Gratitude And Hunger

Wednesday, February 27th, 2019

God is looking for people with hunger and humility. He comes close to the humble.
Jim Orred

TRANSCRIPTION

Hello, my name is Jim Orred.  I am an American, have been working in Europe and around the world in leadership development, in these last years.  I have worked with Youth With A Mission and other parts of the Body of Christ. Welcome to God Today.

 

I was thinking recently about how leaders need to lead with gratitude mixed with hunger.  It’s an interesting mix. If you just have hunger, you get so intense that people might not want to be with you.  If you are full of gratitude, that somehow relaxes you. It is possible to mix that over the long haul so that you are thanking God and full of gratitude.  You are hungry because there is more.

 

I always think about when Jesus talked about the many lepers in Israel in the time of Naaman.  Yet, none of them were healed. But, Naaman was sent and got healed. I was thinking, “What was it about Naaman?”  I was thinking his story is so amazing. There was a Jewish refugee in his house in Syria. He blurted out one day, “There is a prophet in my town.  If only master Naaman could get over there, he could be healed.”

 

We don’t even know her name, yet when Naaman’s wife had heard about it, and he heard about, he asked permission if he could go.  He traveled a long ways, he got a little offended at the king when he first me him. The king said, “What can I do?” He gets to the prophet’s house, he doesn’t even come out to greet him, but sends a little message, “Go, and dip in our little river out here.”  He thinks, “That is not what I expected. My expectation was the prophet would come out, wave his hand, speak out and I would be healed. He just sends a message and says, ‘Go and dip in these dirty rivers?’”

 

He turns off in a huff because his expectations were not fulfilled.  But, some of his friends stip him and say, “Naaman, before you go back home.  This is just a little thing. COuld you not just dip 7 times in this river? As the man of God said?”  He said, “OK, I will do it.” I don’t know what his attitude was like, but as he came out the 7th time, he was healed.  He went back to his nation having encountered God. I am thinking, “What led him to do that?” It was humility he had received from a little servant girl – a message.  It caused him to make a long trip to go to the new place and to do that the man of God said to do and he received the healing. I think hunger and humility will cause us to go places, to receive form the Lord and get new things.

 

I think spiritual leaders need to lead with humility and hunger.  If we have an increasing hunger, we will ask for more in our own prayer life, we will go to new places, we will go out of our comfort zone, we will see God encounter a new generation.  God is looking for people with hunger and humility. He comes close to the humble. I would like to pray for the viewers around the world today. Lord, I ask you now that you would come with a fresh hunger because there is more.  People, even through the ministry of God TV, will see things, they will rise up, they will ask for things, they will go to places, something will be unleashed on the new generation of young leaders that are hungry for more. They will find it because “those who seek will find”.  In Jesus’ name, I bless this word. Amen.