Scripture: Galatians 4.  

OBSERVATION
(What is God saying here?)

Galatians 4:19-20 (NLT)

19 Oh, my dear children! I feel as if I’m going through labor pains for you again, and they will continue until Christ is fully developed in your lives.

20 I wish I were with you right now so I could change my tone. But at this distance I don’t know how else to help you.

APPLICATION
(How Can I apply what God is saying here to my circumstances today?)

One of the primary reasons that most churches exist is to win the lost for Christ. We (individual Christians) are the church. So I will repeat that first sentence in a more personal way: One of the primary reasons that I exist is to win the lost for Christ – to encourage, help them make a decision to accept Jesus as their Lord and Savior, and possibly walk them through the commitment of accepting Jesus. Too often today, I believe that we concentrate too much on winning the lost, but not enough on helping those babes in Christ to gain nourishment (from the Word of God), begin walking and talking (a process of actually following what the Word teaches, and not the desires of their old sinful selves), and actually being healthy, usable citizens (Christians who will teach and share what they have learned from God so that their lost friends/contacts would also come to accept Jesus). As parents, we tend to be concerned about our children, no matter what age they have attained. Paul was the same way, he was so concerned about the Galatian church that he likened it to going through similar labor pains as he went through in trying to win them to the Lord. Oh that we (as a church) and I (individually) might have the desire to not just win the lost, but to see them grow into mature Christians that could them win more lost friends to the Lord. How much richer the church will be, and how much stronger the Christian army of God would be. Wow, there will be no force too great for us to tackle!

PRAYER
(With God’s help, what am I going to do differently today because He said it?)

Lord please touch my heart and make me to follow Your ways. Please help me to not only be directed to win the lost, but to encourage and do all I can to strengthen those already won into rich, healthy relationships with You, so that they may grow in Your Word and go on to regenerate more new babies in Christ. As in the case of Paul, I pray that You will burden me and other Christians to have a deep pain and desire to see new Christians mature into usable vessels, all for Your glory.

 

àWords underlined may be a hyperlink to a song that God laid on my heart while sharing this devotional this morning. Click it and be blessed by the song, like I was when I listened to it! …… I would be overjoyed to have the opportunity to pray with you about a need in your life that may, or may not have been highlighted by this Nugget today. Why not drop me a note and tell me about it? You may email me at:
nuggetsfromgodsword@yahoo.com.
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