Why Here?
Kendra Osborn
“From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live.”
Acts 17:26 (NIV)
Have you ever wondered why you are where you are? I often ask myself why I was born in the free world, why am I blessed to have an abundance of food and clothing and why do I have multiple places to get an education and have the freedom to have a job or do whatever I wish. Why here?
I was driving around one of our city’s main roads and began thanking the Lord for allowing me to be born in the US and to live in this wonderful city where He placed me. When I was in the Dominican Republic last year there was a moment where God was very clear with me. He told me that I am called to the city where He decided I should live. I am so blessed to be a part of the movement of God where I live and where I was born and have grown up all my life. I began to thank the Lord for His favor and His wisdom in and on my life.
My prayer quickly moved into praying for those who were not born in a place where they have the freedoms and the basic needs I am blessed to have. It made me really seek the Lord and ask Him why I am so blessed when so many people are suffering from starvation and sickness. Why wasn’t I born in a third world country or in a communist country? I started to cry out to Him on their behalf and seeking what it is that I am suppose to do with the overflowing abundance He has given me.
In that time of prayer the Lord reminded me of today’s scripture. He reminded me that He is Sovereign and Lord over all and every person has a time and place and He has predetermined it for them. It is not an accident where we live or where we were born. Verse 27 goes on to say that, “He determined the times set for us and the exact places where we should live” so that we would seek God and hope that we might feel after Him and find Him. I know from some of my dear friends who live in places that are desolate that they feel and find the Lord in a way I’ve never had to!
God made something very clear that day when I was crying out to Him, praying for those who are oppressed and living in desolate places. He said He placed me here trusting I would use what He has given me to bless them with all I have been given. If you are reading this and you live in abundance and have the freedom to do what you wish, then it is your responsibility and call to pour it out on others who are in desperate need. We are not given all we have to store it up and stuff it in our closets or to expand our waistlines to the point of obesity.
We are blessed to be a blessing. The church loves to say those words but how often do we really live that out? That might make some who are reading this a little defensive but it’s a fair question. The statistics from The Barna Group tell us that fewer than 10% of born again Christians give to their church, so how can we assume the needs are being met when we can’t even meet the needs of our local congregations? If you do give to your church, do you depend on the church to meet the needs of the poor? If so, we can’t do that any longer. For one our churches are weighed down by notes to the bank, program costs, salaries and a slew of other places the money has to go before it reaches the allotted category of missions. God is depending on each believer to help meet those needs above and beyond what we give to our local congregations.
Sisters, we live in a place where we are free to live out Acts 1:8. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
Ask yourself what it would look like if we began to freely give of all that we have been given and to start in our Jerusalem and worked our way out. What if the church did as Jesus commanded? What would world hunger look like? How many children would never have to go naked?
I began to think about the words Paul wrote in 1Timothy 6:8, “But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that.” Frankly, the Lord has blessed His bride in much abundance until we’re overflowing with more than just food and clothing. However, so many of His people are without and it’s our call to help those who live in oppression, depression, and poverty.
The charge the Lord has given me is to clean out all of my closest and box up all the excess, unused clothing and send them to an orphanage in the Philippines. He has also been working on my heart for the people in the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky. He confirmed this call through a show just a week ago. I am broken over those who struggle just to eat one meal a day when my pantry and refrigerator are crammed pack with enough food to have three meals a day for a month.
I write this devotional today because of the Lord’s conviction in my own life and His challenge to me personally; not to point a finger, condemn or lecture. I extend this challenge to you today as well. Clean out your closets and pray about where and who God would want you to bless them with. Find out how you can send money for food to those who are dying every day from starvation or how to help get medical aid to those who have none. Ask the Lord today where He would want you to bless the least, the last and the lost and how it would look for you to do so. Then do it!
Pray with me: Abba Father, You are the Provider, Healer, Comforter, Protector and Defender. I praise You Lord for being the One true and living God who can be a million things in my life. You blow my mind Father and I live to serve You. Forgive me for not being a good steward of all that You have given me and for being a glutton in every area of my life, storing up for myself what was meant to be for others. I pray You break me continuously for those You weep over. Show me Lord where You see the need and who is waiting on me to walk in obedience. I want to be a doer of the Word not just a hearer. Reveal to me Your heart and where You are at work so I can come along side You and assist You in the flesh as Your faithful servant.
I offer all of myself up to you today and all that You have given me is Yours. Take it and do what You want with it so that You are blessed and those who are looking for You might find You because of the blessings You have so richly poured out. I pray for the least, the last and the lost, that their physical needs be met so that their spiritual emptiness would be filled up by You and they would find new life in Jesus Christ. I pray all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.