August 14: RISK

See it:

Jesus climbed into a boat and went back across the lake to his own town. Some people brought to him a paralyzed man on a mat. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “Be encouraged, my child! Your sins are forgiven.” But some of the teachers of religious law said to themselves, “That’s blasphemy! Does he think he’s God?” Matthew 9:1-3 (NLT)

Obey it:

Jamil is a risk taker.  He is a gymnastics expert. He trusts that when he does the flips and jumps, someone will not let him hit his head on the cement floor. That is risk. That is faith. Matthew 9 shows several people taking a risk that was blessed by God. The four friends took a risk and opened the ceiling in a house that was not their own. Result? Healing. Matthew took a risk when he was called and left everything on the table. Literally. Result? Growth. The woman who suffered from non-stop menstruation took a risk and touched His garment. Result? Miracle. The two blind men took a risk and yelled incessantly when others told them to be quiet. Result? Sight. Do you see a pattern here? What can we learn from these stories?

1.      Helping people is risky. I wonder what the owner of the house thought when he saw a hole in his roof. The four friends understood that Jesus didn’t come to preserve structures, He came to save souls. So they made the hole. The question becomes not whether something is risky, but whether it’s Biblical and therefore worth the risk.

2.      Criticism follows risk. Not everyone will appreciate or support your choice to minister on behalf of God. Sometimes even those closest to you will be your harshest critics. It is interesting that the Pharisees were never seen helping anyone, yet criticized anyone who tried to help another person. Don’t be dissuaded by criticism. It is the sandpaper God uses to polish His work of art.

3.      God honors God-honoring risks. That is a fact. The question becomes: What God-honoring risk are you taking today?

Share it:

Action steps for today: 1. Instead of just thinking it, compliment someone publicly. 2. Give a sad looking stranger a happy music CD or card. 3: Ask someone “How are you?” Mean it. Listen to them.

My prayer today… The only thing that consistently brings us close to God is taking a risk, because it forces you to seek God’s intervention. Take a God-honoring risk today and pray: “God help me to be bold, despite my fears.”

Season of Service