Reflections on the Road: Week Fourteen

 

Reflections on the Road

Week Fourteen

"Pursued by Goodness and Mercy"

Focus Passage: Psalm 23

Focus Verse: Psalm 23:6

Bible Reading: Acts 3-9

      I am the primary cook in our household of five. It's not because my wife is a bad cook, if anything she is an exceptional cook. I have the joy of cooking dinners because I love it. I first mastered culinary skills when I was a bachelor. I quickly grew tired of eating ramen noodles, Pizza rolls, Chinese takeout, and McDonald's. Cooking for myself as a bachelor was easy because I was able to cook whatever I liked. Cooking for three children who do not have anywhere near the same palette is not easy. Typically on any given night one of my children will say dinner was so good while another one will say it is yucky. The joys of parenting. Traditionally my children do not like food that is good for them, ie green food like broccoli. I tell them that it doesn't matter if they like it, it's good for them. Our devotional today will focus on God's goodness, and God's goodness doesn't always seem good to us. Sometimes God's goodness is more like broccoli instead of ice cream. 

      The testimony of the sheep begins to wind down with some very encouraging words in verse six, "Surely goodness and mercy (loving kindness) will follow me all the days of my life."  Sheep are not known for their boldness or confidence.  If anything they are know for their trepidation and fear.  But the sheep uses a very bold word to describe the reliability of their shepherd, the word surely.  The idea of 'surely' is a guarantee, it is a promissory note, it is an indisputable fact, it has the seal of the shepherd upon it.  The word surely sets up something that the sheep can be assured of, something they can have total confidence in.  What can the sheep find total, unswerving confidence in? The sheep finds ZERO assurance in himself but instead anchors himself to the Shepherd,  the goodness and mercy of the Shepherd (God).  Charles Spurgeon called God's goodness and mercy our 'twin guardian angels.'  God is good to us (all the time).  His goodness is not fickle nor deserved.  It is not based on the circumstances and status of our life.  God is good to us because He is good.  It is part of His character as a loving Father.  God showers us as His children with goodness in ways that we will never understand on this side of heaven.  But goodness does not come alone, He is also merciful.  Mercy is God not giving us what we deserve.  Lamentations tells us that God's mercies are new every morning.  The reason why God's mercies are new each morning is because we daily transgress against His holiness.  God's mercy is freely given to us through Jesus Christ.  I can't buy it, work for it, or earn it.  Like God's goodness, His mercy is one of His unchanging and undeniable attributes.  The sheep doubles down on His assurance of this promise as he says "all the days of my life."  This reinforces the fact that God's goodness and mercy will not evaporate in difficult times.  Once again Spurgeon mentioned that as princes do not travel unattended, nor do we as Christians go without the attendants of mercy and goodness.  Where ever we may go, rich or poor, feast or famine, cold or hot, blackest of night or brightest of day, smile or frown God's goodness and mercy will always be there for us.  Unlike the weather and world about us, God does not change, nor does his goodness or Mercy. 

Reflections on the Road

God's goodness or Mercy never changes. This week's challenge is to think of how God has expressed to you those twin traits of goodness and mercy. Remember that God's goodness might not always initially seem good. Right now, no matter what, God is surely showing you goodness and mercy.

Churches in Missions August Update

 

Churches In Missions  P.O. Box 1559 Sanford, NC 27331

“Mobilizing the Church Through Short-term Missions”

Our faithful friends,

      It’s hard to believe that in a matter of a few days that summer will transition into fall.  Soon leaves will start to change color, temperatures will drop, and we will gather around camp fires bundled in our flannel shirts.  Before fall descends upon us we wanted to take a moment to recap how God blessed during these past three months.  Most recently we were invited to be missionaries at Dublin Mills Community Church and to teach their preschool class.  God blessed us with over forty energetic children each night, twelve in our class alone.  After VBS we traveled to Shamokin PA to present the mission and preach at Calvary Bible Fellowship.  This friendly and generous church was such a blessing to our family!

We have also been invited to fill the pulpit for Pond Bank Independent Church for the next few weeks.  Matt has started a message series in Nehemiah called “God’s Building Manual.”  Pray for this church as they start to search for a pastor.

Matt also had a meeting with Westside BIC to offer them counsel and advice.  Overall we have been blessed these past three months with the opportunity to travel 2,916 miles, preach in eight different churches, teach at three different camps, participate in a VBS, coordinate with our local rescue mission, meet with countless pastors to encourage them during these trying times, and most importantly see at least dozen people saved and many more called to serve the Lord.  PRAISE THE LORD!

Please continue to pray for us.  God has continually amazed us by providing multiple speaking occasions to share the mission.  In the coming weeks we will continue to be with Pond Bank, Calvary Community, First Baptist of Brunswick Maryland, a mission’s conference at Waynesboro Bible Church, and speaking at

the Martinsburg Rescue Mission.  We also are attempting to find a way to minister with CEF online in our area.  Matt will be meeting with multiple pastors the next few weeks who find themselves at different seasons in ministry.  Matt enjoys encouraging these pastors.

      We also wanted to give you a family update.  For the first time ever all three Robinson children are in school at Heritage Academy.  We are so excited to watch God work in the lives of children as they continue to learn more about their Savior. Tiffanie has started working at the school as a teacher’s aid and Matt is helping with the morning daycare.  Continue to pray for them and us during this busy season.

    Covid has continued to cause trouble with raising support.  Many churches have put their budgets on a ‘hold’ and most are not taking new missionaries.  Tragically most churches are cutting missionaries.  Pray that God would open the doors for us to present in churches that looking to take on new missionaries.  We are also looking for individuals to join our giving and prayer team.  A HUGE thank you for your single gifts and regular monthly giving.  We are getting closer to our goal so we can start taking Christ honoring, life changing mission’s teams around the world and here in the U.S.

Gifts sent to:  P.O. Box 51519 Durham, NC 27717

Or give online via www.churchesinmissions.org     

 Designate for Matt & Tiffanie Robinson

Reflections on the Road: Week Thirteen

 

"Reflections on the Road"
Week Thirteen

The Cups that Runs Over

Focus Passage: Psalm 23

Focus Verse: Psalm 23:5b

Bible Reading: John 17-Acts 2

       Last night my family and I were driving the ministry machine (a cool name for our family minivan) and my four-year-old decides to be his four-year-old self and opens a small bottle of water leftover from his school lunch.  No problem.  He loves water and happily drinks it.  But, those of you who know my four year realize that he can turn the world upside down in a matter of seconds with the most seemingly innocent of items.  For whatever reason, he decided to turn the water bottle upside down and pour it all over his older brother riding in the backseat.  Needless to say our "ministry machine" quickly became a messy and mad machine.  I asked my four-year-old why he did that and his response was that the bottle overflowed.  Needless to say, I didn't believe his story (though he was cute when he gave it).

      The image in my mind brought me back to Psalm 23.  The testimony of the sheep continues in verse five "thou has anointed my head with oil; my cup overflows."  As intentional as my son was with offering a premature baptism to my oldest child so also is God intentional with our cup of blessing overflowing.  God doesn't just provide enough, but more than enough.  All the sheep needs to do is to look around him and realize that all that he has is because of who the Good Shepherd is. He is God and perfect in His provision.  The Shepherd has provided green pastures, still waters, and has directed the sheep through some pretty scary moments, and has protected the sheep.   The sheep might not have everything, but he does have everything that really matters.  We are the sheep in Christ's fold and we should likewise be able to say that our cup overflows.  Christ has blessed us in more ways in this life than we could ever count or give thanks for.  Most importantly He has granted us salvation full and free through no effort of our own.  But the question should be asked, why does our cup overflow?  Isn't that wasteful?  My four-year-old would say that pouring water out wasn't wasteful (I would disagree).  But our abundance of blessings is meant to benefit others.  The overflow in our life is given so others could come and drink the waters of life freely.  God has blessed us in immeasurable ways spiritually with the intention that we would share those spiritual blessings with others, namely unsaved people who need the Good Shepherd.  We can not be selfish with the blessing of God.  We give Him thanks and we share with others.

Reflections on the Road:

God has been so good to bless you.  Be content in those blessings.  Focus on those blessings and cultivate a heart of gratitude.  Next, share those blessings with other people.  Share the gift of salvation by telling your unsaved friends and family.  Share the gift of music.  If God has blessed you financially share that too.  In whatever way God has blessed He never intended for you to be a miser with it.  There should be no "Ebenezer Scrooge's" with God's blessings.