Friday I wrote about lifting all our concerns to God and that nothing is too small to bring to His throne because Jesus loves us. Have you ever gotten an "I love you" from God in an answer to your prayer? Recently the Lord showed me how much He loves me through a "small" prayer request. When God gives me these little "I love you" answers to prayer, I feel like a child and want to skip around and sing "Jesus loves me" and just tell everyone of my Father's love for me.
I was recently asked to give the children's message at church in my pastor's absence. I was terrified. This is not an area that I feel the Lord has gifted me in. My pastor had given me an idea that I thought was great but I just wasn't sure what to do with it.
"Being a Christian is like being a pumpkin. God lifts you up, takes you in, and washes all the dirt off of you. He opens you up, touches you deep inside and scoops out all the yucky stuff-- including the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside you to shine for all the world to see"
This was a great way to present the gospel to the children but I wasn't sure how to put it all together for them. So I kept lifting it up in prayer, my small prayer of "help me Lord, help me to relate your message of truth to your children." Well, God answered my prayer long before Sunday morning and I just didn't know it.
In Sunday school the morning of the children's message I asked Gail our teacher to pray for me. I had prepared but was still uncomfortable with what I had. After prayer I sat down and began to think of other things while someone else spoke with Gail. I wasn't paying attention until I heard the words "Pumpkin Gospel book". I walked over to see Dee with a children's book with that very name! Dee didn't know why she picked it up at Barnes and Noble the day before...but I did. God had answered my prayer. I used that little book in my message to the children. This seemingly small prayer wasn't too small for God's concern and for His loving answer.
I wanted to buy that "pumpkin Gospel" book for my grandson Elijah, so I went to the store that afternoon. I was told that for the entire store only one book had been ordered and it was sold the day before...to my friend Dee! God is so amazing! That message for the children was all God, He was glorified in and through it. It had nothing to do with my ability or my gifts. That was the message that God wanted His children to hear and He provided it. Praise His name!
Ps. 62:5-8 "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him. He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken. My salvation and my honor depend on God; he is my mighty rock, my refuge." From my salvation to a prayer for help in a message for the children and everything in between, God alone is my rock and I must trust, believe and walk in obedience to Him in all my ways and then if I'm listening I will hear "I love you!" from Jesus (no matter what the answer to prayer might be). My soul can find rest in Him in all things!
Mary Ann
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