Who Rules your heart?

This past Sunday, I did a children's feature as part of our presentation on missions.  I thought I would share that message with you.  It is a message about the choice we have EVERYDAY to let God rule our hearts.

The Israelites wanted a king so that they could be like the nations around them.  This wouldn't be so bad but do you know what? They already had a king.  He was the Almighty God!  But their hearts desired an earthly king more than God.  God gave them their desire.  But as God knew they would do, the nation turned their eyes away from their God. Now the king of the earth would lead them. The Israelites had a choice:  Earthly king OR God.  

We live among the Gumuz people.  They don't really have a king that they follow but they do have chiefs and witchdoctors that lead them in different ways.  Most of the Gumuz live in fear of their enemies, evil spirits and even their ancestors.  They fear lightning, curses, and sickness.  Fear is ruling their hearts.

But when the Gumuz people heard about the true God, some of them began to sing a new song.   About Jesus, the true king who takes away the sins of the world.  Their fear was replaced by hope.  Peace.  Joy.  God was ruling their hearts.

Not all the Gumuz have chosen to follow Jesus. God allows them choose who will rule them. The Gumuz have a choice:  FEAR or God.

When we return to Canada we wonder if people realize that their is a choice they have to make.  When we asked our children what they thought was the most important to the people around us, they said this:  computers, cell phones, video games.  (STUFF)  To this I would add: sports, security/health, education.  These things are not bad but they take a lot of time and energy. 

In a few weeks, we are leaving for Ethiopia again.  Our family has a lot of practice putting our most important stuff into just one or two bags each.  But even if we only have a little stuff, it can still rule us.  When we come back to Canada to visit, we have a busy schedule and each day I have to choose also.  Am I going to let stuff or being busy rule my life?

There is a verse in the Bible that says this: “Do not store up treasures on earth....Store up for yourselves treasures in heaven....For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:19

God isn't saying we shouldn't have stuff or schedules but he is saying: Don't put those things first!  Don't expect those things to fulfill you.  His heart is grieved when we replace Him with stuff, schedules and security.    He wants us to seek treasures of great value.

I hope that you will think about God's kingdom this year. You can still have stuff. You can still play sports.  You can still seek security.  But God allows you to choose.

EVERY DAY you get to choose who is going to RULE you!   STUFF or GOD

Beads are a Gumuz treasure. Nearly every Gumuz person has them... even the newborns.

 I am going to give you one of these necklaces as a reminder to pray for the Gumuz people.  Pray that they will choose God to rule their lives and not fear! And let it remind you also to let God rule (reign in) your life.