Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Shade is a great gift from the “heat of life”. As we escape from the rays of summer by going under the protective branches of a tree—so the early church functioned as shade for others.
Life is full of many complexities. There is much that can derail people. There is much that can derail the church as well. Perhaps one of the simplest examples is worry about non-essentials. How often have we worried and spent time losing sleep over things that don’t matter. Churches do the same. But, worry does not help the church community minister to others very well. What I see is the need to “move beyond worry” – trusting that the Spririt is present and will accompany us whenever we reach out in faith.
Today, we see that the church has not allowed discouraging people to derail them (see the 4/19 devotion) but instead just continues to reach out and offer shade to others. They continue to reach out which is the greatest thing you can possibly do. Instead of dwelling on the negative realities, they simply said, “lets just keep reaching out!” .. . ..
. … the result, “people held them in high esteem!”
In our generation, if we reach out and show the world “who we are for (Jesus)”, seek to model our lives by his example, and let our actions be humble (not arrogant)---- the world will experience blessed shade from the heat of life and be drawn closer to the God who embraces us.
Who can you offer "shade" to this day as part of your Christian witness?
Today’s Text-Acts 5: 12-16
12 Now many signs and wonders were done among the people through the apostles. And they were all together in Solomon’s Portico. 13None of the rest dared to join them, but the people held them in high esteem. 14Yet more than ever believers were added to the Lord, great numbers of both men and women, 15so that they even carried out the sick into the streets, and laid them on cots and mats, in order that Peter’s shadow might fall on some of them as he came by. 16A great number of people would also gather from the towns around Jerusalem, bringing the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and they were all cured.
"And they'll know we are Christians by our love"--reminds me of doing what Christ asks of us--to love one another, and in that there is the shade Dave speaks of in todays message.
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