[Friday's Devotional] Blessed Relief

 

During March there was much publicity around Comic Relief, and I expect many of you will have been involved in some way, large or small, to help raise money for the charity.  It may have been simply buying your red nose, purchasing from a cake sale at work, or maybe taking part in a larger fundraiser or sponsored event.  We all like to feel we are playing our part in some way.  We like to feel we are making a difference to those in need.

 

Our bible readings this week have focussed on some parables and miracles - the ways in which Jesus made a difference to those in need.  We can sometimes be guilty of looking at these stories with an attitude of "Well it's fine for Him – he had the power to do whatever He wanted to" and not really believe that we too, through God, have the power to be part of a modern day miracle.

 

In the stories and parables we have looked at this week there have been tales of people raised from the dead, people healed, storms stilled, lessons of faith and much more - things it can be hard to understand about the power Jesus had. We learn of the differences He made with the power given to Him by God.

 

God has blessed us with many gifts and talents that we can use to make a difference. We too have the power to make a difference.  As I sit and watch things like Comic Relief I am always reminded of exactly what I do have in comparison to the thousands of children and adults we see in poverty, living with HIV, suffering with malaria, dying simply because they do not have the money or resources to receive the simplest of life saving treatments.  We can become blasé, believing it's not our job to give to them, that somebody else will go and help.  But we are all called to help in some way. God has commanded that we help the poor, sick and needy.  That will be different things to different people – praying, giving financially, visiting those in need, or supporting those in mission work both here and overseas. We do have the power to make a difference, just as Jesus did. 

 

How are you using that power that that God has blessed you with, and what could you do with it today?

 

Corinne Mason.

 

Read the Bible in a year:  Psalm 40:1-8, Numbers 31:25-32:42, Luke 8:40-9:9