The Next Thing
“And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.”
We need to do the next thing. What does that mean? Well, I listened to a lovely talk by the late Elizabeth Elliot, the widow of Jim Elliot, the missionary who died at the hand of the Auca Indians in the Amazon Jungle in 1956, and she was speaking about acceptance.
We have got to get up and keep on, keeping on - not sitting down and having a pity party. Maybe you are going through a terrible time at the moment. Maybe you have lost a loved one because of this COVID-19 Virus. Maybe you have lost your job or maybe you have just gone bankrupt - I don’t know what it is but the Lord says: “Do not grow weary.”
We need to accept the fact that this world is not perfect. This world is not our home, we are simply passing through. There is no going back - We are not going back to Egypt, The Lord has delivered us from that, we are going forward!
One of my favourite scriptures in the Bible is 2 Corinthians 12:9 and it says: “My grace (that is what Jesus says) is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” So when I am weak, then I am strong. It is not always for you and me to know the answer but rather to know the Master.
That farmer, Job, was an amazing man of faith, he lost everything and what did he do? He said: “Though He slay me, yet I will still trust Him.” Job 13:15
Trust the Lord, it is not a hope for the best - It is a case of Jesus knows and I am going to unconditionally surrender to Him. It doesn’t matter what happens. I am going on, I am not stopping.
I think it was an old Chinese proverb:
How do you cover a thousand miles by foot?
One step at a time.
I remember a beautiful story about Mother Theresa.
There had been a Middle East crisis and the city was flat. The executives from all over the world, World Vision, Save the Children, etc - didn’t know what to do. They flew in that little lady from Calcutta, in a big jet, she arrived at the airport and they put out a red carpet for her and the black limousine was waiting. They put her in the back of the car and they whisked her off into this city that was devastated, it was flattened by bombs and by war.
They took her to this one children’s home. She got out of the car, all the experts were there with their clipboards and their pens, wanting to know “What is the gameplan?” She looked around and she found a broom, a brush and she just started to sweep the floor. They were all devastated.
They looked at her and said: “What are you doing?”
She said, “I am starting. I am starting.”
You and I need to keep on keeping on - we need to do the next thing.
What is that? Well, maybe it is to make yourself a cup of tea, maybe it is to phone somebody that you love. Maybe it is just to keep on keeping on and trusting the Lord - He will see you through!
God bless you and have a wonderful day.