Faith Filled Friday Blog Link Up

I'm so glad you are here! I hope during your visit you get a glimpse of God's heart for we become what we are gazing at. Currently I am writing my way through Judges sharing glimpses of God's heart and character for a weekday devotional. To check out the entire series so far head on over the the Judges Devotional.   

Hospitality at it's finest

I went to college to be an elementary school teacher. Deep down the reason was because it was the only thing I thought I was smart enough to do. A couple years into school I had to observe some classrooms and I came home crying everyday because I hated it. It's important for kids to learn History and English and so on but I didn't want to be the one to teach them. All I wanted to do was teach the Bible. But I had no idea what that could look like for a woman. I talked with my pastor and he had me start reading biographies of missionaries. Not long after I talked to my friend Erica about going to Africa with me to visit some missionaries to see what they did. So we were off and I was overwhelmed by the African's generosity even when they had nothing. One family gave us their banana type things and I'm pretty sure it was the last food they had. 

Two years later I went to Nepal and found Nepalese people who shut down their stores if you want to have tea with them. In Mexico they invite you over for dinner and you are there for at least three hours. It seems so many cultures value being with people and offering hospitality above most other things. Above their to-do list, schedule and making money. Kind of like father-in-law in Judges 19.

"His father-in-law, the girl's father, prevailed upon him to stay; so he remained with him three days, eating and drinking, and sleeping there. On the fourth day they got up early and he prepared to leave, but the girl's father said to his son-in-law, "Refresh yourself with something to eat; then you can go." 
This happens a few more nights and finally after a vacation the Levite was"unwilling to stay another night, the man left and went toward Jebus (that is, Jerusalem), with his two saddled donkeys and his concubine." Judges 19:4-10

Like I said in yesterdays post, I dread what's to come in this chapter and am trying to celebrate the verses right in front of me. But all I can think about is this father. If he were to know what was to come, he wouldn't be acting this way, he wouldn't be treating his daughters husband with such delight. He would hold hid daughter tight and never let her leave. 

But we, just like him, don't know what's coming and all we can do is trust the Lord, the One who knows. And if we are walking with Him, we are right where we need to be. So, it seems like a good time to do a heart check. Are you walking in the Spirit, walking with the ability and strength the Lord supplies or relying on your self to live what God has called you to?

In just a few verses, the father-in-law's hospitality is going to be starkly contrasted and the reason the Lord says, "Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling" in 1 Pet. 4:7 will become clear. Home is where the heart is right? So when we let people into our life, we have to make room for them. We have to say no to something we may want for their sake. When we aren't in the habit of saying no to every desire we may have it grows. How desperate we are to abide in Christ. The One able to keep us from falling and to present us without fault and with great joy! (Jude 24-25)

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Faith Filled Friday Blog Link Up

We exist to glorify God, to display His heart and character. And I just love how we are all uniquely built to do that. So every Friday I want to give you, uniquely designed by God, an opportunity to link up your thoughts on God, art, baking, photography, parenting, marriage, writing or blogging and more if they tie into or display the the Lord somehow. 

So go ahead and link up below by clicking the link below and following the prompts. I just humbly ask that you please let your readers know by including a link at the bottom of your post (or somewhere on your side bar) or put my button code (found on my side bar or the Faith Filled Friday Tab) so they can find these other great people glorifying God and we can continue to grow as a community. Thanks!    

In effort to encourage others in their writing by faith, please take a minute to comment on the two posts linked up before you. 


I'm linking up with Spiritual Sundays