Listening to the Holy Spirit:
Running is not the goal. My Name calls to direction, then to steadfastness, then to sensitivity, then to bend to My daily will. You seek for speed of attainment, and for accumulation. These ways are below those whom I call to greater purpose; for direction received daily, for steadfastness that you would not be altered from your way, to the attentiveness of My Spirit that you would hear and see with My eyes, and then to obedience that today’s walk would be commanded more by My calling than that of the world’s.
Remember your creation and the grace that called you forth; it was for the work of the Father. The good works of God flowing through your hands; My words to others from your lips. Slow, that you may accomplish the greater call. The reward is not for haste, but for the great work that is done in the following.
Matthew 20:29-34 (ESV) – And as they went out of Jericho, a great crowd followed him. And behold, there were two blind men sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was passing by, they cried out, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” The crowd rebuked them, telling them to be silent, but they cried out all the more, “Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!” And stopping, Jesus called them and said, “What do you want me to do for you?” They said to him, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” And Jesus in pity touched their eyes, and immediately they recovered their sight and followed him.
John 21:25 (ESV) – Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.
Matt 9:18 (ESV) – While he was saying these things to them, behold, a ruler came in and knelt before him, saying, “My daughter has just died…
Taking It to Work:
I have said many times that I am just too busy. I am sure those same words have danced in your mind a time or two. Typically, when I verbalize those thoughts, it is when I am asked to do something unplanned or inconvenient. It actually may be something I would enjoy doing at another time, but planned work, goals or events, and the urgency of getting them done would be a sure hindrance to that enjoyment, even if I had the time. It happens far too often. My day is too short, and my list is already too long.
Now, Jesus, our ultimate example, had an incredible amount to get accomplished in the three short years of His ministry. The Bible records only a very small portion of His work while here on earth (see John 21:25). Yet, even with the mission of setting up a redemptive path for all of mankind, starting a global church, and educating Pharisees, Sadducees, his disciples and all of Judea about who He was and the true Kingdom of God; even with all that, He always seemed to have the time to stop and meet the needs of those along the way.
So many times in Scripture, we see a likely very tired Jesus going out of his way, from what seemed to be the plan for the day, to heal, counsel, teach and even welcome children to His lap. It seems His whole ministry, as grand and far-reaching as it was, was also one of constant interruption.
He had to know though, as He communed and communicated with the Father. He must have been told to make room for interruptions. Through daily prayer, He somehow knew His call was to be flexible and meet the needs of those around Him as He went about accomplishing the larger goals of His ministry.
I believe that’s our mission too. As hard as it is, and as impossible as that sounds, we need to first listen to the Lord, and then put margin in our schedules, and in our mental states, to slow down when we are called, and minister to those around us, just as our Lord did.
Bottom Line: Don’t race past what could be, in eternity’s eyes, your “real” work for today. It may not be what you have planned, as His Word works in you, today.
