Faith Made Genuine
  • About FMG
    • Mission/Vision
    • Resources
    • About Michelle
  • Over a cup of...
  • Life Made Genuine
  • Word Made Genuine
  • Kisses from Heaven
  • Speaking/Teaching

Equals

1/30/2012

0 Comments

 
Matthew 20:1-28
I love it when I read a passage in God’s Word I have read many times before, one that is completely familiar to me; then God opens my eyes and heart to a whole different meaning of what He is saying. It shakes me up and keeps me bowed before Him realizing I don’t really know Him at all.

That’s what happened this morning as I read about the  “the landowner who went out early to hire workers for his vineyard” (v. 1). Versus 9 & 10 say, “When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. When those hired first came to get their pay, they assumed they would receive more. But they, too were paid a day’s wage.”

Just then, something occurred to me I had never thought of before - everyone becomes equal no matter how old you are or what stage of life, you receive the same reward - salvation through Jesus Christ, our Savior. The gift of salvation, all by itself, no matter when you receive it, is equal; it allows each of us to spend an eternity in the Kingdom of Heaven, with Elohim, our Creator.  

When the earlier workers realized this, they protested (v. 11-12). Then the landowner says this, “Friend, I haven’t been unfair! Didn’t you agree to work all day for the usual wage? Take your money and go. I wanted to pay this last worker the same as you. Is it against the law for me to do what I want with my money? Should you be jealous because I am kind to others?” (v. 13-15)

I wrote in the margin of my Bible, “Jesus can do what He wants with His salvation!” The beautiful thing is that He chooses to give it freely to every single person He created; it is up to us to receive it as a wonderful, free gift. That makes us all equal. I have no right to judge the salvation of another, when they became saved, how saved are they, how they earned the same gift I did when they didn’t have it as long as I did... (Ouch Lord!) Salvation is God’s to give and He gives it freely through His Son, Jesus Christ, to every single person who accepts it from Him. 

I really don’t even know if I thought otherwise, but I realized this morning that I never thought that - that it doesn’t matter when you receive Jesus Christ in your life, whether  you are 6, 14, 22, 42, 58 or 91 years old (no significance to those ages at all, just the numbers that came to mind), you receive the same gift of salvation across the board, and it has the exact same value.

I honestly don’t know if this passage of scripture refers to anything I  just wrote; but I know it is what filled my heart this morning as I read it and helped me realize that salvation is no respecter of persons or time. 

“So those who are last now will be first then, and those who are first will be last” (v. 16). In the Kingdom, this creates an even playing field and makes us equal across the board.
0 Comments

Keep at it...

1/23/2012

0 Comments

 
My LORD, so often I mistake your silence for an absence of Your presence or, as I often hear, “Jesus has three possible answers when we ask Him something - Yes, No or Wait”. What if You are trying to tell me something else... what if there is another response I should take note of? I love that there is no end to who God is. How can you ever get bored with a Person, when every time you are with Him, something new and interesting comes up.

As I read Matthew 15:22-28, one of the things I noticed was how Jesus does not respond to the Gentile woman desperately crying out to Him. Here is someone, who should not even be in the presence of Jews, crying out to Jesus, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David! For my daughter is possessed by a demon that torments her severely” (v. 22). All she wanted was for her daughter to be well, to be healed and Jesus “gave her no reply, not even a word” (v. 23).

What grabbed my heart was how this woman was ignored, but she just kept at it. She wasn’t offended, she didn’t catch an attitude, she wasn’t ashamed, afraid, discouraged, defeated, worried, hurt... she wasn’t any of those things. She was persistent. 

The disciples might have taken Jesus’ silence as a prompt that she was a nuisance because they told Jesus to get rid of her, “Tell her to go away, she is bothering us with all her begging” (v. 23b). WOW! How often have I been bothered by someone needing attention, just wanting an ear to listen, some help or a healing for Jesus; and I feel like they are bothering “us” (Jesus and me) with the same ole’ cries? (A wretch I am...Abba Father, forgive me.)

Then, the answer Jesus turns to give segregates her even further, “I was sent only to help God’s lost sheep - the people of Israel.” (v. 24) She doesn’t give up.

“But she came and worshiped him, pleading again, “Lord, help me!” (v. 25)

I wander if this woman is even saved? Yet, she worships the Lord and pleads with Him. My curiosity got the best of me and I looked up "worshiped" in the concordance. It is an active verb, describing a people who “fall upon the knees and touch the ground with the forehead as an expression of profound reverence. To bow down..." I can just imagine, maybe because I have found myself to be in such a desperate state before, this woman passionately, actively throwing herself at the feet of Jesus, in worship, pleading with Him to help her. 

My LORD, You never tire of us actively coming after you in worship and pleading with You. Holy is Your Name! 

Again, it appears that Jesus resists, “It isn’t right to take food from the children and throw it to the dogs” (v. 26). 
She is not moved.

“That’s true, Lord, but even dogs are allowed to eat the scraps that fall beneath their master’s table” (v. 27). 

Oh my Baby Jesus! My heart is swelling... according to most women I know, this woman should have been offended by now. Insulted, hurt, ashamed... she was none of those things. My spirit is screaming, "How many times has shame or offense turned me away from You Lord?!?" 

Have you ever mistaken the Lord’s silence for a “No” or a “Wait”? What if He is simply saying, “Come closer. Don’t give up. Worship after Me. Keep at it!”

I'm seeing how God will examine exactly how much faith I have to keep at it. How much faith do I have not to become offended or hurt or ashamed because I don’t get an answer right away, or receive a healing right away. Will I turn away, or will I turn toward Him in worship; no matter what His response? 


I am remembering as I sit here, walking through my community around the golf course one evening a couple of years ago and I cried out to God, “Please take this darkness off of me. Please take it off, it is so heavy!” I heard so clearly in my soul, “Not yet. It’s not time. If I take it now, you will go right back to your ways.”

I was devastated. I could have easily given in, been hurt, offended and turned away, thinking I would fix it myself. Praise God I didn’t. It was nothing but His power in me that kept me after Him; kept me on my face in repentance and in desperate need of His healing touch.

In v. 28 Jesus says to her, “ ‘Dear woman, your faith is great. Your request is granted.’ And her daughter was instantly healed.” 

A woman Jesus isn’t even supposed to speak to because of her race, He calls “Dear”. 
A request a woman was in no position to make, Jesus answers because of her great faith. 

May your faith become genuine and keep you after the only One who can heal you.
0 Comments

Storage Space

1/3/2012

0 Comments

 
Journaling is one of my favorite things to do because, for me, it is one of the most therapeutic, stress relieving things to do. It also puts all the thoughts, fears, frustrations, revelations, moments in life to be remembered forever, that are inside my heart and mind onto paper so that I don't become overwhelmed with trying to remember them. Honestly, this is more a storage space for me, a safe place to share my feelings and emotions and lay my heart before God. Please keep in mind, these are simply my thoughts, feelings and emotions as I move through the biggest challenge we all face - life. Whether right or wrong, I have learned that in the end, God Almighty gently leads me along to discover HIS TRUTH. As you read these ramblings of a Jesus Follower, I am praying that something from my storage space becomes something you can move into your storage space; and together, you and I can encourage and build one another up in Christ Jesus. (1 Thessalonians 5:11)
0 Comments
    Subscribe to FMG Blog by Email

    RSS Feed

    Subscribe to RSS Feed or follow FMG on Twitter for new posts.

    Michelle D. Dickens

    Here I simply share my life and pour out whatever emotions I have...well almost, some things need to be kept between me and Jesus (heehee). We all need a safe place to spill out what we think and feel and this is mine. My prayer is that you find some sort of encouragement for your own life and also find this a safe place to share your heart.

    Archives

    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2013
    September 2013
    June 2013
    May 2013
    December 2012
    November 2012
    October 2012
    August 2012
    July 2012
    April 2012
    January 2012
    July 2011
    June 2011
    December 2010
    February 2005

Proudly powered by Weebly