Guest Devotional on Colossians 3:23-25

Colossians 3:23-25 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ. But he that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done: and there is no respect of persons.” (KJV)
God is not a respecter of persons
by Rebecca Friedlander

Hmmm… this passage caught my eye today, and I thought I would ponder out loud in cyberworld to share my musings. Carter has asked me to do a devotional, and so I will share some of my journey.
I film and produce a TV show, and it leads me to some interesting places… the most recent of which was Scotland, from which I just returned a few days ago. God totally opened up the door, provided the finances and prayer support to go, and I was able to go with my brother Peter and capture a huge amount of footage over 2 weeks time. One of the lessons I learned along the way I will share today.
When we pray, God hears. We know this from His Word and from our own experiences. But am I the only one who sometimes gets a bit jealous when He seems to answer the prayers of others first? Our Father is GOOD, and gives wonderful gifts to His children! He is abounding with love and mercy and totally loves to bless us. Sometimes, however, I wrestle with the mundane stuff of life and Apollyon seems to be breathing down my neck, so when someone else has a huge opportunity or breakthrough in their lives I sometimes feel just a twinge of, “God, why are you with them more than me?” Sometimes the “valleys” in life can seem a bit overwhelming.

I write this today after seeing God move mightily in Scotland and after being with saints who have miracles in their lives all the time just to provide their daily bread. They have visions and dreams on a regular basis and they are pressing in for revival in Scotland, so my faith has been encouraged mightily. Coming back, I realize how important the passages are about how God does not respect persons. He uses the “normal” fishermen to change the world. He uses anyone who wants to love Him radically and avail themselves to His purposes.
One of my special times in Scotland was with a girl named Jasmine who had lost her boyfriend of 4 years to a train accident about a year ago. She was a beautiful young woman who was still wrestling with grief, but decided that she wanted to share her story of my TV show. So, we spent some time filming it one day. Outside the YWAM building where we all staying was a mountain and one day we climbed it together. We started out at the bottom and began the ascent. Cows and sheep grazed the hillside and looked at us with disdain as we encroached on their pastures of lush, green grass. The sun was shining and it was warm and still – quite a rare day in Scotland! As we started to get higher, we kept stopping to look back on the view that was beginning to emerge behind us. It was beautiful! I called to Jasmine, “Don’t you think that this is what life is like? We walk through the hard places and the valleys and cling to God in faith, until He leads us higher into a beautiful perspective and we can see that He’s been there all the time!”
She pondered this as we trekked higher up the mountain and reached the top. Breathtaking scenery lay below us, not only could we see the valley where we came from but up into the sea and the islands, further than we’d ever been or seen before. We truly had a moment with God as we sat on the top of the mountain.
So I end with my first thought: God is not a respecter of persons: what He does for one, He will do for anyone who takes Him seriously! He loves to answer prayer, do miracles, and provide for His own in creative ways! But! He is also with us through the low times and high times. He is there when things seem to be all a “valley” of mundane or struggles. These seasons of faithfulness are there to ground us for the seasons of blessings. So be encouraged! Press in to hear the heart of your Father who loves to give good gifts to those who seek Him!