“Would You Like Something Encouraging to Read Today?”

“Would you like something encouraging to read today?”

These were the words upon my lips earlier this morning.

Jerry, Marlin, Kenneth, Beth, Sherry and John are just a few of the names of the people we had a chance to minister to today.

Last night, Rivkah felt led to put together a small handout with Psalm 121 on it to pass out to the homeless this morning. As we began to pass them out, the message of the first verse, “I lift up my eyes to the hills; Where does my help come from?”, was starkly realized upon the faces of each of those we came in contact with. Some refused to accept the handout, yet many did. One man refused to accept it, yet proceeded to tell me that he was already filled with the Word because He (Father) had filled him with it. HalleluYah!

As I stood there in the food line with him, he read me Psalm 103:11 out of his little Psalms and Proverbs pocket Bible. He began to share with me how great His loving-kindness and mercy was, but as he emphasized, ‘how great is His mercy for those that fear Him.’

There was another man there, which afterwards, handing him a Psalm 121 handout, began to tell me how he was in prison and that he knew the only way he got out of prison was by the hand of Father. Rivkah came over to where we were talking, and we began to minister to him that we all have struggles with the flesh, but everyday we fill ourselves up with His Word and confess with our mouth, that through His strength, we will overcome. The cry of that man’s heart was to do something more for the One who had given His life for him.

This is a common theme throughout the third world countries. When you ask them why they are so dedicated to the Master, their only response is, “it is the least I could do after He gave His life for me.” They are willing to lay down their life freely because of the One who laid it down for them.

There was a woman I prayed with while she stood in line to get her food. After she had received her food and I had gone on to minister to others, she came up to me and began telling me how He supplies all of our needs according to His riches in esteem (Philippians 4:19). Little did she know, that what she was doing was bringing me encouragement. It was something I needed to hear, and what better person than from one who has nothing to her name. Talk about a humbling experience.

There was a man who had just come out of the Bunk House (a mens dormitory) to get into line to eat. He had a small white tank top on, big muscles and multiple tattoos. I walked over to him and handed him Psalm 121. I asked him his name and if I could pray with him. Very roughly, he spoke his last name and agreed for me to pray. After I lifted him up and spoke edification into his life, I sensed him go limp. His demeanor became warm and he smiled. He reached out to shake my hand and introduced himself…this time…both his first and last name.

When you pray for others, it can break down walls you have no idea that are there. Some people just want someone to care enough to talk to them.

As the tables were being put away and the operation was coming to a close for another week, I met a little black lady who was so joyful. As I put my arm around her, she began to telling me her testimony. She was recently diagnosed with a tumor in her brain. Everyone told her that she wouldn’t make it. She then proceeded to tell me how just a few days ago, she had to go in and have 4 vials of fluid drained from her brain to relieve the pressure. She then began thanking Abba because she was standing there today, when no one said she would. I rejoiced with her and had a chance to pray for her – cursing that vile tumor and commanding it to dry up and wither away in His Name!

As I reflect back on this morning, I realize that I received much more than I gave out. Why is that? How can people who are so destitute, hungry, in need and barely holding on to their dignity as human beings give me anything? When I returned home, sitting in my chair, the answer came.

You see, what I had prayed this morning for nearly everyone I had a chance to pray with was that Father has a plan for them; plans for a hope and a future. I know this is from Jeremiah 29, and I know the stipulation that is placed upon verse 11. I also understand the context in which it was written. The requirement is seeking Him with all of your heart. Yet, why did I pray that for each of them if I did not know they were actually seeking Him with all of their heart? I mean, most people who I spoke with were merely consumed with surviving until their next meal.

What does it mean to seek Him with all of your heart? Does it mean spending hours everyday reading Scripture and praying? How could any of these people be seeking Him with all of their heart since most of them do not even have a Bible? And some can not even read! Being truthful, these were the inward thoughts I was having this morning, asking myself why I was praying a promise of Scripture if the people were more than likely not meeting the requirements of the promise?

Abba interrupted my thoughts and I believe He showed me this – “Searching for Him with all of your heart is not accomplished by how much reading, studying and praying you do, nor at what level of knowledge you attain, but to what depth does your cry for help come from”

It’s not the diligence of seeking Him that matters as much as recognizing where your help comes from. When the seeking comes from a place of knowing you are lost without Him, then that is when diligence in prayer and reading His Word pays off. Because to fill ones mind with knowledge without the foundation of child like belief and simplicity, will end a person up in pharisaical pride and religiosity. These people may not know much about Him, because their circumstances have them so focused on survival, yet they know everything about Him because they have hit rock bottom.

When you search for Him with all your heart you have lost the seeking of yourself. Coming to the end of your road, a dead end, is where He is found. Turning and deciding to follow Him on His road, will lead you out of that dead end.

People on the street who have nothing can easily find Him, because it is where He is found…on the street. When there is no pride left, but only brokenness and humility; that is when He is found. People who are at the end of their rope can no longer rely upon themselves to hang on. This is when the Master shows up.

Sometimes He looks up into our ‘tree of shame’ and invites Himself for dinner. Messiah felt most comfortable with those who had nothing to give but the true intentions of their heart. Pride, religion and self-righteousness never reveals who they are because the shame would expose them–kill them.

Finding Him is only the beginning. It’s what you do when you find Him that leads to life.

Messiah is down in the streets, under bridges, in the ghettos and shelters. It is there that He finds the generals of His army.

Messiah searches through garbage cans to find what others have thrown away. What He pulls out is always put to good use, salvaged and put back together. The rejects of society are the precious stones that build His Kingdom.

Don’t look for Messiah sitting on the Throne in Heaven because to look for Him there is to miss out on where He has made Himself available.. in dark alleys, half way houses and street corners.

This is why what you do to help the helpless and destitute is what you do to Him. He is jealous over what others deem rubbish…For the world’s rubbish is Messiah’s treasure.

The world has no use for people like Jerry, Marlin, Kenneth, Beth, Sherry, John, or Chuck. They are a burden to society, uselessly called “feeders” by those who wish to de-populate the earth. Why should we care either? We care, because though many of us have not even a clue as to the life they live, it is the life Messiah lived. And if we do not identify with His life, we will never identify with theirs.

We care because though we live in this world, we are not of it. The “burdens of society” are the tools Father uses to find out where our loyalty really lies. Does it lie with ourselves, or with Him? Going out into all the world, simply means beginning with those who have nothing, living in our own communities.

Go out, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, speak the love of Messiah and you will truly find out who is really in charge of your life. I did…and some of what I found out wasn’t pretty. But I’m thankful I did. For when I stand before Him to give account of this life in the now and now…I will never have the opportunity again to say: “Would you like something encouraging to read today?”

“And the Sovereign shall answer and say to them, ‘Truly, I say to you, in so far as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me.’”

Matthew 25:40