Joseph tells his story, "My life was full of hardship and heartache. I was the favorite son of my father out of twelve sons. This made my home life hard because my brothers were jealous. One day driven by their jealousy, they sold me into slavery. My very own brothers sold me into a life of extreme hardship that could even cost me my life!! I was sold to Potiphar where I was tempted day after day by his wife. By God's grace I withstood that temptation. The result was being cast into prison. I was there for years before I had hope that I would be released. But that hope was snuffed out because of a forgotten promise. Then God revealed to me the interpretation of Pharaoh's dream and placed me second in command over Egypt. Those hard circumstances in my life brought me to a place of saving nations from starvation. God's sovereign plan was at work in my life."
Esther's story is next. "I was just a little Jewish girl who was taken from my Uncle Mordecai to the King Xerxes's palace. I became his queen, the queen of a tyrannical king. My people were going to be destroyed by my husband's right hand man. I was the only hope of rescue for the Jews. To rescue them meant that I had to go before the king without a summons which means death! However, God had placed me as queen for a reason. I had to trust God with my life, take a step of faith and walk into that throne room. The Lord spared my life and the lives of my people!!"
George Muller shares, "I purposed in my heart that I would not tell anybody about my needs except to God in prayer. God had placed in my heart a passion for helping the orphan children in London. So I started an orphanage and the Lord provided for literally everything that was needed, even the children. God answered prayer after prayer and supplied for me and the children even to the simple things as breakfast. The Lord used me to show the world that God does indeed answer prayer."
One by one each person shares their God-stories. Stories of submission to God's plan, complete lordship over their lives, stretched comfort zones. Through their willingness to serve God, lives were changed, God was glorified, people brought into the kingdom and the world standing in awe and without an answer except to praise God.
Before you know it the whole room is looking at you, waiting for you to share your God story. The question is...What kind of story will you have?
Will your story be of giving yourself as a living sacrifice? A changed life from a life-changing gospel? Will it involve stepping out of your comfort zone for a God who is worth taking a risk for? Is it a story of reaching out beyond yourself to people who are hurt, lost, in darkness, lonely, unlovable? What about prayers answered, lives changed, work done that lasts for eternity? A light that pushes back the darkness? The world asking what makes you different? The world standing in awe at your response to hardships and suffering? God's strength made perfect in your weakness?
Or is it a story of I asked Jesus into my heart to save me. I go to church and I pray, but that's it. Doing something scary for God? No way!! Get out of my comfort zone to serve others?!? Not going to happen. Instead I'm going to do as little as I can for God and live life the way I want to. I'm going to make sure that I dress cutely (or coolly), get a good job, find a great husband (or wife), try to keep myself safe and be completely "normal." I'll have a light, but I'd rather the world not see it. Weakness? I'm going to hide it and wave my strengths under people's noses. Life is about me living a safe, risk-free, comfortable life and going to heaven when I die.
Which story are you living out? Ultimately the question is...What is your goal in life? Glorifying yourself or God? Will you take risks for God? Will you go where He sends you? Will you pray for the impossible? Will you do the seemingly impossible?
"For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him." 2 Chronicles 16:9
No comments:
Post a Comment