A Time To #18

Get

When we see the word get, we often think of receiving something.  We get gifts at Christmas and on our birthday.  In some businesses, we get a bonus around Christmas time.  If our children have been good at school, they get a treat.  While these opportunities to get require an action, they aren't hard to achieve.  The term get in Ecclesiastes 3:6 has a different meaning, though.  We find out it's meaning and what that means for us today.

What does get mean?

The term get here means to seek with desire.  If you were to use it in a sentence for context it would sound something like this: "I'm going to get the promise God's given me no matter what it takes."  Having this simple word properly defined, we find that this season in life takes on a whole new meaning. We aren't receiving a handout, but, instead, we are being told to go get something.  The woman with the issue of blood teaches what living in the season of getting is all about.

This is a woman who had suffered for twelve years (Mark 5:25).  She had gone to physicians and sought the best medical attention afforded her in that day.  However, after more than a decade, nothing had stopped her disease (v.26). She was desperate and had no other place to turn, and then Jesus showed up.  She had heard of Jesus and all that he had done (v.27).  Even though she was weak and the crowd was great, she believe that if she could just get close enough to touch Jesus' garment she would be whole (v.28).  Her faith and pursuit was rewarded and she was made whole instantly (v.29).

This moment in time gives us a testimony about getting.  First, the lady was in a position where she needed something and only God could meet it.  Nothing in this life was able to satisfy or supply her need.  Secondly, Jesus, although having great understanding and wisdom, didn't seek the woman out.  She had to seek him out.  In fact, if you look at most of Christ's miracles, they are the result of people seeking him out first.  Finally, the woman pursued Christ until she could touch him and got what she was seeking as a result.  It wasn't that there was magic in Christ's garments.  It was that the woman had faith and believed that getting to Christ would result in her miracle. 

Let's bring this to our day.  How many of you today are facing a situation or opportunity that cannot be supplied by yourself or this world?  You've gotten to the place where only God can supply your need or open your door.  Good.  The only way to operate in the season of getting is by realizing that only God can grant your need/desire. 

Next, we have to eliminate the mindset that God owes us something.  This is a mindset that comes from the world.  It's the belief that we are entitled to things and they should be given just because we want them or declare them as a need.  While God does say ask and it shall be given, we don't look into that word ask.  It intimates what Bartimaeus did when he screamed above the crowd to get Christ's attention. Like the woman with the issue of blood, he had heard of Christ and wasn't going to let him walk by without pursuing with everything he had.  If I want something from God, I'm going to have to cast off the idea of entitlement.  The idea that says God should come to me.  I'm going to have to decide to go get Him.

Finally, we have to go get God and the promises he has for us.  We have to seek him fervently and passionately in prayer.  If it is something we desperately want/need, we need to go to Him with the appropriate tone and purpose.  We're going to have to dive into God's Word to discover His mindset about our need/want.  In His scripture we'll not only what God thinks about our need/want but we'll also find others who had similar needs/wants and how they achieved them.  We're going to have to fast because fasting gets God's attention.  When we deny our flesh to honor God and edify our spirit, we position ourselves before Christ, just like all those who were healed by him 2000 years ago.  Lastly, we're going to have to start pursuing our need/want as though God is going to provide the answer.  The woman with the issue of blood was taking a huge risk to go into the crowd in her weakened state, but her faith in Christ to solve her issue was greater than the worry and concern she may have had in the past.  Is God calling you to a ministry?  Start pursuing it by getting involved in areas that will benefit you once you take on that ministry (i.e. get involved in a church street ministry if you want to be an evangelist).  Do you have a situation that only God can solve?  Go to the prayer room before every doctor's appointment/counseling situation/financial adviser meeting.  Let God lead and guide you and work in your life before you enter into those meetings.  Watch how God honors your pursuit of Him by working in your need/want.  Make sure to record what happens in a journal and share it with others who face a similar situation. 

We mentioned it above, but go pursue God in every area of your life this week for whatever you are seeking.  Don't let a free moment go by where you aren't pursuing God for your need/want.  If you would like help praying for your need/want, feel free to list in the comments.  Your name can be anonymous and we won't share any of your personal info with anyone.  God Bless.