Jesus isn't too busy. Never was. God is the same yesterday, today an forever. Jesus isn't anxious, or in a hurry, or all fretting-up-tight, or worked up any, but He does have time for you.
Perhaps you've been taught this, but Jesus wasn't ever slothful either. He was balanced. He had times here on earth where He was busy working hard for sure, but from looking closely at the Scriptures we can see He wasn't the type of person who always responded to inquires regarding His welfare with, "Busy, busy busy! Man, every single day I've been so, SO busy. In fact, it's been hard to catch up with myself." Nope.
And Christ wasn't tucked away isolated, out of reach in some ivory tower in the hill-country of Israel, just resting too much or there dealing solely with theories and thinking....which can also be good for people.
He was glad to enter and then emerge out of His quiet times of prayer with the Father. And guess what.. when He did, there was power in His ministry. He was on the go and about His Father's biz, and miracles where happening and lost people were turning and trusting in the Lord. There is nothing like being around someone who has spent time in prayer and where people are getting saved. It's so refreshing.
Don't get me wrong, I'm sure that Jesus would get busy as well, but He deliberately took the time to stop, to listen attentively to individuals, to stoop down, to reach over and take the hand of a blind man, to heal him.
"Then He came to Bethsaida; and they brought a blind man to Him, and begged Him to touch him. So He took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the town. And when He had spit on his eyes and put His hands on him, He asked him if he saw anything. And he looked up and said, 'I see men like trees, walking.' Then He put His hands on his eyes again and made him look up. And he was restored and saw everyone clearly." Mk. 8:22-25 nkjv
He was about His Father's biz…
"Since they could not bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, they made an opening in the roof over the place where Jesus was. Then they lowered the cot on which the paralyzed man was lying." Mark 2:4
About His Father's biz daily…
You know that King Jesus was never selfish, but He was kindly out there with the people, just touching the lepers...
Yes, those "filthy untouchables" as some liked to call them to order to warn others away from them.
He was there rightly touching or kissing a child's bruised and skinned-up knee.
"Let the children come to me. Don't stop them! For the Kingdom of Heaven belongs to those who are like these children."
Can you see Him will all the kids? Smack (Kiss)! Yup, right there on the forehead.
And then He's off ministering to a woman with an issue.
Musta been such a drag to have that.
Can't even imagine.
Ever run into ordinary people with needs on the streets, let me tell you something..so many of them suffer out there and have real issues.
We've all had our problems at times - people need the Lord.
But Jesus kept helping, and teaching, and touching, and preaching, and talkin' heart to heart ..giving viable solutions to them.
….wiping a sweaty brow over here.
…calling a dead child back to life over there.
..healing the sick, and diseased, and infirmed....everyday folks that the He came across.
He didn't leave them in the same way as they were before they met Him.
Hearing the truth in love just does that to a person.
Jesus Christ was busy because He loved the Father and He sincerely cared about people He made.
Busy yes, but not too busy for quiet time away, or for obedience to His Father.
He was about His Father's biz year after year but died young in the will of the Father…
Just to think about His proper pace, attitude, and those encounters. Yeah, like with that, "a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any, came behind him, and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately. And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace." Lk. 8:43-48 kjv
The masses flocked to Him cuz of stuff grace like that. Can you imagine all those people, thousands just pushing and shoving ..just trying to get close to Jesus? But who do you know that wants to get near a woman or anybody with a twelve year long issue of any sort? Man, I know my old nature inside would speak up n say, "Yo Kurt, let's like go the other way quickly and get busy with something else dude." But Jesus didn't ditch. He's not like me....but He's also teaching me/us to deny that old nature. That's how He is.
Never forget that God never deliberately goes blind so to speak.. to the needs of the needy. He doesn't walk past or arrive late..even if it seems like He's late. No, He doesn't miss anyone with unfaltering-faith. Many so called "men of the cloth" back in the day...you know em as religious leaders...who merely have an outward appearance of godliness on the outside while they totally lack the Holy Spirit on the inside.. yes, they actually deny the power of God's Kingdom. Well, these guys would walk right on past, and on over to the other side of the road to avoid. Remember the story of the man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho who was attacked by robbers? Well, thank God for that good Samaritan guy who happened by and wouldn't piously bail-out.
The Bible's wording is interesting and says that a priest after seeing the beat-up one just, "angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man."
Let's pray we can do better. Dear God, people near us watch us everyday to see where we "as Christians" will flub-up in Your name, but during this time of year where we celebrate Your birthday and all, please help us believers to be more like You, and more like that Samaritan man who took compassionate action. Empower us, anoint us, guide us. It's so important cuz we have loved ones who have yet to decide. Imprint on our minds a picture of that decent Samaritan man who gave that battered person on the road-side simple, "first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I'll pay you on my way back.'" Lk. 10:25-37. Help us to study those who are compassionate in You. Thanks Jesus.
Now, every week and almost every day, my parents who are in the 70s and retired, are out of their house early and working with the sick, with the recovering, and with the dying. Dad says they do it as unto the Lord and I believe him. They've been to a lot of funerals of people dear to em, that they've intentionally made dear, but you know that can get hard and even old sometimes.
My wife Liney is the same way out in our neighborhood etc. She is so awesome.
I feel proud of them in a good sense for all they do, for how God is working through each one of them. I pray that He will do that through me as well.
Yup, I hear all their stories and it really challenges me to the bone. Jesus Himself is and was like that with hopeless people. People are still dear to Him and You are dear to Him even when you don't feel like it! He feels like your life matters and it does, and He indeed wants to bless you as you obey the promptings of His Holy Spirit even today. Do you know Him in a personal sorta way? Please know Christ.
Believer, when you feel like getting too busy for God this holiday season, just quiet down your soul and meditate upon these words below...
"A faith without some doubts is like a human body with no antibodies in it. People who blithely go through life too busy or indifferent to ask the hard questions about why they believe as they do will find themselves defenseless against either the experience of tragedy or the probing questions of a smart skeptic. A person's faith can collapse almost overnight if she failed over the years to listen patiently to her own doubts, which should only be discarded after long reflection." ~ Tim Keller
The Bible says, "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Rom. 12:2
The worldly, the spiritually lukewarm, the nominal, the carnally-minded, and the people who are merely religious are just too BUSY. Their full form of BUSY could honestly be listed as this:
Being
Under
Satan's cruel
Yoke
Under
Satan's cruel
Yoke
When we become too busy...
Our Walk with God Diminishes
Our Physical Fatigue Increases..duh!
Our Relationships are Stretched
Our Health Can Suffer
Our Long-Term Effectiveness, Fruitfulness and Viability are Threatened
Real children of God are NOT too BUSY or lazy..or at least not too long like this before they stop to repent. Their full form of BUSY could be listed as this:
Being
Under
Savior's easier
Yoke
Being
Under
Savior's easier
Yoke
"For My yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light." Matt. 11:30
"Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." Mat. 11:28
"And the world is passing away along with its desires, but whoever does the will of God abides forever." 1 Jn. 2:17
"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" Ps. 46:10
"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.." Eccl. 3:1-22
May we take the time to pray and also keep our eyes pealed for the sick, those recovering, and the dying all around us this holiday season. Like facebook.com/kurtwvs
