thoughts May 17 2010

PASTOR JACK'S THOUGHTS    MAY 17, 2010

COME UNTO ME
Have you ever noticed how many times in the Bible Jesus gives a very gracious invitation to us? That invitation is often followed by a promise or a word of encouragement. He says, "Come unto Me all who are  tired and weary and I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28   He often urges us to"Ask" and  promises that He will hear and answer. Matthew 7:7    In other places, Jesus invites us to "knock and the door will be opened" and He also tells us that we should not fear because we are more important to Him than the little sparrows that He cares for daily! Matthew 10:31  Why is it so difficult for us to trust His invitation and believe that God is gracious to us?  We are prone to question God and not to trust Him yet, He blesses our trust and faith in Him when we do trust.

There is a very wonderful account in Matthew 8 that tells about Jesus' and a poor leper.  The leper, of course, was an outcast due to his illness but he bravely approached Jesus  and said, "Lord, if You are willing, You can make me clean (from my disease)." Then Jesus did an astounding thing that surely startled the crowd.  He touched the leper.  No one else would touch him. Actually, the law forbid anyone to come close to a leper, much less touch him.  But Matthew 8:3 gives Jesus' reply to the man, "I am willing!! Be cleansed.'  Immediately his leprosy was cleansed."  Our Lord is so gracious!

Jesus is willing to meet all of us at our point of need too.  He longs to touch us.  He desires that we communicate with Him in prayer.  So, why are we so reluctant?  We put off our prayer time and Bible study in order to do 'other' things.  We ask Him for things but then forget to thank Him when He answers!  That is a very human response because we live in a sinful world and Satan tries, at all times, to draw us away from Him. 

Think this week about how Jesus responded to the woman at the Samaritan well. John 4  Study His reactions to her questions and to her need in spite of the fact that she didn't know who He was. He was truthful but yet very gracious to her.  By the law of the Jews, He shouldn't have even talked to her but He is the God of compassion and love. He knew how to communicate with her in order to draw her to faith in God.  What a wonderful Savior we have.  Get to know Him better this week by reading about some of the people that He touched as recorded in the New Testament.  We can all learn a lot from Him by the way He responded and communicated with  people.

Come to Him and learn,
Pastor Jack