The Special of the Day… From the Orange Moon Cafe…
"To Help With the Heart"
"Often, however, no opportunity exists to directly go and serve as means of help. In such cases, the Holy Spirit will send us to the throne of grace for the purpose of seeking God's working on behalf of others."
We cannot always help with our hands. However, we can always help with our heart.
"As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men" (Galatians 6:10).
"I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men" (I Timothy 2:1).
More literally, we can always seek the help of God's heart for others through prayer. Born again believers in the Lord Jesus Christ must bear the attitude and devotion of the prophet Isaiah, "Here am I. Send me" (Isaiah 6:8). This will often involve hands-on doings to serve as our Lord's means of revealing His loving provision for needs of both heart and body. Often, however, no opportunity exists to directly go and serve as means of help. In such cases, the Holy Spirit will send us to the throne of grace for the purpose of seeking God's working on behalf of others. He will answer in some ways we may see, but in many others beyond our knowledge and awareness. How can it be otherwise when our Heavenly Father "is able to do exceeding, abundantly above all we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us?" (Ephesians 3:20).
One advantage of times when we can only help with the heart involves the joy of knowing that the Lord Jesus alone will be glorified when God answers prayer. Unlike the Pharisees of old so roundly chastened by the Lord Jesus, we do not boast of our praying, nor of answers we may see because we have prayed (Matthew 6:5). We rather quietly rejoice if we become aware that our Father has acted because we have sought His help for others. Moreover, we rejoice even more because we know the many answers we cannot see speaks to how faithfully and powerfully He loves to work through the intercessions we offer known only to Him and ourselves. "To God only wise, be glory through Jesus Christ for ever. Amen" (Romans 16:27).
Perhaps in eternity, upon some glimmering lane of Heavenly gold, a fellow saint will stop us. "Do you recall the prayer you prayed for me on August 11, 2023 when we lived upon the earth? You knew I had a need only God could meet, and you helped in the only way you could, by seeking His help. I want you to know He answered that prayer in ways I could never fully explain, indeed, exceeding abundantly above all you asked or thought." Doubtless, we will fall to our knees with our fellow believer upon the golden path to give all glory to the God who so loves to help, and who so loves to enlist our participation, be it with our hands, or our hearts.
"But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead, who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that He will yet deliver us, ye also helping together by prayer for us."
(II Corinthians 1:9-11)
Weekly Memory Verse
Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.
(Galatians 5:16)
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