I've never really been one to share words online, but God has laid on my heart to begin to share with y'all what He has been teaching me. Some of you already know this, but for those who don't, I have the wonderful opportunity to travel to Guatemala City with Port City Community Church and Overflow to serve the people in and around the city. Our team has been preparing for the past few months and now that we are closer than ever, we are beginning to dive deep into what God wants us to show to the children.
Worth
We want these children to know that they are worth everything to God and are worth a lot to those around them.
1 Samuel 16 tells the beginning of the story of David. God tells Samuel (a prophet) that Israel needs a new king, that he is going to anoint them, and that God will tell Samuel when the right man is in his presence. So, Samuel goes to the house of Jesse and asks for all of Jesse's sons to come see him. As the sons "interview" with Samuel, God tells Samuel that none of those sons are the right man to become king even though Samuel thinks that they are strong, handsome, manly, and capable. God says that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Samuel asks Jesse if he has any other sons, and Jesse tells him that there is one other son, David, but he is out watching the sheep. David comes to Samuel, and God tells him to anoint David as the next king of Israel.
David was the youngest of 8 sons, which automatically put him at the bottom of the totem pole. When all of the older brothers had been rejected, Jesse and Samuel probably thought that God wasn't going to choose David either. But God doesn't look at age or authority for someone to do His work.
David wasn't anything special to the Israelites; he was just a shepherd boy. He wasn't tall or strong or handsome, but his heart was after God's own. David came before Samuel and God as he was, dressed in his work clothes, with dirt all over him, probably smelling like outdoors and sheep, but that didn't matter. God meets us wherever we are, however we are, because He knows the condition of our heart isn't affected by our outside appearance.
Beginning the moment of his anointing, David was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and he was changed within to become the man who would one day lead Israel. His circumstances didn't change until years later, but he was used where he was to begin to do God's work.
Now, how does this apply to children in Guatemala? We want them to know that no matter their circumstances, no matter their age, no matter what they have or don't have, God can and will use them where they are because they are worth everything to Him. Their worth doesn't come from anything they can do themselves, but the fact that the Creator of the Universe designed them individually and uniquely, with different talents and likes and dislikes and fears and hopes and joys, so that they can impact those around them. Many of them, like David, are young and are looked down upon by others, including people from their own country and others, and like David, they are still worth everything to God, to be used for His purpose. We desperately want these kids to know that they are loved deeply by the Creator and that they are worth Christ dying on the cross for them. And don't forget, the story of David applies to us as well; we simply have different standards of beauty, authority, and capability.
And you can give to this trip online at guatemalamarch2016.portcitychurch.org
Worth
We want these children to know that they are worth everything to God and are worth a lot to those around them.
1 Samuel 16 tells the beginning of the story of David. God tells Samuel (a prophet) that Israel needs a new king, that he is going to anoint them, and that God will tell Samuel when the right man is in his presence. So, Samuel goes to the house of Jesse and asks for all of Jesse's sons to come see him. As the sons "interview" with Samuel, God tells Samuel that none of those sons are the right man to become king even though Samuel thinks that they are strong, handsome, manly, and capable. God says that man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart. Samuel asks Jesse if he has any other sons, and Jesse tells him that there is one other son, David, but he is out watching the sheep. David comes to Samuel, and God tells him to anoint David as the next king of Israel.
David was the youngest of 8 sons, which automatically put him at the bottom of the totem pole. When all of the older brothers had been rejected, Jesse and Samuel probably thought that God wasn't going to choose David either. But God doesn't look at age or authority for someone to do His work.
David wasn't anything special to the Israelites; he was just a shepherd boy. He wasn't tall or strong or handsome, but his heart was after God's own. David came before Samuel and God as he was, dressed in his work clothes, with dirt all over him, probably smelling like outdoors and sheep, but that didn't matter. God meets us wherever we are, however we are, because He knows the condition of our heart isn't affected by our outside appearance.
Beginning the moment of his anointing, David was filled with the Spirit of the Lord and he was changed within to become the man who would one day lead Israel. His circumstances didn't change until years later, but he was used where he was to begin to do God's work.
Now, how does this apply to children in Guatemala? We want them to know that no matter their circumstances, no matter their age, no matter what they have or don't have, God can and will use them where they are because they are worth everything to Him. Their worth doesn't come from anything they can do themselves, but the fact that the Creator of the Universe designed them individually and uniquely, with different talents and likes and dislikes and fears and hopes and joys, so that they can impact those around them. Many of them, like David, are young and are looked down upon by others, including people from their own country and others, and like David, they are still worth everything to God, to be used for His purpose. We desperately want these kids to know that they are loved deeply by the Creator and that they are worth Christ dying on the cross for them. And don't forget, the story of David applies to us as well; we simply have different standards of beauty, authority, and capability.
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| Overflow Guatemala Team 2016 |
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