Devotional 090210

Dear brothers and sisters,
Thanks for your prayer for me. Finally I am back to my office after more than 6 weeks on the road. I suffered only little jetlag and digestion problem (drank too much coconut juice in one day). God granted me special grace and strength to witness His wonderful work in South East Asia. Of course, there are a lot of works to do in those countries, but workers and resources are few. Pray that the Lord will inspire more to support the work in both Myanmar and Cambodia in days to come.

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom" (Isaiah 40:28). Exhaustion means that the vital forces are worn right out. Spiritual exhaustion never comes through sin but only through service, and whether or not you are exhausted will depend upon where you get your supplies. Jesus said to Peter - "Feed My sheep," but He gave him nothing to feed them with. The process of being made broken bread and poured out wine means that you have to be the nourishment for other souls until they learn to feed on God. They must drain you to the remains. Be careful that you get your supply, or before long you will be utterly exhausted. Before other souls learn to draw on the life of the Lord Jesus direct, they have to draw on it through you; you have to be literally "sucked," until they learn to take their nourishment from God. We owe it to God to be our best for His lambs and His sheep as well as for Himself.

Has the way in which you have been serving God betrayed you into exhaustion? If so, then rally your affections. Where did you start the service from? Was it from your own sympathy or from the basis of the Redemption of Jesus Christ? Continually go back to the foundation of your affections and recollect where the source of power is. You have no right to say - "O Lord, I am so exhausted." He saved and sanctified you in order to exhaust you. Be exhausted for God, but remember that your supply comes from Him. "All my fresh springs shall be in Thee."

Yes it is a joy to be exhausted for God. Give my all and all to Him simply because He deserves all that I have. Everything I have is a gift from God. Exhausting my all does not mean I don’t take care of myself. Our Lord Jesus led a balanced life, “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). Spiritual exhaustion is to give with no reservation to God in service to others. Self reservation is a common excuse not to give our best to His service.

I saw how mission workers in Myanmar and Cambodia gave their best to serve God. They had little materialistic resources but they had a lot of love for His people. The living condition of the orphanages, student centers, and seminaries were very poor in comparing with American standard. I don’t think anyone of us will prefer those living environments. But the love of God was rich in those communities. They were happy to have shelter over their heads, and two simple meals per day. They were eager to plant churches for the Kingdom of God. They knew they exist for this very purpose for Christ. Praise the Lord!

Hope you have time to see the pictures I posted in the blog last week. It will give you an idea of our ministry in those two places.

May God bless you with new opportunity to live for Him!

Love you in His name,
Lawrence