March 3, 2020
Yesterday while I was recording a video for Facebook, the Lord said the phrase “All Hands on Deck” to me. The Lord has been showing me the need for us to show practical love to one another. There are many scriptures where we are admonished to love one another; John 13:34, Romans 12:10, I Peter 1:22 to name a few. Many single parents, orphans and widows are in distress and really need help. James 1:27 says “A religion that God accepts as pure and stainless is to take care of the widow and orphans in their distress.” (paraphrased.)
I Timothy 5:3 states urged the church to “Take care of widows who have no-one else to care for them.” When Timothy was writing to the church, I don’t think divorce was as prevalent as it is today, and neither was women being single into their fifties like we see today. I feel it is important to add divorced people to this list as well, since many women have been abandoned by their husbands, and although their husband may still be alive, these women have been betrayed completely and often abused by the person that was supposed to be their supporter and closest ally in life through the covenant of marriage.
Sadly in our current court system (especially in California,) there is rarely protection for mothers and ex-wives after divorce. Alimony and child support percentages have also decreased drastically. In short, the person who has the most money usually wins more in court and can keep most if not all of the money and property…long gone are the days of 50/50 divorces. Fatherlessness is also a huge epidemic in society, and families are suffering as a result of this. We need Husbands and Fathers to take their rightful place and honor their vows and stay committed to their families even when things get tough. Since many men have abandoned their posts, many women have been pushed into the work force to fend for themselves and their children. While this is good in many ways, it has lead to an independent spirit that can keep people so busy they stay isolated and exhausted, which isn’t in line with the Father’s heart.
I would even go so far as to say most current day divorcees have it worst off than most widows. When spouses die, there are often death benefits for the widows. I have talked to countless women who have gone through divorce and know several middle aged women who ended up homeless and in dire straights…several have had to live in their cars for months at a time, and others are racking up credit card debt with little hope of landing a good paying job after years of being out of the workforce as a homemaker.
It is too easy to say, “God will handle it, God is in control, He won’t let His people go homeless,” etc. While it is true we are sons and daughters of the King of Kings, we have also been told in Matthew 5:45 that rain falls on the just as well as the unjust. The body of Christ is to be the hands and feet of Jesus….scripture admonishes us to be pro-active in helping one another and doing good to one another, especially those in the body of Christ. “No one should seek his own good, but the good of others.” 1 Corinthians 10:24.
Many years ago God showed me something while reading Ezekiel 37 about the Valley of the Dry Bones. I noticed that God asked Ezekiel what he saw, and Ezekiel answered, “A valley of dry bones.” Then God asked Ezekiel if the bones could live…Ezekiel replied, “Only you know Lord.” The Lord then instructed Ezekiel to prophesy to the dead bones. And speak life into them. Ezekiel did, and the bones rattled and came together forming an army of skeletons. Then the Lord told Ezekiel to breath life into these bones. Ezekiel did, and the army came back to life with flesh and blood and sinews etc.
This story intrigued me and I wondered why God asked Ezekiel to raise up the army and breath life into them….”Why didn’t God just do it? After all, He is GOD! He doesn’t need us to do stuff, right?” If God didn’t need us then why did God wait for Ezekiel to raise up the army? God also gave dominion to Adam and Eve over all the earth and He chose to make us co-heirs with Christ. Jesus said, “If you love me, feed my sheep.” John 21:17. In Mark 6:37, He also told the
disciples “You give them something to eat” when the hungry crowd was gathering and they only had five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus multiplied the little bit they had when they stepped out in faith and obedience and fed the hungry crowd with the little they had on hand. There is great need all around us and if we focus on the little fish and bread we have on hand we may not have the faith to step out and feed others. John 10:10 says that Jesus came to give us Life abundantly but Satan comes only to steal kill and destroy…since the fall of Adam and Eve, we are in a war to contend against the thief who is always trying to take away our provision through destroying things (marriage/family/health/jobs/relationships etc) but Jesus is the answer and He gave us the keys to His kingdom. He gave us authority and told us He would give us His Spirit to help us. We need to stop delegating the authority Jesus gave us back to God and take ownership of building the Kingdom of God here on earth.
We need to love one another more and help those family members who are hurting in practical ways. We need to start sharing our food with the hungry more and coming alongside those in need more. We need to be the body of Christ and honor each part better (regardless of how wealthy or needy each part is.) If we don’t have more money to give, we can babysit or pet sit for someone who needs a vacation or can’t afford to leave town and pay for petsitting, we can make meals for a single mother in need, help people with chores who are injured, etc…let’s be the example of loving one another that causes the world to want the Jesus we love and serve…..if we are HIS, we should exemplify HIM…”If you love me, you will keep my commands.” John 14:15.
The Lord also tells us that the power of Life and Death is in the tongue, Proverbs 18:21 God told us to choose life and not death in Deuteronomy 30:19. We must encourage one another to stay focused on the promises and goodness of God and to speak life not curses over each other. We reap what we sow, so let’s sow kindness and generosity to one another! Let’s b
e the example of the end times church that Jesus told us to be….washing each other’s feet takes humility. It’s not about titles, front row seats and building our own barns…it’s about expanding the Kingdom of God. Faith and Love are the major seeds to growing the Kingdom of God.
We are to lay our lives down for one another, and take care of those especially vulnerable. Single mothers need help buying groceries, fixing plumbing, picking up kids from school or daycare, and putting food on their tables. We need family support to be healthy in life. The people who live longest and healthier lives are usually those in community…not those with the most money. Thankfully, in my local Church Expression 58 in Glendale, the leaders have been pushing for more community and family. They are after the orphan spirit, and it is time….people need more family and community. People need to feel loved and a part of something greater than themselves. Let’s be the body of Christ and show God’s love in tangible ways, rather than saying to the poor person on the road, “be warm and safe” without providing the blanket and shelter…..Faith without works is dead! “…How can you show me your faith if you don’t have good deeds?…” James 2:18. Ask the Lord how you can serve those in need more…God will multiply whatever you give when you give with the right motives….God is so good. He is waiting on US! We are not waiting on Him….He is saying “ALL Hands on Deck!”
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