that God would fill her cup, pressed down and running over. God moved mightily in the service this morning. Most of it was spent in prayer and worship. I have to believe it was because people were following God’s leading. Not just us but others too.
Now, I am not telling you these things to be patted on the back and be told, “Good job”. I am telling you that you are missing out on blessings if you don’t follow God’s leading and reach out to others. What I did was done for God by His leading. Hey! Pay attention! You never know when you plant a seed about Jesus in the heart of someone. You may never see what that seed produces until you reach heaven. You never know how much of a blessing you will be or how much you will receive when you do reach out.
Jesus told us to do it to the least of these. Who is that? Your neighbor. Your friend. Your hair stylist or barber. The person behind you at McDonald’s drive-through. The person behind you in line at the grocery store or even the cashier ringing up your groceries. What I am saying is be sensitive to the prodding of the Holy Spirit. You never know what God has in store for the person you reach out to or for yourself, for that matter. They could become an evangelist, leading others to Christ. A Christian physician who prays for and with his or her patients. A missionary who leads hundreds to Christ in another country. A Christian teacher who lives Jesus in front of her classes. A member of a church who is a prayer warrior and prays continually for others. Or even a simple soul won to Christ who will meet you in heaven one day.
Hey! Pay attention! God is speaking to you.
Are you listening?
Father God, Help us to listen for You and to You. Help us to reach out to others for You. Let us be Your hands and feet. Show us the ‘least of these’ that we need to minister to. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Food for Thought
- Who can you reach out to for Jesus?
