In Our Back Yard

Have you ever wrestled with the thought that God is doing amazing things everywhere except right here?  You know how you hear stories of incredible revivals in Asia, India, China, Africa but here in North America it seems to be such a spiritual wasteland?

Well, I had the privilege of attending a Child Evangelism banquet last night and was pleasantly woken up.  This is an organization that is committed to reaching young children with the gospel of Jesus Christ and it was evident that good things were happening right in our own back yard.

The speaker was passionate and so very obviously in love with Jesus--he had been given a call and was obeying it with everything he had.  The people who were gathered there, both young and old, believed in what God was doing through this ministry to children.  Last year around 7000 children were exposed to the Good News here in Saskatchewan, through VBS-style summer events.  This in itself is impressive but what really struck me was how Saskatchewan is leading the way compared to other provinces.  Alberta, for example, contacted the Sask. branch of Child Evangelism and asked if they could come under the leadership of those here in this province!  They asked this because of what they were seeing God accomplish through the ministry here!

Now, my point is not to compare us to anyone else.  Instead, I want to make note that God really does do His powerful work right here!  Right where we are, not just in foreign and exotic locales.  If you spend a lot of time in one place things can begin to seem very ordinary, commonplace and bland.  Unfortunately, we can begin to lose sight of dreams, of seeing radical change and worst of all, of believing for God to move in mighty power to change lives.

Well, it's happening, and I witnessed it last night.

In Exodus 3:1-3 we read something that fits very well with what I'm talking about.  Here we see Moses who was doing a very ordinary thing: tending sheep.  Nothing radical or dream-inspiring about that!  But in the midst of a common, work-filled day, God shows up and captures a shepherd's attention and initiates something that will change the course of an entire nation, even the world!

As you go about your day today remember this:  God is at work in Saskatchewan.  He is alive and well, and reaching out to people and making a difference.  We can see it if we are open to it.  You can take my word for it, but it would be even better if you would ask the Lord Himself to show you what He is up to. 

If you read Exodus 3:3 closely you will see that once God revealed Himself, Moses decided to go and see for himself what was going on with that bush.  Moses had to choose to go.  And we are faced with the same choice:

Will you go and see what God is doing in your own backyard?

BT