Can You Stand to be In God's Hand?

Mark 1:29–39 ESV

29 And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John. 30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. 31 And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them. 32 That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. 33 And the whole city was gathered together at the door. 34 And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. 35 And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. 36 And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, 37 and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” 38 And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” 39 And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.

To be a National Missionary and Pastor is to be called by Christ to get out of the boat. Missionaries aren’t sent to places where they have it all together, where you can count on four weeks’ vacation, a new suit every year and a car every three. Missionaries are called to places where people need a pastor but cannot afford one, where people are sick but there is no doctor for them, where people are in bondage with no help in sight. It means hitting the ground running, praying that God will keep your shoes from falling off. It’s seeing people in need and asking God to supply, knowing only that He has you here, where the need is right in front of you, and there is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide.

Being a National Missionary means getting your “times of refreshing” as best you can, knowing that you can’t “get ready;” you’ve got to “be ready” - every moment. It means knowing that you have so much that you need to say to so many people so that they can hear that Christ is with us and for us, with a blood-bought guarantee.

In five minutes I can’t tell you all that you need to know, but I can tell you this. If you want to know the deal, I’m telling you, Jesus is real! And that’s a real nice thing! He’s there with me in the city and in the sanctuary. He’s there with me when I’m visiting the sick and shut-in, and when I’m talking to people like you. He won’t leave me alone, because He called me to this work, and He promised never to leave me alone.

There are two ways that you can know that the Lord is with you: cling to His Word of Promise, and walk humbly with Him as He goes on His Mission. Where He is, there you will be also. If you can stand to be in His hand when He holds it out to those who need His healing touch, He will never leave you alone.

May the peace of the Lord be with you always, amen.