Lives Laid Down
Now Think On This
Steve Martin
“By this we know love,
because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives
for the brethren.” (1 John 3:16-17 NKJV)
After recently gotten
back from Israel, the Land which the Lord has prophetically brought His chosen
people back to, I have been contemplating on some of what I experienced.
Seeing, hearing, feeling and touching what He has done there is simply
miraculous. The Jews truly are becoming a light to the nations, as He said He
would make them.
"I am God. I have
called you to live right and well.
I have taken
responsibility for you, kept you safe.
I have set you among my
people to bind them to me,
and provided you as a lighthouse to the nations,
To make a start at
bringing people into the open, into light:
opening blind eyes,
releasing prisoners from
dungeons,
emptying the dark prisons.”
(Isaiah 42:6-7 THE
MESSAGE)
One amazing sight that touched
me over and over again was to see in action the mothers of Israel raising their
children. Now I am not saying this just because we are close to Mother’s Day
here in the USA. I am writing this because many have lost something when it
comes to family, and need encouragement to walk in the truth.
By the mercy and grace
of God over these many centuries, the Jewish people have kept, and continue to
keep, what the Lord had intended from the beginning. When He created and
ordained husbands and wives, to be fathers and mothers, He knew only the
existence of love and sacrificial life, as lives laid down, would be the
bedrock to have families flourish, and raise children unto Him.
One family I spent time
with there in the Jerusalem area was celebrating their child’s first birthday.
Now that is a great thing for those of us who have had a child, or a grandchild,
and have done that. The first birthday is always really special.
But when it is the ninth
child that has come out of the marriage covenant of man and woman, that simply
is God. Fulfilling the word, “God created man in His own image, in the image of
God He created him; male and female He created them. God blessed them; and God
said to them, " Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue
it…” (Genesis 1:27-28 NASU) is the very first commandment given to
mankind.
Mother of nine in Israel, with birthday child on lap
In much of today’s
society we have almost reached the point where we scorn those who, as man and
woman, do get married, have children, and spend a great portion of their lives
raising them. Day in and day out, by so
often laying down their own wants, pleasures and pursuits, these who do as the
Lord has directed, are giving themselves to their children. Even more so,
seeing these Jewish mothers giving so much of themselves by raising their children,
makes one again thank God that there are still ones fulfilling His purpose and
plan, walking them out in reality, within families.
Women who choose to do
this – biblically marrying and having children, raising them with all they have -
are to be the most highly commended among mankind.
My own mother, Lila
Martin Parker, now reaching an age a bit beyond 80, still gives of herself for
her eight children that she and Dad raised, and the many, many grandchildren
that followed. Over those decades, much sacrifice, much heart, soul and body
were totally given to do this marvelous life act – to give out so her children and
their children could receive.
Louis and Lila Martin family 1973
And my own good wife
Laurie, herself the mother of four, lives daily to bless her children ongoing.
And now also, with her seven grandchildren, is seeing part of her life’s
generational reward come through them.
Steve and Laurie Martin Family in 2013 (We need an updated one, as Levi is not present yet!)
Indeed, let us honor and
bless all mothers, these admirably women of God, who are truly walking out His
divine will. I so do myself.
Happy Mother’s Day!
Now think on this,
Steve Martin
Founder
Love For His People,
Inc.
P.S. And may the good
Lord bless my daughters Hannah and Christen as they raise their children, and
daughter-in-law Chelsie with her four!
P.S.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve
We are blessed when
the ministry receives gifts to support the families that we do, primarily in
Israel, Hungary, India, Pakistan and the hurting ones here in the USA. You also
can share out of the abundance you have been given.
Love For His People,
Inc. is a charitable,
not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love
of the Father in the nations.
If these messages
minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and
maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we
consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible
contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.
Click here for
safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People. If you don't have a PayPal account you can
also use your credit card or bank account (where available).
Contribution checks
can be sent to:
Love For His People,
Inc. P.O. Box414 Pineville, NC 28134
Todah rabah! (Hebrew
– Thank you very much.)
Please share Now
Think On This with your friends.
Email: loveforhispeople@gmail.com
martinlighthouse@gmail.com
Facebook pages: Steve
Martin and Love For His People
Twitter: martinlighthous,
LovingHisPeople
Now Think On This - In
the Year of our Lord 05.11.17 - #281 – “Lives Laid Down” – Thursday, 4:15 am
All previous editions
of Now Think On This can be found on this
Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This
Again, I would be most
grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You
can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve
God is a God of multi-generations...meaning ALL age groups are included. We've posted a couple words lately about this and here is another awesome word by Bill Yount reminding you that: AGE IS NOT A FACTOR in God using you for His purposes.
