Beyond the Comforts of Home

Everyone of us has a place that is our place of retreat — of refuge. Some of us even minister in places that are a safe place for us.

When Lloyd and I started the journey in Ghana, it was an exciting ministry move. But something we learned early on was that we couldn’t always, when in our home, cut everyone off to rest. There were truly times when what people needed to hear from The Lord were going to make us have to step out OR open the door. We experienced a great joy once we understood that God was using us for the sake of His glory — and He always gave us moments of rest in His due time.

It is so very important to rest and recuperate when in ministry, but it is also important to keep our desires to please ourselves at a minimum – so that we won’t miss seeing the needs of the people that God has called us to serve and share the truth of the Gospel with.

When I was reading Matthew 13, verse one just stopped me for a moment.

This text is very telling that when Jesus was on this earth, He did not sit back and wait for people to come to Him to receive the Word — though He was God!! He made a deliberate move toward the people.

The lake, as I have learned living in Ghana, bustles with activity. People are fetching water for drinking and cooking; people are washing their clothes; people are even bathing at the lake. Jesus moved from the house to the very place where He would guarantee being seen — by the people that He knew needed to hear what He had to say.

And when He got their attention — He spoke The Word!

Jesus moved from a place of solitude and privacy to a public place where people dwelled. Ain’t that something?! Will you do it too?!?!

Father, it is so much easier to stay in our safe places. It takes so little effort to be where our comforts are. Help us to develop hearts that love Your people enough to move toward them with the Gospel that will save their lives. May our hearts be so overwhelmed with love for You that our consuming passion will be to bring glory to You, by reconciling the lost to their One True King!!