The sufferings of Christ
As I sat with my Scripture verses from Philippians 3, I was to pray, with Paul from v.10,
“…to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death…”
I spent time, feeling hesitant about praying this. If I’m being honest, it felt like too hard….
God, I need a sign!
In my earlier years, I took the verse in Jeremiah about God having ‘a plan and a purpose’ for me as a surefire way to ‘miss’ the will of God. I would get completely wrapped up in restlessness and frantic prayer, begging God to show me the decision I needed to make. Should I do this… or that, God? Should I take this job… or not? Should I say ‘yes’ to this opportunity? Is this from you, God? Please, I need a sign, God!
Sitting with Scripture
This morning as I sat with this Psalm, I felt something catch my attention in the first line. I know that when that happens, it is God inviting me to stay there for a bit and to explore a bit deeper. It is hard to describe because it feels very small, and quite subtle. As I sat, I realized that the idea of needing justice today didn’t resonate with me and so I told God that. But rather than just carrying on to the rest of the Scripture, I realized that there was a question from the Spirit in response:
Invitation
I averted my gaze while inside me a debate was raging…
Should I stop and ask her if she needs help? Do I have time for this?
… and excuses ran rampant:
I don’t have any cash in my wallet. What if I can’t give her what she wants? What if her needs are too big for me? Or what if I don’t know where to find the help that she needs?
Truth be told, I was fearful. I was fearful of the deep need and desperation that I saw on her face. What if her needs were too much for me to handle?