I heard a story this morning, which God used to gently convict my heart and gently remind me how fortunate I/ we really are to have all of the liberties that America has to offer. Yet, even though we live in the land of opportunity, we still see so many unhappy and sometimes downright miserable people. But why? The worlds standard says having more equates to happiness – then in theory we should be happy. However, this not the case and it can be further concluded that having more does not have anything to do with true happiness and fulfillment in life. If having more does not make you happy what does? I believe it is in discovering God’s purpose and plan for your life and having a relationship with the creator that you will find that fulfilled happy life. For one second, let’s step out of our self centered bubble and take a look at what is really going on in the world around us: like Darfur, Africa where people are literally fighting to stay alive and not knowing each day if this day could be their last.
The story comes from a missionary serving in Darfur, Africa it was a about a 10 year old girl called Rebecca. A small intro /background about Darfur: there is a battle going on between the Arab Muslims and the African Muslims. The Arab’s are fighting and killing the African Muslims and it has been recently deemed as genocide. (the attempt to eradicate a race of individuals) Another major event that genocide was present was with Hitler in WWII when he too tried to take out a “race” of people – the Jews. The thing I found amazingly interesting is that both of these groups called themselves Muslim. However, the African Muslins now are turning away from a religion that seeks to destroy and eradicate them. This is where the story about Rebecca comes in, she and her family were fleeing from the Arab soldiers that where destroying their village. While they were running Rebecca’s mom was 9 months pregnant and was going into labor so they were forced to find a place to hide. In total, it was Rebecca, her mom, 7 brothers and sisters, her step mom and father that had run from the soldiers and where all hiding together. To the horrifying discovery, the soldiers found where they were hiding and opened fire on the entire family. The only one that was not injured at first was Rebecca. Rebecca’s mom told her to run so that her life may be spared but when she did she too was shot and injured. This little girl watched as her entire family was murdered. The people from Rebecca’s village who survived that day found her and carried her away. The injury she sustained was in the leg as her tibia bone was shattered and doctors said that she would never walk again. The missionary who was sharing this story was ministering to the large group of refugees who had fled their villages when he and his wife met Rebecca and eventually adopted her. They felt it was God’s call for their lives to share the love and hope of Jesus to those who were going through unspeakable decimation from the Arab Muslims. God had a plan for that missionary family to meet Rebecca but God also had a plan for that little life to help reach her own people in a remarkable way. With much prayer her leg was miraculously restored – the American orthopedic that they traveled to in Northern Africa said that her bones had healed in such a way that was unexplainable. The doctor said she would with time regain the use of the leg and would walk again!!!! After 4 years, she returned back to Darfur, her home, and spoke to her people about what Jesus had done for her – she was urging her people to give their life to serve the one true God and hundreds upon hundreds accepted the loving and caring God that she had found!!!!
As I heard this story, I was in awe of how much pain and suffering this little girl had been through in her young life; to think at merely 14 years of age God had used her life to change hundreds. God had a specific purpose for her life and he was going to restore not only her leg, give her a new family but also touch hundreds of lost seeking souls with the love that Jesus has to offer. What a beautiful picture! What if we were to imagine the same thing – what purpose does God have in mind for you? Are you running from the call or do you want to serve Him in a mighty and powerful way? God created each of us for a purpose: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you; before you were born I sanctified you.” Jeremiah 1:1
Once we accept Jesus in our hearts, there is a change that occurs. The type of change that we want to stop living for ourselves and giving in to the things that this world has to offer because we see just how shallow and empty they really are. We start to see the things that we once deemed so important start to lose their value – as they cannot bring the kind of true happiness and joy that God brings into our lives. God knows us so well that once we open our hearts up and say “God I want you to use me” amazing thing start to happen. The first step is to acknowledge that God has a plan for our life and that we were created with a specific and unique purpose: it is in this openness to hearing God that we will find what we seek – a happy and fulfilling life. We will also come to an understanding that it is by faith we trust completely in God and that He will do what He promised in our lives!!!
Philippians 1:6 says: “Being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ” This verse tells us that because we have believed in Jesus who came as a sacrifice to take our sins away that the Holy Spirit lives in us. The Holy Spirit is ready to enable us to do the task that God created us for and He will be there to help us on this journey.
In 2 Kings chapter 4 there was a widow who was crying out to Elisha for help from God. She had just lost her husband who was a faithful servant to God and now there were debt collectors who wanted to take her sons as slaves to pay the debt. Elisha told her to gather vessels which I imagine where some sort of jars -the context makes me think these were precious and perhaps even expensive vessels. She was to gather as many vessels has humanly possible. Then she took her one jar or vessel of oil and did as she was instructed.
“Then he said, ‘Go, borrow vessels from everywhere, from all your neighbors- empty vessels; do not just gather a few. And when you have come in, you shall shut the door behind you and your sons; then pour it (her vessel of oil) into all of those vessels, and set aside the full ones.’ So she went from him and shut the door behind her and her sons, who brought the vessels to her; and she poured it out. Now it came to pass, when the vessels were full, that she said to her son, ‘Bring me another vessel.’ And he said to her ‘There is not another vessel.’ So the oil ceased. Then she came to the man of God (Elisha). And he said, ‘Go, sell the oil and pay your debt; and you and your sons live on the rest.” 2 Kings 4: 3-7
I would like to point out that oil back in that day was similar to today’s world, where people would use oil for cooking, for light, and most importantly for fuel, In essence, this was a very precious commodity. When the woman took her one and only jar of oil and started to pour it there seemed to be an endless supply. God had done a miracle right before her very eyes. It took faith on the woman’s part to believe the man that God had sent her and to follow his instructions which seemed rather odd. The thing I love most about this passage of scripture is that it shows us God’s love, grace and mercy for us. Not only does He have a plan for our lives but He will also give the provisions to enable us to carry out His tasks. This is one example on why we should not limit God but rather we should walk in obedience and have faith that He will take care of our every need. God is able to do immeasurably more than ALL we ask or even imagine. Let’s not put God in a box and confine Him but rather let’s open our hearts and allow God to challenge us to be all that he created us to be! Let’s be like Rebecca and make an impact in this world for Jesus!!!!!
~ALD
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