The Harvest is Plenty

“But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.  Then He said to His disciples, ‘The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few.  Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.’” Matthew 9:36-37

Father, we see the multitudes.  You see the multitudes.  Lord, they are weary and scattered.  Father, we know the harvest is plentiful.  We know the need is great.  There are multitudes that have been wounded by abortion.  Father, we are asking for you to bring more laborers.  Father, we ask for you to expand Deeper Still to reach those that are weary and scattered.  Father, we ask for the provision needed and the laborers needed to answer the call for this High assignment of bringing in Your harvest.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

As we draw near to Thanksgiving, we may think of harvest.  But what exactly is a “harvest”?  Merriam-Webster defines “harvest” as: the season when crops are gathered from the field. 

We are in a season (and have been since the time Jesus was on earth in human form) of harvest.  All over the globe, men and women are hurting from the effects of an abortion.  Recently, a friend contacted me in Illinois who counsels college students.  She had just met with a young girl who had an abortion the week prior.  She was broken and devastated by her decision as the effects had already taken root.  

My friend asked if there were resources I knew of in her area to help this young broken girl.  I was able to point her to Deeper Still of Central Illinois, but the cry of the hurting extends beyond the resources presently available.  The expansion of Deeper Still and the healing ministries of abortion are desperately needed.  The harvest is great, but the laborers are few.

Unfortunately, we live in an age where abortion is an epidemic and we can only pray for numbers to decrease.  However, the numbers are there and what will our response be to the need for restoration, healing and freedom in these lives?  Would we abandon them?  Would Jesus?  Our culture seduces our young into believing premarital sex is normal, safe and good.  Premarital sex is not God’s normal and it is neither safe nor good.  It is not God’s best for our children or us.  It is a lie and it is dangerous.  Our children are lied to by the very ones who should be leading them into a secure and healthy adulthood.  They are deceived and then deceived once again into believing, “Abortion is no big deal.”  Oh my friends, abortion is a big deal indeed.  The long term effects for the abortion-wounded are devastating outside of the healing blood of Jesus Christ. 

Friends, the time is drawing near.  Jesus is coming.  The Bridegroom is returning for His bride.  He is coming for a bride holy and without blemish (Eph 5:27) by the washing of water by the Word.  Those with wounded hearts need to hear the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  They need His healing power in their lives and to know even though their sins were as scarlet, He has made them white as snow.  The Lord is returning for a glorious church, and our sweet brothers and sisters need to find healing and freedom and glory that only comes through the blood of Jesus Christ.  We need them as fellow laborers to then go into the field themselves as laborers of the harvest.  We need them.  We need you.  Will you please pray?  The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. 

 

Our Fundraising Banquet is scheduled for March 8, 2016.  Would you prayerfully consider hosting a table?  If you would like more information on how you can be involved, come or donate to Deeper Still, please contact jacque.murphy@godeeperstill.org

Glory in Weakness

“My strength and power are made perfect and show themselves most effective in your weakness. Therefore, I will all the more gladly glory in my weakness and infirmities, that the strength and power of Christ may rest (yes, may pitch a tent over and dwell) upon me!” 

2 Corinthians 12:9

Lord, may the very things that make us feel weak be used by You to show Your glory and power through us.  Father, I pray that Your strength and power would rest on Deeper Still.  Yes Lord, pitch a tent over us and dwell with us.  We are nothing without You.  We need You.  Take us above our weaknesses into Your glory.   In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

While listening to a passage being preached from the pulpit, my eyes climbed up the page of my Bible.  At the top of the page was a quote from Heather Whitestone, Miss American 1995.  Heather Whitestone is deaf.  She says this about her deafness…

“My deafness forces me to depend on God more so that I can bear through Him.  He brought me peace and taught me how to overcome my deafness.”

 

When I saw this quote, it struck me that we all have a “deafness” in our lives.  The word “deafness” could be replaced with the word “weakness.”  “Weakness” not in a sense that it necessarily handicaps, but rather it causes a certain amount of adversity or struggle.   A weakness is only a weakness if it rules over you.  In Christ, we can learn to overcome or “live over” our weakness.

I could say this:

My weakness forces me to depend on God more so that I can bear through Him.  He brought me peace and taught me how to overcome my weakness. 

What is your weakness?  Paul called his a “thorn in his flesh” (2 Cor 12:7).  Thorns are uncomfortable.  Thorns are difficult to ignore and cause a constant nagging with irritating persistency and pain. 

Perhaps the very thing we have prayed to be removed from us and have begged the Lord to take from us is one of the very things forcing us to depend on God.  Perhaps our thorns aren’t hindrances but rather harken us closer to our God. 

To “glory in my weakness” doesn’t mean we focus on our weaknesses, but instead dwell with the Lord in His tent as He is upon us or over us!  He has overcome.  We can live over our weaknesses in Him, with Him, above.  If it weren’t for our weaknesses, we would live mediocrely in self- reliance on the ground and never truly experience His glory above.  With this picture in mind, I can see how Paul could say with confidence…” I take pleasure in infirmites, in reproaches, in needs, in persecution, in distresses, for Christ’s sake.  For when I am weak, then I am strong.” 2 Corinthians 12:10

Like Heather Whitestone and Paul, we have a choice to let weakness defeat us or force us to depend on God and live above.   They both chose to live above in Christ.   We have a choice as well. 

Half Way Up the Hill

“And endurance (fortitude) develops maturity of character (approved faith and tried integrity).  And character [of this sort] produces [the habit of] joyful and confident hope of eternal salvation.  Such hope never disappoints or deludes or shames us, for God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit Who has been given to us.” 

Romans 5: 4-5

Father, we pray that those with abortion wounded hearts would continue to climb the hill of hope. Lord, I pray for you to strengthen and encourage these wounded so they can continue with endurance out of a pit into your promises.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

I run.  Hills are not my friend when I run—or at least that is what I think at the time.  However, running hills build strength, endurance and stamina for the race to be ran.  It is tempting when running to stop half way up the hill panting and sweating with a “it’s too hard” mantra chanting under my ear covers.  If I don’t stop, it is surprising what happens.  Instead of dropping in desperation, I strive to the top meeting the challenge and not only survive, but thrive. 

God refers to our faith walk as a race several times in His Word.  In our faith race, we have to go up hills.  The reason we go up hills is because there are simply hills to climb. That may seem obvious, but let me explain further.  We don’t start at the top in our spiritual growth journey.  We are somewhere on the hill, but never at the top.  We may even have climbed half way up the hill of hope, but we should never be content to stop half way and quit.  There is a greater glory waiting.  There is always a greater glory. 

Several years ago, I remember thinking…

"I know I am still in a pit, but I'm no longer at the bottom of the pit.  I believe I am about half way up out of the pit.  But, I think I will just hang out here for a while, in my pit.  I'm tired of climbing and besides I am doing ok right where I am at."

The question in my mind is: Why was I content with the absurdity of complacency?  Why had I settled half way up the hill of hope? 

The answer…I felt comfortable in complacency.  However, comfort and complacency don’t develop character.  Endurance develops character.  Continuing to climb even when the terrain gets rocky or your feet feel stuck in the mud produces patience.  There is one promise we can hold onto even when we are tired of climbing and feel like giving up or think we’ve reached far enough--the promise of hope.  This is a hill of hope.  This journey up the hill will result in not only maturity of character, but joy and a hope that never disappoints or deludes us.  This is a promise and it is a promise worth continuing to trudge up the hill.  If we stop half way up, we’ll miss the fullness of hope God has for us here.