Labyrinth - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Labyrinth

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“For I considered all this in my heart, so that I could declare it all: that the righteous and the wise and their works are in the hand of God.” (Eccl 9:1, NKJV)

As for us, I can count the many churches my good wife and I have been a part of over these decades, serving in fellowship and in friendship. It numbers 11, since 1980. From Illinois to Michigan, then Florida and now North Carolina, we have been around. In Charlotte alone, since 1994, it has been six churches. So we know a lot of people attending different Sunday morning services!

Though to my knowledge I am not Jewish, I could say that I certainly have the heart of one, and at times thought I was like a “wandering Jew”, going from place to place. We made many friends and connections during these decades, and though some would consider this “bouncing from place to place”, it has been something I wouldn’t consider amiss. The Lord knows that when it comes to pollinating as flowers are by bees, we certainly can say we have done that. It also has given us the opportunity to connect churches to each other through these friendships.

When I received a prophetic word back in 1995 that I was in a labyrinth (at the time I had NO idea what that meant), I can now look back and see how the hand of God has directed. Even as the dictionary says, “a complicated irregular network of passages or paths in which it is difficult to find one's way; a maze”, I realize indeed that that word was from the Lord. This time has been an irregular network of passages. The journey has been a maze.

If you find yourself in a sort of labyrinth moment, or year, or even decade, don’t consider yourself too weird. It very well may be the Lord God of Israel directing your path. If you had asked Him to do so with an honest and seeking heart, you very well may find yourself too going from place to place for a certain period of ordained time. But know that there is an end, and once finally settled you will know it has been well worth the journey.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder/President

Love For His People, Inc.

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Now Think On This #349 - in the year of our Lord 05.08.18 – “Labyrinth”, Tuesday, 3:20 pm

Are You Listening?- Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Are You Listening?

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“God told Abram: "Leave your country, your family, and your father's home for a land that I will show you. I'll make you a great nation and bless you. I'll make you famous; you'll be a blessing. I'll bless those who bless you; those who curse you I'll curse. All the families of the Earth will be blessed through you." So Abram left just as God said, and Lot left with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he left Haran. Abram took his wife Sarai and his nephew Lot with him, along with all the possessions and people they had gotten in Haran, and set out for the land of Canaan and arrived safe and sound.” Gen. 12:1-5 THE MESSAGE

Have you ever wondered what Abram (later to be called Abraham) was doing when He heard the Lord call His name? The Scriptures do not say much about him prior to that, except that he was with his father Terah, on their way to live in Canaan, when they then settled in Haran. His father died there.

“Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram's wife; and they went out together from Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and settled there. The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.” Gen. 11:31-32 NASU

The Torah doesn’t tell us how long they had lived in Haran before God speaks directly to Abram personally. Had it been a few years? A decade? Maybe it had been 20 years or more he lived there? I guess that part of his story isn’t important info needed, otherwise the Lord would have had Moses (Moshe) write it down. But it does say enough to us about how the Lord moves in our lives.

We may be going along in our day, “minding our own business” as they say, believing that we have gone far enough in our walk with the Lord. We are ready to settle down in the comfy place we have arrived at. “Retirement” may even be on the near horizon. After all, 50, 60, 70 years of walking with the Lord has gotten us this far. Surely that must be enough until our time ends here on this planet.

But just as a side note - time with God doesn’t really matter when it comes to new assignments for us, and the age of our body. Moses was 80 when he got his new mission, remember? That would mean he had already completed 2/3 of his life, knowing he lived to be 120. If we do some simple math, Moses would have been around 60 years old on his timeline if calculated using our expected life span years, assuming we generally now live to be around 88 or 90 ourselves. Get my point?

Now back to Abram. After a time of settlement, the Lord spoke a clear word to him, as head of his household. To Abram, the husband of Sarai, He told him to move on.

We come to a point on our journey when we can become content with life as we know it. We have accomplished a few goals; we have raised a family who are now raising their own; we have reached destinations that have been good. Now we feel the time has come to sit back, relax in that good ole’ leather recliner, and let the baton be passed on to the next generations. It’s their turn after all, right? Let them do the work now.

But is that it? Have we already completed the race, reaching the finish line, and just wanting to wait for the last song to be played?

I think not. I believe the Lord has new assignments for the 50+ generation. I personally am ready to get one myself.

The Lord is speaking. He is even wanting to speak a word to you personally – through His Word, by His Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit), or through another person or message heard today. Hey, maybe even through a movie of all things!

I am listening. I hope you are too.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People. Inc.

Note: This is my 144^th message I have written. Originally published as Ahava Love Letters until January of 2014, when I changed it to Now Think On This. I like numbers. I like 144.

  

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

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Now Think On This #144 “Are You Listening?” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2014 (04.20.14) Resurrection Sunday at 8:00 am in Charlotte, NC.

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on our newest website: Now Think On This