Lord, when did we SEE You?

Our Monday Devotion comes to us from Council Member, Lahoma:

"Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ "Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? "When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?" Matthew 25:34-39

Recently, I woke up to the sound of rain falling gently on the roof of my carpeted bedroom, and I snuggled deeper under my warm thick blankets and considered ignoring my alarm clock just one more time. As I closed my eyes, I could not keep from thinking about how blessed I was to be inside a house in a bed with a pot of coffee brewing in my kitchen using electricity, and the hot shower that awaited me before I started my day. My heart became extremely heavy at the same time as I considered that there were countless numbers of people around the world and in my own city who had slept on the streets and in cardboard boxes last night in the cold rain with little or no shelter or warmth for themselves or their families.

My heart became extremely heavy at the same time as I considered that there were countless numbers of people around the world and in my own city who had slept on the streets and in cardboard boxes last night in the cold rain with little or no shelter or warmth for themselves or their families. We get so caught up in our lives that we forget that others around us are suffering and need our help. Our Mission Team Colombia served the Lord at Skid Row on April 28th and took water bottles and hygiene items to the streets of L.A. to meet the people and to minister to them, they led a worship service and also served a hot meal to the people as part of their preparation for an identical ministry in the streets of Medellin, Colombia this summer. The people they met were just like you and me; they had feelings, they had hurts, they had needs, they had suffered tremendous loss and pain and felt hopeless and abandoned. Beloved brothers and sisters; we are ALL called to reach out to those God brings into our lives and offer food, clothing, a blanket, a cool drink of water in His Name. When we do such simple things, we minister unto Jesus Himself according to Matthew 25. This was truly a blessed opportunity for our team to be a part of this type of one the street ministry, and God was glorified and opened their eyes to a new perspective of those who could be considered “the least of these” in a similar definition of who Jesus was referring to when He spoke this parable to the listeners of His day.

In Matthew 25, "the least of these" referred to the least known, the poor, the outcast, the marginalized, the powerless—often the forgotten, invisible ones. Jesus' story suggests that His heart desires our simple acts of love done for others close at hand are to be done simply because the need is there, but tragically many would rather selfishly ignore or deny there is need anywhere else other than within their own lives. To those I would say, OPEN your eyes and look around you… look outside Orange County, look at the world that your Lord Jesus died for, His heart is broken for all of us, which includes the least of us too. God wants His people who are called by His name to share what they have and help those in need when they can. I truly believe that when we respond to human need among those who are "the least," we respond to the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. We SEE Him in the faces of those who are in need, the person with the cardboard sign on the corner when the light is red and they are standing right in front of us in the hot sun, or in our co worker who has suddenly become distant, in a teacher who seems to not have as much enthusiasm for her class, in our neighbor who is losing their home. The essence of following Christ is to pay attention to the needs of those close at hand—in the workplace, at home, next door, down the street, in our home church and community and wherever God lead us either 5 feet from us, or 5,000 miles away in Colombia. To truly be a follower of Christ is to give of ourselves because He first loved us and gave ALL of Himself for us. His love should overtake us and overflow from His people so much that it becomes part of our being to just share with others from that love. We must never be so busy that we miss those golden opportunities to help others that God brings to our lives. We must also be mindful to seek out those who are unable to reach out for help themselves-the ones “in prison” could be people trapped in a hospital bed or at home unable to drive-you could call them and just drop by and visit, or offer to take them to the store. Ask the Lord to open your eyes to what He sees as the need in the areas of your life, and I guarantee that He will answer that prayer in ways you never imagined.

Remember the words of our Lord Jesus when He said in verse 40: ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ Remember them the next time you have the opportunity to bless someone who is hungry or thirsty or in need, and SEE Jesus in the midst of that situation. Don’t miss seeing Him, don’t end up asking Him this question when you stand before Him someday in heaven. Step outside your comfort zone, and give to others in the name of the Lord. When you can, help meet the need of another. Sometimes, a “drink of water” is simply a word of encouragement to keep carrying on. Perhaps "feeding" someone is simply providing support during a hard time. Do you know of someone that you see regularly that stands on a corner near your home or work… do you even know their name? I humbly suggest that the next time God brings that person across your path that you take the time to get out of your car and go and introduce yourself to them, and ask them what you can to do help them. don’t allow yourself to just drive by them one more time and think judgmentally about their situation… take the compassion of your Savior that you have so freely received and give it to the streets of your city and see what God will do with it!

I guarantee that our Lord will see your actions and your heart as you do so, and will be honored by your service unto Him.

Lord, let me always SEE You,
Sister Lahoma

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