Ask ...

Jesus says, " Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."

It is starting to get really hot here! Every day it gets up to 100*F, but feels much hotter. These past few days, I have been pretty exhausted without even having done anything. I don't have the desire in myself to do anything, and I am so tempted to sleep at every "free" moment, in which I should be doing language homework or something else. It's not only me, everyone is tired, even my students.

All of that to say, praise the Lord! I am learning how to rejoice in Him, even in this weather. This morning I had an unexpected "free" hour, most of which I spent in a half daze, contemplating if I can justify a nap. In that daze, I was asking the Lord for strength because I know that He is more than able to give it, I CANNOT do anything on my own power, I don't have the desire to want to overcome the tiredness, and I don't even have the strength to desire strength. (Pitiful right?)

I've been somewhat dreading this evening. Yesterday and today we were studying John 15:1-17. There's a lot of "meat" in there. There's so much I don't understand, and yet I am teaching it to others ... and English is not their first language, though their English is very good!

~ James 3:1 "Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgement." ... I have a responsibility to teach my students The Truth.
~Rom 11:33 “Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!"

As we went over this teaching, God was at work in me! He definitely gave me the words to say, the strength I'd asked for, and the passion to want these people to know Him! Our last question was about verse 7, that says to ask whatever you wish in the name of Jesus and it will be given to you. Through explaining this to them, I understood it in a way I never had before. When we ask, it is for His kingdom. Though what we ask may benefit us, it is not for us. Yes I want to have energy, but ultimately I need energy / strength so that I can make the most of my time for Him! ... so that I can truly share Christ and His love with those around me. And it's amazing that I was able to tell all of this with my students (how tired I am, and praying for strength so that I can share Christ with them, because I REALLY want them to know Him). Praise the Lord that I have the freedom to share, and that I was able to be open and honest with them!

~John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches;
he who abides in Me and I in him, he bears much fruit,
for apart from me you can do nothing."

It is easy to skim over this verse because we hear it so often, but it is SO true ... apart from Christ, I can do nothing, but He abides in Me and I in Him, therefore I can bear much fruit through Him, because He is the vine and I am the branch. If you break a branch off of a vine, the branch can do nothing, but die. The vine gives life to the branch, and so, Jesus gives life to me!

~John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."

This post is definitely meant as a praise for our Father who answers prayer, just as He promises! I will also take this opportunity to ask for your prayers for me, my team, and my students, that God would give us strength even when the heat drains it out of us! He is more powerful than heat! For the rest of this month, and all of next month it is supposed to get even hotter than it is now.