711

I am a Sponge!!! 17JUL

My favorite EXCLAMATION of the VBS week was from 5-year old Joshua, echoed by the other boys, just after water games at Vacation Bible School: “I am a sponge!!!”

They were only slightly drenched from the water game, “Drip, Drip, Squeeze” – like “Duck, Duck, Goose” but with a wet sponge. The Bible Point was “When Life is Scary, God is Good”…

“I AM A SPONGE”, Joshua held his arms out and showed the world his wet shirt… I realized instantly the truth that little kids ARE sponges, they are soaking up learning so very much and so very fast… they are sponges and they naturally crave to be fed…

That’s us too, yes, any and all of us who crave knowledge are sponges, who hunger for it… We want to be learning the world, when we learn about the Lord and His ways, we want to know MORE… Oh, how blessed to CRAVE having tasted and seen…

“Like newborn babies, CRAVE pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.”

The nice thing about being a sponge is that you can carry the information you learn, and you can drip it many different places, teach, share, love, and you can go back to the bucket and absorb more…

“Coincidentally”, I have recently been learning about Moses from a recent sermon that struck a deep chord within me. I found myself so very much looking forward to the VBS Bible lesson, learning about the plagues…  I crave spiritual milk, I crave teaching, I am a sponge!!!! Moses was taught what to do by the Lord – He questioned and doubted – he saw the consequences when he and his people overreacted and were not grateful – he and his people saw relief when protected from plagues – including the most precious Passover saving – Moses was the hands, feet and mouth of the Lord – to help his/His people – we can be too…

Moses was led so that he could lead – I understand that – IMMENSELY!

The kids in the “Drip, Drip, Squeeze” game eventually realized that it was not so scary to get wet and run, we laughed, even the leader ran and wiped-out, but he still laughed… I was not afraid of water games – put my phone to the side and sat in the circle… When God is in control, we don’t have to fear.  When God is in control we don’t have to miss out on the amazing opportunities that He presents in front of us.

Now that we have tasted what is good, WE WANT TO BE A SPONGE!

“When Life changes, God is Good!”  is today’s Bible message…. 100% of the time life changes, we have all been thru many changes!!!  And because of the Lord, we crave to know what spiritual milk flavor is next… we crave to know what JOY comes out of a world of unknown… Since I work for the Lord, and we all work for the Lord, we can participate in life without fear… (remembering a past VBS tagline: “When you worry, Jesus RESCUES!”)

We have the Abundant Life of Forever Salvation bought by Jesus’ death and resurrection – that’s why it’s OK to walk thru the valley of the shadow of death (Psalm 23), because we are to keep walking…

Moses kept walking in the desert… the people got cranky, the Lord promised the best, but the road there was rough… the people had a hard time believing…. do we? Did the Lord take care of them? He did! Has the Lord restored us to hope before? Yes, He has. Will He hold us safe forever? Yes, He will.

Let’s be sponges for what God is teaching us today!

Because of Jesus, our future is secured… let’s go teach the others about Jesus too… “proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light!”

Bring your bucket of Living Water stories, there are lots and lots of sponges out there waiting to soak it all up!

Amen!

---

 

1 Peter 2

Rid yourselves, therefore, of all malice, deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander. Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

As you come to Him, the living stone, rejected by men but chosen and precious in God’s sight, you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For it stands in Scripture: “See, I lay in Zion a stone, a chosen and precious cornerstone; and the one who believes in Him will never be put to shame.” To you who believe, then, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone,” and “A stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.” They stumble because they disobey the word—and to this they were appointed.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, to proclaim the virtues of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.