Our church just concluded its week-long missions conference. My handsome hubby and I were blessed, refreshed and challenged! Our children also enjoyed the activities they had for them this week. We don't even fully realize how truly blessed we are in our church and in our country to hear such thought-provoking teaching of God's Word! We are so thankful!
Here's just one of the amazing Scriptures we looked at this week during our "Heart for the Harvest" Missions Conference...
"When He (Jesus) saw the crowds, He had compassion on them..." (Matthew 9:36a) Oh, to see people the way Jesus sees them and to not just see them, but to feel genuine compassion for them!
A fellow school mom said it well, "With new knowledge comes new responsibility." Once I see someone in need...someone who needs an extra 10 minutes of my busy time to unload her problem to, someone who has a physical need that I can provide, someone who I can just tell needs prayer and I actually take time to pray for them...and then feel compassion for them.
What is compassion? Webster's dictionary defines it as: a sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it. Exactly! That's what Christ did and that's what He wants His children to do...to see a need and to act on it. Just like the Good Samaritan!
I could go on and on with all I learned this week at our missions conference, but one thing is certain...wherever I may be - on the mission field or out in my front yard - when I see someone in need...when I really SEE (gaining knowledge), I have a new responsibility to do the best I can to meet that need (or contact someone else who I know could meet that need).
To truly be inspired, read the parable of the Good Samaritan from Luke 10:25-37...
The Parable of the Good Samaritan
25On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
26"What is written in the Law?" he replied. "How do you read it?"
27He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind'; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'"
28"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied. "Do this and you will live."
29But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"
30In reply Jesus said: "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead.
31A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side.
32So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.
33But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him.
34He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, took him to an inn and took care of him.
35The next day he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper. 'Look after him,' he said, 'and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.'
36"Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?"
37The expert in the law replied, "The one who had mercy on him." Jesus told him, "Go and do likewise."
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