Making Wise the Simple

 

Jeremiah 1:6-9 “Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! behold, I cannot speak: for I am a child. But the LORD said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the LORD. Then the LORD put forth his hand, and touched my mouth. And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have put my words in thy mouth.”

When God came to Jeremiah and told him he was going to make him a prophet to the nations, Jeremiah told God that he was a child. I remember a preacher once saying that Jeremiah may have been in his late teens. Even thou Jeremiah could have been around 17 years old, God desired to used him to preach to the nation of Israel.

 

  I remember being 13 and being scared to talk to people when I went out soul winning. I felt I was too young, no one would respected me, and no one would listen. One day I read those verses in Jeremiah and claimed them as a promise from God that he would use me and speak through me.

Last year in August we had a discipleship seminar. At the end of the week they asked those to raise their hand who would commit to doing the discipleship with people for the next five years. Not wanting to be the only one not raising my hand I put my hand up, but in my mind I was thinking how can I do this I am only 15. I don’t know that much of the Bible to sit down with someone and teach them. There are no teens younger then me at my church. If I did it I would have to disciple someone who is older than me. Nope, I am too young. I can’t start a discipleship with someone.  A few weeks later Emily, Ashlyn and I started disciplining four ladies attending our church, who by the way are all older then us.    

Psalm 19:7b “…the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.”

Emily, Ashlyn and I were out soul winning one week when a lady asked us how old we were. We then told her our ages. Looking at us very surprised she said, “I thought for sure you girls were at least in your mid-twenties. Not that you look that old but you act older.” I really believed that following God’s wisdom gives a young person maturity beyond his years. We are really not that mature! :o)

 

The proof  

Luke 5:4-11 “Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. And when they had this done, they enclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.”

This passage reminds me that if you just simply obey Jesus, he will bless you abundantly! Simon Peter had been fishing at the best time, night and yet had caught nothing. Then Jesus tells him to go fishing at the worst time, during the day. I am sure Simon Peter was thinking that he knew better than Jesus how to fish, and yet he simply obeyed him. He put down his net and caught so much fish that his net broke. Then he had to ask help from a nearby boat and then both boats almost sank. When he got back to land he forsook all and followed Jesus. We should remember that God often has greater blessings in store for us than we imagine, if we simply do what He says.

Ephesians 3:20 “Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us.

Chapter two of the book of Acts explains that one day Peter preached about Jesus, and three thousand people decided to believe on Him as their Saviour. What Jesus had planned for Peter was amazing! It was better than Peter could have imagined!

Now for all those teens out there, Jesus wants to surprise you with the blessings He has in store for your life. He wants to bless you more than you can imagine. He wants to use you more than you would understand. But His ability to bless you begins with your decision to obey.

By Sara Anne   

Life in Kenya - Rats

I'm sure you all have had your trials with rats too, but something happened this morning that was just a little interesting.
This morning I got up before the sun. Mom had a class this morning so she was up too. We were drinking our coffee in the Kitchen when we noticed something strange. I noticed that Kelele (our dog) was looking up and I mean up. He was looking towards the roof and not towards me... I was so offended. Being curious I turned on an outside light to see what he was looking at. Mom said he must be looking at a lizard on the wall. He wasn't... as I looked I realized there was a rat on a gate outside just out of Kelele's reach. A Rat!!! Mom and I were astonished, shocked, and disgusted all at the same time. This posed a problem Mom wanted to start the laundry but she didn't want to pass the rat. I personally wanted to close all the doors and windows and prevent the rat from coming into the house. When Dad woke up he went out to investigate. By that time the rat had disappeared and even though we had both man and dog on the case nothing could be found.


I couldn't find a camera so I had to use my computer. In the black circle is the rat. Just so you get an idea of where it was. 

By Emily Swain

P.S. There is a new picture in "Only in Africa". Check it out!

Count Your Blessings

   This has been a terrible, yet awesome, and an always to be remembered week! Terrible because my mom has had to spend most of it in the hospital. Awesome, because through it my faith and dependence on God has been strengthened, my prayer life, and more of an appreciation for the blessings I do have...for each one of my  family members, especially.

    I have a tendency  to go through life not focusing on my blessings but everything that's going "wrong." I see it as wrong but really, God sees it as perfect, for His way is perfect. I have to remind myself over and over of Romans 8:28 -"...all things work together for good to them that love God..." More often then I want to admit do I fail to put my trust in this truth and that's when I start going down the path of worrying and focusing on the bad...but that's where this week has made me go back to 2 Cor 12:9, over and over again -  "...My grace IS sufficient for thee..."
 Relying on this truth has made it come alive for me.

Mom is back home now!!! :-) She still has a ways to go to be completely recovered, so please, keep praying for her! That's another thing, thanks so much to all who have been praying! It helps so much to know their are others holding us up in prayers...and that we have a God who never ceases to hear and answer those prayers as He sees fit!

By - Ashlyn Elaine