I marvel at your undying love, your eyes reflect the hope you have. But don’t you see He loves you, daughter of the King, your royalty shines like the sea! You hold onto His generations, an infinite hope that your children be His! Daughter, love His faith in you and rejoice for He will not retreat! […]
via To be a Daughter of the King. — whosoever me.
I had the pleasure the other day to sit in the cold, dank rain at the ball park and watch my home team play. Through the innings of watching outs and runs one thing that couldn’t escape my attention was the camaraderie between the opposing teams.
Yes, they were playing against each other, each determined to win. Yes, they would do what was necessary to gain the victory in the end. But, that didn’t stop the fellowship of being a player amongst one another. Though, for the moment, they are technically each other’s rival. They are, in fact, all members of the same big league family and you see this manifest itself in between the plays when they pat each other on the back or speak the same baseball family language of encouragement to one another.
What also doesn’t easily escape my attention is the lack of this same brotherly fellowship between some who say they are in Christ. With such a worldly and competitive spirit present in some churches, the opportunities become fewer and fewer to help one another and foster the Christ-like bond that is be at the forefront; a bond that would allow one to speak words that elevate instead of tearing down or a friendly gesture that says, “I am in this with you.”
We are to be edifiers of one another building the church of Christ on bricks of love, 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Let’s start today with a determined effort to do our part and show the world the love of Christ through the camaraderie of the brethren of which we are all members of, male or female.
“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another,” John 13:35.
Being called to the front of the assembly to receive awards of excellence was one of my greatest joys in my private elementary school. One year I excelled in every category so instead of receiving multiple name calls of recognition – I was given one all-encompassing award. I remember not liking it one bit. An over-all award meant specifics were not being named in from of my peers and others and I didn’t have the pleasure of playing the role of jack-in-the-box in my seat with my constant popping up and down to receive individual accomplishments.
As we get older in life we realize every achievement does not need to come with applause or recognition (at least, not here on earth anyway). But, in heaven, your works are going to be rewarded. You and I are going to be decorated in glory. These rags of humanity will be replaced with robes of righteousness. As a soldier being medaled for victories, we shall be adorned and dressed in the finest of the heavenlies, telling our story of overcoming. We made it through and now He speaks, “My reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be,” Revelation 22:12.
Take heart. What you do today may escape the notice of man but the eye of the Lord sees it all. And, when we get to that heavenly city we will have all the recognition we will ever need. For it is there we receive the greatest thing no earthly prize can give: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord,” Matthew 25:21, 23.
And, that’s all the glory one needs to be decorated with.
Support. The look in another’s eye that says they see the potential in your dreams. The interest there is seeing you excel greater than where you are; the prompting that pushes you into your destiny further than you ever believed you could possibly be.
To have one backing you in such a way mean the world. An earthly companion who hooks themselves to the future they see in you – marvelous. But, what if it’s not there? What if there is none who holds your hand and speaks words of encouragement to strengthen you to power through the fight, and press on?
As much as those pats on the back mean, they pale in comparison to the God who gave you the vision in the first place. Often raising above the norm to see higher heights becomes a lonesome climb. Despite the difficulties one faces in the process, God has never given up on you. He believes in you. He believes in the gifts and the potential He instilled in you. That’s worth more than a million high fives.
And, as the seed of that potential grows, blossoms, and flourishes, He stands smiling watching you step into the preordained path of excellence He had already purposed in your life. He knows you can do it. He has already seen the beginning from the end and the view is phenomenally pleasant when His children walk in their divine purpose.
God gave you that gift, skill, or talent because He DOES believe in you. “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.” Jeremiah 29:11
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