The Wonderful Family

The wonder of the weekend here at FPB reminded me all over again how important the Family of God is. Jason’s sermon on the fatherless in the first service and then watching James try to get children to sing, “If Your Happy and You Know It” with a frown on their face. Then to watch the adults pray and help children get to Jesus, it was great to see the family of God being a family. Most people can walk through almost anything if they have someone holding their hand and helping them make it, someone who believes in them. The wonderful family of God makes all the difference. We have brothers and sisters, fathers and mothers that are there to help us along the way.

In the classic story Oliver Twist, by Charles Dickens, one can see the need for a caring family.

Oliver is orphaned when his mother dies. Fatherless and no knowledge of a family Oliver is placed into an orphanage work house. He is a kind and caring child that is until he is mistreated and abused time and time again. From that point in his life he becomes less trusting each time he is wronged. Oliver becomes less willing to give his self for friendship and caring love. He becomes introverted and a loner and has no one to call his own. Though he wished for family and friendship Oliver has no one to trust and believe he feels. His circumstances cause him to almost miss true love and devotion when he stumbles onto the lost family of his mother.

I have seen those in the church who because of the pain of yesterday miss the blessings of the wonderful family because they were caught up in the circumstance of a failure or misdeed. Or they allow a struggle or a day not going right to cause them to become bitter and turned in on themselves. Because of a hurt or a struggle or something that didn’t go their way they become cold and miss the blessings of home, the family of God.

Living for God is the best life. Not only because of Heaven and the eternity issue but also while traveling through this world we have a family. It is a helpful blessing to know you have people that will pray and intercede for you. Someone that when you can’t touch God will touch God for you. Don’t ever become content to go at it alone. God has designed a family, a church around you and I, no one is strong enough to make it without the Church.

In Exodus 17 you find the story of when Israel went to battle Amalek. It was the time when Moses was sitting on the hill watching the battle. It is the battle when Aaron and Hur had to hold up the arms of Moses so that Israel would overcome. There is no mention of how the battle started or the reason for the attack.

When you get to Deuteronomy 25 God is giving the different laws and codes to live by. God tells the things that are an abomination to him and the children of Israel. Then in the mist of these commands God tells Israel, “Remember what Amalek did unto thee by the way, when ye were come forth out of Egypt; How he met thee by the way, and smote the hindmost of thee, even all that were feeble behind thee, when thou wast faint and weary; and he feared not God.

Deuteronomy 25:17-18 KJV

This scripture is a reference to the battle mentioned in Exodus 17. God said don’t forget how they came and attack those bringing up the rear. How they pounced on those who were sick, those who were wounded, those who were aged, those who couldn’t defend themselves at the time. It made God so irate that He said in time Israel was to blot out Amalek from off the face of the earth so there is no remembrance of them.

There will always be those who are not keeping up, those who for whatever reason are not fighting in the battle or involved in the cause. It may be age, sickness spiritually or physically, wounds of the battle or struggles of the moment. Whatever the reason the body must remember they are still part of the family and no one should be left behind. Everyone counts, everyone belongs, everyone is important. Yes, you may be on the front lines right now, you may think you are the strongest and most important, but you are just one wound away from bringing up the rear.

Yet, no matter where life finds us, no one needs to be left behind. Everyone need the wonderful family of God around their life daily.

So no matter where you have come from or where you may be at the moment, never forget how important the family of God is to your life. You won’t make it alone so don’t try. Stay with the family. Because in God’s family everyone is blessed.

When Balak called for Balaam to come and curse Israel in Numbers 22-24, he took him to a place where he could see the extent or potion of the people, but God caused Balaam to bless Israel. Lastly Balak took Balaam to a high place so he could look out across Israel so he could see them better but God again told Balaam to bless them. Yet sandwiched between those two places, Balak took Balaam to a place so he could see the utmost or hinder part of Israel. Balak just knew if Balaam could see the stragglers, the weak, the sick, the wounded and hurt, if Balaam could see the slow-walkers and the elderly, if he could see the seemingly unwanted, or unimportant, he would curse Israel. But God caused Balaam, bless Israel. Even where those were bringing up the rear God wanted them blessed.

You see no matter where time finds you; the family of God is still blessed. Circumstance and problems may have pushed you to the back of the line it seems but stay with the family, there are blessing from God on His.

So when you look around the church at all the different people and their different places in life never forget two things. 1. Stay with the family, God is blessing the family. 2. Everyone is important in the family no matter where life finds them at the moment.

God’s family is a wonderful place.