GOD Morning! June 14, 2016, Missing Pieces

GOD Morning!  June 14, 2016

Missing Pieces

Luke 17:1-19

Instructions

17 Jesus said to His disciples, “Stumbling blocks [temptations and traps set to lure one to sin] are sure to come, but woe (judgment is coming) to him through whom they come! 

Oh God! I don’t want to be a stumbling block to anybody! Woe to me if I lure someone into sin! I can say, “Oh, I would NEVER!”, but God knows my heart.

² It would be better for him if a millstone [as large as one turned by a donkey] were hung around his neck and he were hurled into the sea, than for him to cause one of these little ones to stumble [in sin and lose faith]. ³ Pay attention and always be on guard [looking out for one another]! If your brother sins and disregards God’s precepts, solemnly warn him; and if he repents and changes, forgive him. ⁴ Even if he sins against you seven times a day, and returns to you seven times and says, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him [that is, give up resentment and consider the offense recalled and annulled].”

Oh that I may have a forgiving heart! Oh that I may love as Jesus loved! This sounds so nice on paper but is so hard to actually live out. I am definitely my own worst enemy. Sometimes I feel stubbornness rising up in myself. I just don’t want to forgive. I say that I need time. Um, no. Stubbornness is compared to idolatry in the Bible!

“For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee from being king.” 1 Samuel 15:23

The interesting thing is this. I can fool most folks. I can get up on the platform and play, sing and “worship”, and most folks won’t have a clue that I am stubbornly unforgiving. Oh, but I can’t fool my God. He sees inside of my hard, stubborn heart. And if I reject His correction, He will reject me. Plain and simple.

⁵ The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith [our ability to confidently trust in God and in His power].” ⁶ And the Lord said, “If you have [confident, abiding] faith in God [even as small] as a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree [which has very strong roots], ‘Be pulled up by the roots and be planted in the sea’; and [if the request was in agreement with the will of God] it would have obeyed you.

If I only would actually believe this. Wow, reading God’s word this morning is reminding me of how far I have to go in the faith department. I have been “in church” all of my life. How can I continually miss this stuff?

I appreciate my God so much this morning. He never gives up on me. He just politely knocks on my heart’s door through His beautiful word. Every morning.

“Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.” Revelation 3:20

⁷ “Which of you who has a servant plowing or tending sheep will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat?’ ⁸ Will he not instead say to him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, and appropriately clothe yourself [for service] and serve me while I eat and drink; then afterward you may eat and drink?’ ⁹ He does not thank the servant just because he did what he was ordered to do, does he? ¹⁰ So you too, when you have done everything that was assigned and commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy servants [undeserving of praise or a reward, for we have not gone beyond our obligation]; we have merely done what we ought to do.’”

Another reminder nugget from my Lord this morning. Am I thinking that I should be rewarded for being faithful?  I am merely doing what I ought to do and I’m expecting a reward? I must switch my attitude around to total and humble service to my Master. Constantly! All day long! And then I must bow down and worship Him with my whole heart. Simply because He is a kind, loving, faithful Master. I owe Him my life. Because He gave His life for me. He healed me. He restored me. I am forever grateful for the extreme privilege of service to my King.

Ten Lepers Cleansed

¹¹ While Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing [along the border] between Samaria and Galilee. ¹² As He entered a village, He was met by ten lepers who stood at a distance; ¹³ and they raised their voices and called out, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” ¹⁴ When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were [miraculously] healed and made clean. ¹⁵ One of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, glorifying and praising and honoring God with a loud voice; ¹⁶ and he lay face downward at Jesus’ feet, thanking Him [over and over]. He was a Samaritan. ¹⁷ Then Jesus asked, “Were not ten [of you] cleansed? Where are the [other] nine? ¹⁸ Was there no one found to return and to give thanks and praise to God, except this foreigner?” ¹⁹ Jesus said to him, “Get up and go [on your way]. Your faith [your personal trust in Me and your confidence in God’s power] has restored you to health.”

Okay, I have found the missing piece in my life. Worship. I don’t worship with a loud voice nearly enough! A while back, a friend said that God had impressed her to take one day a week to do nothing but worship Him in her prayer time. No petitions. No requests. No agenda. Simple worship from a pure, thankful heart. I was doing this for awhile... =(

The Samaritan  knew that he was not highly thought of in his society. He had a grateful heart. “Me, of all people! Society thinks of me as a dog! And yet this Jesus spoke healing over me! And I’m clean!”

This is pure worship. From a grateful heart. This is the kind of worship that is rare!

“Wow, I am amazed this morning. That You would come into my humble home and "sup with me." There is no joy any greater than this. Sitting here with You in Heavenly Places. And Your patience astounds me. You just keep showing me the same truths over and over. Sometimes I get it. Sometimes I have to be reminded too many times to count. Oh, that I could be as patient with others as my Master Teacher is to me. How I love You, my sweet Jesus. AMEN.”