“Yet it was good of you to share in my troubles. Moreover, as you Philippians know, in the early days of your acquaintance with the gospel, when I set out from Macedonia, not one church shared with me in the matter of giving and receiving, except you only; for even when I was in Thessalonica, you sent me aid more than once when I was in need. Not that I desire your gifts; what I desire is that more be credited to your account. I have received full payment and have more than enough. I am amply supplied, now that I have received from Epaphroditus the gifts you sent. They are a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” Philippians 4:14-20
There are mission teams that bring gifts; suitcases full of odds and ends that mission team leaders seemingly imagine are needed by the recipients in a faraway land. Our ancestors in North America gave blankets, beads and buttons to the Native inhabitants prior to moving into their land; it’s in our gene. When the Apostle Paul went on his journeys, Churches provided for him, not the other way around.
The Apostle Paul was an ambassador for Christ and his message was the news of the gift of salvation that is found only in Christ. Sometimes we go astray from this direction and return to the ways of our sinful culture. Instead of bringing that which is of real value and will last forever, the Gospel, we tote and deliver worthless trinkets that only bring short lived happiness. The child from Ouanaminthe in the attached photo is giving thanks to God for her daily food, and for your support. She doesn’t know you or me, but she does know Him who brought this food to her table. It is not about me or you, it is about Him.
I read a pearl of wisdom recently which says “When you pray for others, God listens to you and blesses them, and sometimes, when you are safe and happy, remember that someone has prayed for you.” Thank you for continuing to pray for the children in Haiti who receive the true gift of life and the gift of nourishment daily. Also, never forget that you are in their prayers as well. We recently sang ‘Christ be my leader’ which was written by Timothy Dudley-Smith in the early 1960’s and this song reminds us of the presence of Christ in our lives each and every day.
“Christ be my leader by night as by day; safe through the darkness for he is the way. Gladly I follow, my future his care, darkness is daylight when Jesus is there. Christ be my teacher in age as in youth, drifting or doubting, for he is the truth. Grant me to trust him, though shifting as sand, doubt cannot daunt me; in Jesus I stand. Christ be my Savior in calm as in strife; death cannot hold me, for he is the life. Nor darkness nor doubting nor sin and its stain can touch my salvation: with Jesus I reign.”
Heavenly Father, you have called your servants to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown. Give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that your hand is leading us and your love supporting us through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. Amen.
May God be with you…Jay