Ambassadors For Him

Ambassadors For Him

There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.

Prov 14:12

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Proverbs 14:1-12 (New International Version)

1 The wise woman builds her house,

but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
2 He whose walk is upright fears the LORD,

but he whose ways are devious despises him.
3 A fool's talk brings a rod to his back,

but the lips of the wise protect them.
4 Where there are no oxen, the manger is empty,

but from the strength of an ox comes an abundant harvest.
5 A truthful witness does not deceive,

but a false witness pours out lies.
6 The mocker seeks wisdom and finds none,

but knowledge comes easily to the discerning.
7 Stay away from a foolish man,

for you will not find knowledge on his lips.
8 The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways,

but the folly of fools is deception.
9 Fools mock at making amends for sin,

but goodwill is found among the upright.
10 Each heart knows its own bitterness,

and no one else can share its joy.
11 The house of the wicked will be destroyed,

but the tent of the upright will flourish.
12 There is a way that seems right to a man,

but in the end it leads to death.

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In life there are wonderful opportunities presented to most of us. For followers
of Jesus, a new life begins and wonder can be experienced over and over
again as we yield to God’s leading.

The apostle Paul speaks of a high calling. Peter could not get over the fact that,
following the resurrection, Jesus asked him to shepherd His lambs and sheep. Peter
had denied his Saviour. He must have felt the pain deeply. (The others had also
deserted Jesus at the same time.) Now Jesus directly asks Peter to undertake this
high calling; caring for the flock He had just purchased with His own life at Calvary.

It had only been a few days, but Peter and some of the others had already gone
back to their former work of fishing. God had something much greater in mind.
As people involved in the ministry of Christian Horizons, we too can easily slip
into the comfortable clothes of our society. We can soon reduce our service to
that of employment and forget God’s call for us to be His ambassadors
in the lives of the people we serve.

We want to do the very best according to our gifts, training and abilities. For many
of us, there is a deep personal desire to honour Jesus in everything we do. We train
so that we can learn from others and so that we can improve our effectiveness
in meeting the needs and discovering the aspirations of the
people we are privileged to serve.

In a world fixated on titles and empowerment, people who follow Jesus seem
peculiar. In a society that often pays lip service to meeting the needs of individuals,
there are those who fill their days by changing diapers, wiping noses and cleaning
up after others. Jesus often walked in the society of religious leaders, intellectuals
and others with power and position. In simple language, He maintained His
focus while confounding them with the truth of His heavenly Father.

May God grant every follower of Jesus the ability to see through the intoxication of
the world around us and keep us focused on taking small, ordinary steps in faith as
we follow Jesus today. That is enough. That is our calling.

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Heavenly Father, help me to keep my eyes on You. There are so many things in life
that compete for my attention. Many of them are really very good and I enjoy what
they add to my life. However, may I never forget that I am on a journey where I
follow You into each new day. Help me to be in the world but not part of all
the things that would distract me from my first love, You. Amen.

- Noel Churchman

Noel was the Executive Director of Christian Horizons form 1976 to 2001. The devotionals we will be using are from a book he wrote in 2005 called “Walking with God”. Noel’s reflections are grounded in his experiences as an educator, and provider of supports for individuals with exceptional needs as well as his life as a dedicated follower of Christ.