Louder Now
1 Cor. 4:20- “For the kingdom of God does not consist in words but in power.” This is a scripture that has really manifested to me on this trip. I had an understanding before the trip of what that meant, but now I feel like God is SHOWING me what it means. It’s a one sentence verse, but what a powerful punch it packs. The Kingdom of heaven is not words, but power. Wow! we serve a God, the only true living God, who moves in power.
The other night we had a spontaneous encounter with some kids who were dancing and playing at a crusade meeting. We were going with pastor Johnson to see a church, and we happened upon a bunch of people singing and dancing. It’s so neat how God appoints things that we never see coming. God is never boring; He always keeps you on your toes. The kids instantly were crowded around us, laughing at our white skin, and seeing who would be brave enough to touch the white people first. So we just started dancing and playing with the kids. It was so beautiful to get to worship in such a simple way with those children. There’s so much power in dance. It’s such an expression of love and worship to the father that’s too deep even for words. The light in those children’s faces spoke so much louder than words. So much louder than any spoken word. We couldn’t understand each other, but the Light of Christ was there with us, and I saw it in their faces. What a beautiful thing. That’s power. We may never know what Christ did in those kid’s lives that night, we might never live to see the fruit of our labor, but we planted seeds, because the kingdom of heaven is so much bigger than us; so much bigger than our words.
When you surrender your comfort every morning to God, expect to be uncomfortable. He is a jealous God. That’s something that God has taught me about Himself. I never really knew what that meant, or had any experience with that. But this entire trip, He’s been demanding more and more of me, more and more surrender daily. Which is His right, He deserves it all. He has been passionately pursuing this entire team, and none of us will ever be the same.
So every morning I surrender my own comfort to God, and boy does He take advantage! I’ve come to realize that this trip is not about me or my life. It has never been about me. How selfish I was to think that this had anything to do with me! It’s ALL about Him. Without God this trip is nothing. Without getting myself and my selfishness out of the way, God cannot use me. He cannot use someone only focused on what they get out of a trip instead of what they’re giving to God and to the people HE wants to reach around us. I’ve never been so uncomfortable in my life as I am some days, but He never said refining and being baptized by fire was fun, or nice, or comfortable. We serve a God who is an all consuming fire. Why did I expect that to be safe? Why did I expect it to be comfortable? It’s when we’re at our weakest, and we feel like we’ve got nothing, that God says, “Okay now you’re ready. Now that you realize you need me, that you have nothing without me, now I can use you in mighty ways.” The word says He desires a broken spirit and contrite heart. It’s when we realize that our identity is completely in Christ, and that we are broken and weak people without Him, but that with His Spirit living in us we are mighty and powerful, and that we can do anything through Him who strengthens us, that is when we will be used mightily by Him. We have the same Spirit living in us that raised Christ Jesus from the dead! Have you ever thought about that kind of power? We have boxed God in so much in our minds. Who are we to limit God and His power? I know nothing about God. I thought I knew Him, but He reveals a new part of Himself every day that blows my mind, and makes me realize just how small I am, but at the same time how BIG and how MIGHTY He is! Praise the Lord for being who He is!
That night with those kids taught me so much about who God is. Who thought that such a simple encounter could teach so much? God works in mysterious ways, and He leaves little signs for us along the way that point to Him and to His glory and majesty. But it’s not until we wake up and pay attention to His voice that we see them. Will we listen to His voice?
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