Throughout the gospels we find Jesus' concern for the physical needs of people demonstrated through his words and actions.  When people were hungry he fed them.  When they needed a safe place in a storm he provided it for them.  When they were heartbroken over the death of a family member he comforted them. He touched the leper.  Gave sight to the blind.  His concern went beyond simply meeting a physical need.  His concern and hope was to ultimately lead them to his Father in Heaven.  It was part of his mission.

      Often times physical struggles distract us from seeing our spiritual needs.  A starving man spends his time looking for a morsel of food to ease his pain rather than the promise of a distant salvation.  He longs for food and hope.  And when his family is also suffering his pain takes on an added dimension - providing for their needs.

      "The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.” (Isaiah 41:17).  The poor and needy face these special challenges in life.  God loves the poor, wants them to be saved and will not forsake them.  He needs his people, us, to help overcome the special challenges they face.

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      Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him…Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” (2 Kings 13:14-19)

      Near the end of his life, the prophet Elisha had one more miracle to work—the miracle of planting overwhelming visions of victory in the heart of a king.  Poignantly, he was disappointed in this last quest because Jehoash, unable to envision the possibilities, limited the work of God in his life and in his nation.

I recently read an article by Scott Green that inspired me and challenged me to pray expectantly more than I’ve done in a long time. I was inspired not to just pray longer but bolder to my God who can do anything. Here’s a few thought from the article.

      How many times do you think you and I would have struck the ground?  Perhaps it’s impossible to say, but we all know this—we relate much more often to the hesitancy of the king than to the vigorous faith of the prophet.  Not always, but mostly.  And why is that—why do we hesitate?  Why is our faith at times like a deer caught in the headlights?  At least we are not alone in that struggle:  James wrote to our first century brethren, “You do not have because you do not ask.”

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    “The soul of man clings to that which it loves most” Unknown

     Who we are on the inside, often dictates what we do on the outside. Character starts inside before it’s revealed outside. True disciples allow God to live inside so we can be everything for God and others. Galatians 4:6 says “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out “Abba, Father.” Unbelievable, Jesus’ spirit lives deep within the heart of every disciple and it communicates to our Father in heaven. We were created in the image of God. We are indeed near and dear to His heart. Man was the first of God’s human creation and holds a unique relationship with his creator. The bible says that in heaven there will be neither male nor female yet in this earthly life God has created both male and female. Eternity is at the root of the heart of God. True disciples are those who seek and find God, though He’s not far from each of us. This relationship is only possible because of the love and sacrifice of Jesus our brother. “We have come to share in Christ if we hold firmly till the end the confidence we had at first.” (Hebrews 3:14) Our hope, our confidence is in God’s unchanging love and the great sacrifice of His son.

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