Simply Witness

Devotional to encourage the saints to have a brighter testimony and witness as they walk with the Lord in these last days.

SIMPLY WITNESS

(A devotional series of commentaries offered to encourage the reader to be ready, in season or out, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with love, in patience, with peace and in joy).  


# 1   ANTS  -  (Proverbs 6:6: "Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise").


One day, while walking in the desert praying and fasting, an ant hill caught my attention and I stopped to consider this tiny activity at work. And as I paused to watch their labor, I realized that these insignificant little ants work day in and day out with no weekends, no holidays, no time off, no calling in sick, no sleeping in and with no benefits. They toil all day, everyday with only one purpose; to serve their Queen. If we as Christians could serve our God with just ten percent of this devotion  think how happy that would make HIM.

Rising from the base of the ant hill I also saw the paths the ants had worn into the mound with their tiny feet and marveled how each ant went back and forth all day long following the same paths to the top of the hill (Psalms 119:15 "Thy word [is] a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path."). As His Word tells us, we are called to spread the gospel so if we wore down just a little bit of shoe leather to the doors of the lost, think how happy Christ would be that we obeyed Him. Yes, we all need to spend time in praising God, and probably more time in just about all the things we do for Him. But what we really need to do is spend more time knocking on the doors of the lost. The time is short and we have very few days left to finish Christ's work here on earth.

I also recognized that each ant had a specific task in service to their Queen. Some were busy gathering food while others dug deep into the earth bringing material up to the surface making the ant hill higher and higher to protect their nest. As they continued digging deeper and deeper, I also realized that each and every ant was willing to labor and die to protect their Queen and that no matter how high the mound got, the steep climb didn't slow them down. I bowed my head and prayed: "Thank you Lord for being our sanctuary. We do not need to dig deeper or build higher to protect you, because it is You that died for us and it is You whom protects us from all the evil in this world. Thank you LORD that we do not need to run to you when our labor is hard, but just to call out your name and we shall be saved"! (Philippians 2:10 "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth").


# 2   THE RAIL SPIKE  -  (Colossians 2:12 "Buried with him baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead!").


As I continued walking in the desert that very same day, while still fasting and praying, I noticed all the things that had been abandon in the desert, old worn out tires, tin cans, one shoe, and an old suitcase. And the lord brought to my mind: that if we no longer serve God, if we have quit praising Him, if we cease to walk in obedience to His word, this is what our life becomes. So check your walk with Him, are you walking in obedience to the things He has asked you to do no matter how small?
   
One of the things I found was an old rail spike. Being an old rail buff, I stood a minute apprising my find and at first I thought it was from an old abbandoned narrow gage rail line that once carried trains in this area years ago. But as I looked at the very old, bent and twisted spike I realized it was from an old gold mining operation. It had probably been driven into the ties more than once, as the little tracks were often moved from place to place in search of ore. 

Some may consider that this little old spike may not be worth anything, but if we think about it, without that little bent and twisted metal, the ore could not get to the rock crushers nor could the ore be refined into pure gold. The Lord then brought to my attention that something very much like this little spike was used to nail Him to the cross. Even though Jesus Christ suffered in pain and humiliation, His journey here on earth would not have been completed without the evidence of His nail scared hands proving that He conquered death. And because of that we also might have eternal life.

I now admire this little find with great joy because the rail spike is a reminder to me that I am forever in Christ's debt. (Colossians 2:14: Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross). Remembering the price He paid for us and what we received at His cost, I owe Him a lifetime of devotion and a call to carry on His work of seeking the lost.
   

#3   FACING GOD  -  (Isaiah 45:5: "I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me").
   

Some days you just don’t  feel like praying or talking to God. Sometimes we are too ashamed to come before Him, and sometimes we may feel that we are not that important, nor does He care about our feeble little problems, most of which we created ourselves. But remember that He loves you and will always stand by you. So when you have one of those days, start those days by praising Him that much harder, doing so that with more zeal than ever before. Because those are the days you need Him the most.
   
But this is not what I mean about facing God. To face God you must first repent of your sins. Hang onto the cross with Christ to understand why and how He died for you. We must recognize and be thankful in that He left the Father's side, left heaven where He is God, humbled Himself to come and save the world, just so you might have life. Our Savior spent no time on this earth for His own pleasers, but offered a life given in His fathers service so that we might have salvation.
   
Once we accept and hold onto those things, then God will build in us a new life committed to Him. Continuing the works of our Christ here on earth, by witnessing to the lost, helping those in need, and by working harder for Christ than for that new car, house or what ever else may have your eye. To die daily so that Christ's works here on earth are carried on, we shall count our loses as His gain. Humbling ourselves to a life of service for our Lord and Savior. Then on Judgment Day WE CAN FACE GOD.                                                                   


#4   CHASING AFTER GOD   -   (John 6:46: "Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father!").                             

 
Don't try chasing after God because He is faster than you and you will never catch Him. If you can't find Him, then sometimes the very thing we are chasing is also the very thing we are running from. So we need to quit chasing after the things we think is of God and just sit down, take a rest and have a long talk with His son, Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. For He is the one who can put you in touch with God (1 John 2:23).

Christ came to this world for one purpose, to save the lost (Mat 18:11). His mission here was not to seek out the righteous but to redeem the lost souls (Luke 5:32). He loves us so much that He, in accordance with His Father's wishes, agreed to die that we might have eternal life with Him and His Father (John 3:15). Jesus Christ understood and accepted that His life here on earth would be sacrificed and that His blood would be spilled so that our sins could be forgiven (Ephesians 1:7).
  
So quit going here and there looking for God and don’t think that just because you have done some good deed it will help you get some where, or some how closer to God. Our Father cannot look upon sin. He will not see us, nor will He hear us when we beg Him for mercy if there is still sin in our lives (Psalms 66:18). The only way to the Father is though the Son.  If our sins are not covered with Christ’s blood then we need not bother chasing after the Father. So quit running, and have that talk with Jesus Christ. You will never regret having this talk. For He will hold the door open and usher you in to see God. Then you can began to worship Him, to praise Him in spirit and truth. And then when you are no longer chasing God, He will come to you.