Fresh Mannaby Pastor Tim Burt “Call to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things you do not know.” Jeremiah 33:3 Do you know this? Do you know God desires to do great and mighty things in your life? For Him to do that, it would be beneficial for you not to think of this in terms of making the headlines concerning the “mighty” things He’d do through you. That’s pride. That's ego. That's an insecurity of being needy to be seen and known. Those kinds of attitudes interfere and do not help you get to the place where God will do great and mighty things through you.A desire of a Christian's heart to be mightily used by God has to flow from a heart that desires to be a blessing to others so that they might see and experience Christ in you! As you begin to intentionally walk this out in your life, you need to know that your efforts might seem anything but mighty. They might seem small and insignificant. (The devil will mock them as nothing or a joke.) The truth is, planting a seed of love in any fashion so that someone might experience the love of God through you is never insignificant. They will be small seeds of blessing that will impact other's lives.I am a gardener and appreciate seeds more than the average person. The seeds I plant in the ground take time and nurturing to grow, but end up growing into something beautiful. Just a couple of weeks ago, I planted 200 tulip bulbs. They will do zero until the Spring thaw, and then, they will be one of the first things up from the ground. And Oh, will they be beautiful!
The seeds of love you plant in others may feel like they produce nothing in the beginning, but I promise you that seeds of love produce a harvest, especially when prayed for. They often have life-changing or life-impacting results. So, do not despise small beginnings!When God speaks about doing great and mighty things, He reveals and reminds you of His mercy. He reminds you that Jesus died for you, even when you could care less about God. He shows you His mercy—His patience and His forgiveness toward you. He reminds you of that so that non-Christians won't be repulsive to you but instead become the person in your heart who needs Jesus! The Lord will also remind you of the outpouring of His pure love and desire to reconcile you to Himself and give you a new life. God reminds you of His mercy toward you—not just for past offenses, but of His continuous mercy even when you violate Him and others. Psalm 86:5 says, “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in mercy to all those who call upon You.”
God’s mercy changed the entire course of your life. His continuous mercy keeps you from being eaten up by the devil’s accusations of your unworthiness and from the pains and feelings of condemnation when you mess up. His mercy continues to work powerfully in your life. Lamentations 3:22-23 remind us of how much we all need God's mercy and how powerful and mighty it is in our lives. It helps us start afresh each day—even when we’ve really blown it. It says, “The unfailing love of the Lord never ends! By His mercies we have been kept from complete destruction. Great is his faithfulness; His mercies begin afresh each day."When I tell you that God wants to do great and mighty things through you, I am not thinking about building a skyscraper or setting an Olympic world record. Those would be great and mighty things to the world but are seldom the kinds of things God highlights in His Word as great and mighty. Showing and giving mercy is a great and mighty thing. It’s a great and mighty thing to receive, and it is a great and mighty thing to give.Jesus instructed us in Matthew 5:7 (NIV), saying, "Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy." Then, the Apostle Paul reinforces how “great and mighty” is practically worked out in our lives, saying, "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience." (Colossians 3:12 (NLT) Revealing and giving the mercy of God, even when it would seem insignificant, is planting a seed at the least, and in doing so, you are giving the same mercy and love God continually shows you! This is the practical way God transforms and matures us to one day do great and mighty things! Think about this during the holidays. Remember—mercy and planting seeds! The work God does through you will also be the work God is doing in you!
If God's love has touched your heart through Fresh Manna, would you like to help Pastor Tim reach others? Please prayerfully consider donating.
