Over the years I have learned over and over that God wants to use you and I right where we are now. Every day you probably come into contact with people who will never enter a church or talk with a pastor or open a Bible. You may be the only bridge God uses to bring them to His Son. Anyone can be a servant no matter how inadequate you may feel. Moses himself protested that he could not speak for God because he was in-eloquent, perhaps suffering from a speech impediment.
God wants to use you and I right where we are now.
He wants us to minister to others as we go along our pathways of life
I call this Pathways Ministries. I invite each of you to minister to those God brings onto your path. You have been placed on your unique pathway for a reason. Your mission field is where your feet are. All you have to ask is “Where are my feet?”
As you walk this pathway don’t be surprised at sudden twists and turns in your day. He knows. He Sees.
As you begin in your Pathways Ministries and feel a nudge from the Lord… Likely you will say Now? Lord this is not a convenient time. Cant I minister later? It’s hardly a good time now! Peter and Andrew are examples, Jesus called them saying FOLLOW ME perhaps they thought can’t I follow you later, it’s hardly a good time now. But they said yes and follow Him they did. To follow Jesus is many times a life of inconvenience, interrupting our life when most inconvenient. Andrew Corbett said “There is cost to honoring Christ and it is counted in the currency of convenience. The more people you want to reach for Christ, the more you will be inconvenienced.
Let me share a personal story of inconvenience, it is a story of hope that I have shared with countless women. It seems that when women need a hefty dose of hope and encouragement that God sends them across my pathway to hear this story. Maybe there is someone here today that needs to hear and be encouraged by this story.
In recent years time after time God has brought women across my path, at the Grocery store, the Post Office, The Drug Store.
Were these chance meetings? No. They were God’s appointments to share HOPE.
Sometimes in the Produce Aisle, sometimes in the Parking Lot I would have women approach me saying I heard you had a rough year, tell me about it
I share: I had minor abdominal surgery and was sent home. A pain developed in my calf – I was told to go immediately to the ER! The ER examined me and sent me home saying You are fine. Go Home!
Early the next morning the phone rings.The Doc from the ER is on the line. “It’s weird he said, I have never had this happen to me.All night long I kept hearing a voice saying Call J.______, Call J._____, over and over.
God was not letting this Doctor sleep a wink until he called me. He said
“Something is wrong go the ER right now!”
Upset, I walk to the kitchen to make tea in hopes of calming my nerves.
In my kitchen window I had a spiral calendar with a verse for the day. I felt impressed by the LORD, this is for YOU, read it.
God’s Word always brings Hope and Peace. I begin to read:
• Isaiah 42:16 And I will lead the blind by a way they do not know I will guide them. I WILL make darkness into light before them and rugged places into plains. There are the things I will do and I will not leave anything undone.
I felt blind, I felt as if I were going into a dark rugged place that I had not been to before.At the ER tests were run over and over. Their conclusion. “Blood clots have moved into your lungs. You are in grave danger of dying.”
Scared I thought,“I have never been hospitalized before, except when my 3 babies were born. Lord, I need You to lead me in this new pathway you have for me. It’s a pathway I have no idea how to walk. As Isaiah 42 said This IS a rugged place, Lord. I need YOU to turn it into a smooth plain.
Thank you Lord that YOU have promised to not leave anything undone. You have promised to lead me.
How wonderfully God had gone before me.
God had woken up the ER doc with my name on his heart all night long. Remember, YOUR name is on God’s Heart all day and all night.
God supplied me with a special verse to cling to and claim.
God was in control of my life — just as He is in control of your lives today.
Soon I was placed in a hospital room. My roommate was Marilyn.Through the thin curtain I said, “Hi Marilyn, my name is J., I am a Christ follower and I will be praying for you.”
Many complications ensued. Many adverse times, several times I was at deaths door. Marilyn heard it all through the thin hospital curtain.
Many Pastors, Christian friends, Mom and Dad were praying over me. Pages of God’s Word rustled as many verses were read aloud over me.
In this hard time- my hospital room became a beautiful place of praise and worship and my roommate Marilyn heard it all.
I was confined to bed 100% and treated like glass- it was a very serious medical condition.
At long last my roommate Marilyn was discharged.
Coming close to my bed she said goodbye to me- I saw tears in her eyes.
She came to my bedside and took my hand in hers. Tears were now streaming down her cheek.
She tearfully said.
“J., A lot of ,my family are in drugs and I have a son in prison. you will never believe this but one week ago I prayed that God would bring me back to Christian people .And I guess that HE had to send me to the hospital to meet YOU! This is the beginning of, me coming back to God.”
Now tears were streaming down my face.God had meant this all for good!
He wanted her in here to see the light that somehow still shone out of the cracked and broken clay pot that was me, going through this hard time.
Genesis 50:20 You intended to harm me but GOD intended it for good to accomplish what is done the saving of many lives.
God wants to use you right where you are now. Every day on your pathway you probably come into contact with people who will never enter a church or talk with a pastor or open a Bible. You may be the only bridge God uses to bring them to His Son. Time is running short. We must be intentional.
Unexpected needs arising at the most inconvenient times, and beyond our ability to meet are parts of the normal Christian life.
Be like Jesus, church. That means love God and love people even when it is hard to do. It’s our love that will point them to God who loves them and may lead to the saving grace of Jesus. I Corinthians 11:1 says this is true.
It is definitely not convenient to be a Christ follower but oh so rewarding. Won’t you be a part of God’s army of Pathways Ministers?
God wants to use you right where you are now.
Feeling dry, need refreshment? Try this quick Breath Prayer.
Come Walk with Me 