Sweat poured from my forehead as I shooed away
mosquitos. Through the sticky humidity, a friend, native of the island,
and I pressed on through the dusty dirt country roads in the island of
Mindanao, Philippines.
But what was also warm yet sweet was the hug
and peck on the cheek as I embraced a small, frail woman who greeted us
outside her nipa hut. "Welcome beautiful visitor," she said.
We sat on a rock nearby observing her at work.
She brought small bowls of rice to feed the children who came from other
nipa huts around the area, they gathered outside her tiny dwelling with
nearly nothing in it.
But the richness of her faith and commitment
overflowed. In the midst of the humid, scorching heat, she fed them.
They sang songs, and then she nourished their souls with Bible lessons.
I forgot about the discomfort of the outdoors
as I listened and observed her joy, her passion and patience with those
little ones.
As we were about to leave and head to our next
stop in our missions' trip, I hugged her. "I admire you," I said. "You
have so little and give so much."
She gave a shy giggle. "When you have Jesus,
you have enough," she said.
Gulp. Can that be so? Can Jesus really be
enough?
Here are three questions to determine if He's
truly enough for us:
1. If we lost all we valued in this world, can
we still declare we believe and trust in Him?
If our plans fail, our heart is broken and our
future looks bleak, will contentment still fill our hearts?
2. If His ways contradict ours, will we still embrace joy?
3. And if we had nothing, can we repeat what Habakkuk declares?
"Though the fig tree does not bud and there
are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields
produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in
the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my
Savior. The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the
feet of a deer; he enables me to go on the heights." (Habakkuk 3:17-19
NIV)
Jesus is our strength. When all we value is
gone, He is our strength. When our weakness can't be ignored, He is our
strength. When nothing produces fruit in our life, His strength is
enough. And in that power and strength, He gives us what we need--the
feet to keep on walking, the diligence to stay on track, the ability to
focus on Him, and the boldness to refuse defeat and begin walking in
high places.
And in that journey, victory greets us when we
declare: "Whom do I have in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I
desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the
strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:25-26 NIV).
Let's Pray: Father, thank You for the forever
promise. From now on my trust is in You as I believe, I embrace and
stand on the truth that You are truly enough. In Jesus' name, amen.
What or who is enough to strengthen you these
days?
Janet P. Eckles
The Illustrator: This daily newsletter is dedicated to encouraging
everyone to look towards Jesus as the source of all the solutions to our
problems. It contains a daily inspirational story, a Bible verse and encouraging
messages. HTML and plain text versions available.
The Nugget: Published three times a week, this newsletter features inspirational devotionals and mini-sermons dedicated to drawing mankind closer to each other and to Christ.