"....See How They Are Doing"

"Then after some days Paul said to Barnabas, 'Let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they are doing.'"  (Acts 15:36)

Sarah and I were with some friends of ours over this past weekend, and I had the privilege to preach in the Sunday service.  One of the members, who has been a part of their lives for a long time, came up to me afterward and told me how much she appreciated the daily devotionals.  She had not told me that over the years, but it was a great blessing.  Equally joyful was to see, "....how they are doing"!  Do not get so "works" oriented that you no longer care about, "....how they are doing."  I can say that over the years when I have gone into Eastern Europe to visit some of the Brethren with whom I have worked, one of the great joys is to, "....see how they are doing."

I know it doesn't sound "super spiritual," but as the old song says, "little things mean a lot."  Paul just wanted to, "....see how they are doing."  Far too many "spirituals" among us see this as a waste of time, not productive, e.g., "Okay, that's all fine, but what did you do?"  They would have been of those who would say, "Now wait a minute, Paul.  If you are not passing out tracts, raising the dead, having 5000 people in your meetings, passing out shoes to little children, building houses for refugees, etc., then we won't support you."  Now of course, all the aforementioned are good works and I am not minimizing them.  But what is minimized way too often among too many are "missions works" which involve exactly what Paul wanted to do in the churches, "....see how they are doing."

Are there things today which you can do which the enemy mocks as insignificant?  They probably are, then, of great significance to our Lord Jesus Christ, the Prince of, "Zacchaeus, come down immediately.  I must stay at your house today."  Yes, Zacchaeus surrendered his life to Jesus that day.  But can you imagine the conversation over dinner, our Lord Jesus asking Zacchaeus of his welfare, family, what it was like working for the Roman Government?  O, I'm sorry; Jesus already knew all of that.  Really?  Does one really want to go there, to make out our Lord as deistic as that?!?

Others need you, though they may act as though they do not.  Be a friend, brother/sister in Jesus to them today.  Come off any "high horse" of "spirituality" today and, "....see how they are doing", perhaps even, "I must stay at your house today."

Father, in Jesus' Name, forgive me and make me aware of any times I might not care about, ".....how they are doing."  Amen. 

When Peter, an 18 year old Norwegian, "heard the call to evangelize China, on that day he not only emptied his wallet into the collection plate, but included a small note with the words, 'and my life.'"

Hebrews 12:2