Depending on The One

While driving to church yesterday I realized my thoughts were about to be derailed into stinkin' thinkin'. Nope. I can't let that darkness grow in my head. Negative thoughts birthed from lies do not bring glory to my Savior.

So I called on Jesus to join me in this mental wrestling match and to give me a thought to anchor my mind. By the time I got to church I felt peace and confidence because I prayed knowing He always hears our prayers! "The righteous cry out and the LORD hears; He delivers them from all their troubles" (Psalm 34:17).

I walked into the church building prepared to engage in worship, the pastor's message, and communion. Once again, I was not disappointed by the Spirit-led gathering at The Vine Community Church. I showed up hungry for God to nourish my soul and I was graciously fed and filled. I was revived so I could pass on the spiritual refreshment I receive to others.

Tim Barton, our Pastor of Family Ministries, prayed before he started his message, asking God to bless us with the word and to help him use the words God wanted him to speak, even if they not the words he prepared in his notes.  

Then He read 1 Thessalonians 4:9-12: 

"Now concerning brotherly love you have no need of anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one."

Tim humbly brought the entire passage to us. But I'm going here I'm only going to focus on how God used verse 12, "be dependent on no one,"  to be a game changer and answer to my prayers, from just an hour earlier.

At the end of his message, Tim said, "Be dependent on no one but The One who is dependent on no one." What?! That pierced my soul. Yes!  I was hearing God speak through Tim that I must stop looking around for answers and look up at The One and Only Answer.

No matter how long we look for our needs to be met we'll never be satisfied until we look up and realize Jesus is the Answer we're craving. And that truth will never change. 

I scribbled Tim's words down as fast as I could so I'd remember the exact sentence; personally speaking to me! I was looking forward to sharing with him how the Lord used him to powerfully bless me. 

When I told him I had to quickly write it down so I would use it as a weapon of warfare, he said, "Wow. That's great, but that was not in my sermon notes. It must have been God rearranging my message." 

I said, "What? Really? Whoa. Well, it spoke volumes of encouragement to me!"

So here it is:  God beautifully and creatively answered my prayer Sunday morning.  He answered Tim's prayer that morning, too. Both were answered in abundance and overflow!  Look at the power and love of God confirming His faithfulness! 

Even in our frailties, God's children know He is The One for us.

Polly 💖

Matthew 5:16