Path of Christ
What a amazing 2015! I can look back and see some amazing moments in the year where God spoke, healed, and disciplined me when and where I needed it. It’s a great place to be in your walk to know and allow the Lord to have His way. Some of us are and have been there for some time. Now it is time for us in this place of Contentment. Time for us to move to a place of confidence in contentment and say “here I am send me”.
Myself and others alike. We are entering the time of year where we make resolutions to change things from last year or things from past years. Maybe it’s to loose weight, pay off a bill, or to fix something that’s been broken (door, car, or marriage). These things and others will take us down a path, road, and journey that we don’t necessarily want to go down.
Luke 17:11 says that Jesus went through Samaria and Galilee on His way to Jerusalem. In Jesus’ time. Jews would add a day or two journey to their trip by going around these cities. Not the best of places to go. Jews and Samaritans didn’t get along. This route was filled with danger. Lots of thieves, homeless, lost, and broken people traveled this way. Our Savior, Jesus, went through the heart of these cities. The path of contentment and confidence in Christ your on. It will bring you in contact with these types of people. It will bring you in contact with co workers, family members, siblings, children (your own), spouses (your own), that are sick, hurt, alone, and mean.
Luke 17:12&13 says that this route Jesus chose to travel. Brought Him in contact with 10 lepers. They lifted up their voices and asked Jesus to have mercy on them. Jesus noticed them and told them to go to the priest. They went and were healed! The churches we attend, the places we work, and the places we call home. They all need us pointing everyone we come in contact with to our high priest. We need to be pointing people to JESUS! People need to see the way Christ has transformed and changed you and I. They need to see the contentment and confidence we have in Christ. This fruit of the Spirit will attract and draw people to our churches. We will make new relationships with people at work. We will become more hospitable and welcome people into our homes.
To many times I don’t find myself on the path like Christ. Many times I find myself defeated, discouraged, and disgusted with life. to be honest. I am more like the lepers. Like me they are lost, alone, and hurting. They all obeyed Christ command to go to the priest and were healed. Like them so many times I obey the command of my Savior. I receive my healing, deliverance, and my discipline. I loose the weight… I pay off the bill to be debt free… I fix the things that were broken. I seem to find myself with more weight to loose, another bill to pay, and more broken things to fix. We read in Luke 17:17&18. Jesus says in these verses. Were not 10 cleansed? But where are the other 9? Were there not any of them found to give Glory to God except this foreigner?
I want to be found in 2016, like this leper. Luke 17:15&16 says that one of the lepers. When he saw that he was healed, returned, and with a loud voice Glorified God, and fell down on his face at the feet of Christ. Giving Him thanks! To many times we never think to turn around and see where we have come from. This man just received his healing. He had the conviction in his heart to travel that road. The road back to his broken, lost, smelly life that he just walked away from. And who is there? He finds JESUS! This is where Jesus is at. He is where the lost and hurting are. If you have lost weight, if you are debt free, and if you have fixed your broken marriage. I can guarantee if you take a moment and turn around. You will see Jesus standing in the midst of people who are struggling for resolve in the same areas we have been delivered and healed from. This is where we need to be found in 2016. We need to be found crying out for mercy. We need to be found obeying Christ commands for our lives. We need to be found on our faces at the feet of our Savior, giving Him thanks and praise. When we are found here. Then and only then will we find the strength to see the resolutions resolved. This is the place of resolve in 2016!
Romans 5:1-5 NKJV / Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into Grace by which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the Glory of God. And not only that, but we also Glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope doesn’t disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.
God bless & have a great 2016,
In Christ, Todd Garrison