Fresh Manna
by Pastor Tim Burt
You are a work in progress. You know that don’t you? If you don’t know and understand that, you need to. What you should be confident about is that if you lean upon the Lord, He is the one that is going to help you follow out and succeed in the plan He has for your life. The Apostle Paul said it like this in Philippians 1:4-6. “In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”
God can and will carry out His plan in your life, IF you will do your part. What is your part? I’ll tell you what’s not your part. It’s not to be perfect! That isn’t going to happen. But your part is to stay close to the Lord by reading and meditate on His Word. Its also to be in church (not because it’s a sin if you don’t!) but to meet and fellowship with other believers. They are going to help you grow! Your part is to pray and invite God into every part of your life so the Holy Spirit can work in you! This isn’t something hard! It’s actually pleasurable, exciting, and capable of turning your life around, leading you to God’s abounding blessings! it’s the beginning of glorious adventures in God!
Developing godly relationships with people is critical because one of the primary ways God speaks to you is through His people. That will be your Pastor. It will also be other Christians you’ve developed a relationship with in church. God will also use people (like me writing to you today) to speak into your life. He’ll also use people to pray for you. Their prayers will be for God to help you, and to be a covering of protection against the devices of Satan against you. From there, if you will just listen to the Spirit of God as He speaks through His Word and through people He has brought into your life, you’ll be a work in progress that makes it to completion.
God is working in you! He wants you to have strong faith that He is working in the midst of the circumstances in your life. He wants you to have strong faith that His supernatural power is working in you and through you to touch, bless, and influence the lives of others for the Lord. God isn’t waiting for you to be perfect. Read the gospels. You will see that the Lord used His disciples at all stages of their spiritual growth and maturity. Did they make mistakes in the process? Absolutely! Did that stop the Jesus from having them touch others with His love and power? No! Mark 16:20 NLT says, “And the disciples went
everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.”
Despite their imperfection, they went out to represent Jesus and God did miracles through them! Wow! That’s what He will do through you and me—despite our imperfection! Galatians 3:5 (NLT) says, “I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the law? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ.” You will make mistakes. You will have times of doubt and fear. But in those times, you need to stand in your faith, and say Thank you Lord for your love and mercy and always being with me and working through me! There will be many times where you need to get back up, brush yourself off, and ask God to forgive you when necessary, and ask Him to use you again and again.
One of the most vivid memories of my daughter Stephanie’s childhood is the day I taught her to ride her bike. She was nervous and afraid. She did not want me to let go of the bike as I ran along side of her down the sidewalk. After a while she started to get the hang of it and I let her go. She didn’t even realize it until she was at the end of the block and I was far behind. It was just a short time later she wanted to ride to my parents’ house. They lived a few blocks away. As we were riding over there, she turned a corner, slipped in some sand and went down. Her cry seemed as loud as one of those air-raid sirens that go off each month. It took me a while to comfort her and calm her down. Then I had to get her back on that bike. It was hard for her but she did get back on—cautiously. And then we continued to my parents house without falling. And, as you would expect, she went on to enjoy riding her bike.
God is a supernatural God and wants to work in and through our lives. You will make mistakes as you learn to let God use you. You’ll fall off your bike, but when you do, don’t quit. Have faith and try again. Believing is the key! Faith in what God promises is the key to receiving from God and being used of God. Faith isn’t just hoping God will do something. Faith is a place you come—knowing that God will do what He says He’ll do! Faith comes by hearing the Word of God in your heart through all the ways I shared with you, through praying, through reading, and staying close to Him!
Ask Him to use you and touch someones life with His love today! You may be their first step toward someone coming to the Lord or back to the Lord. Be used today!
Philippians 1:6 (NLT) “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns”
In His Love,
Pastor Tim Burt
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Published by Pastor Tim Burt
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