...lift them up with words of life.

I had a pretty powerful revelation the other day.  I had to really pray about this one; it cut me like a katana sword.  In life we all have been guilty of popping in and out of peoples lives.  Most of the time its due to just "life."  We are busy with work, kids, family, sports, our church ministries and everything else.  Other times we may just drift away from relationships.  Some of those relationships are healthy enough to just pick up where they left off with ease.  Others, sometimes not. God steers us in different directions, to meet new people or go to new places to obtain new territory or to start new relationships.  But this word made me think, what does it mean when people have the cliche explanation of these moments... when they call it relationship seasons.  They say "People can come and go for a reason or a season."   I'm not debating the fact that sometimes this could be true, but what convicted me are those relationships and friendships that we just stop depositing effort into because of personal offense, failed expectations or whatever it may have been.  Those are the friendships I'm referring too.  We all have them.  We know that those friends are suppose to be a part of our world, but we neglect to reach out to them or "go back and lift them up" because of self serving reasons.  The word that was given me was, "We should leave No Man Behind!"  This isn't a new word....it's been around since the 1700's.   But I saw it in a different  perspective...a spiritual vision.   Sometimes we need to be more aware and need to make more of an effort to reach out to those that we are serving the Lord with on the battlefield.  At the end of the day we are all soldiers and children of Christ.

In the book of Joshua...

“Remember the command that Moses the servant of the Lord gave you after he said, ‘The Lord your God will give you rest by giving you this land.’ Your wives, your children and your livestock may stay in the land that Moses gave you east of the Jordan, but all your fighting men, ready for battle, must cross over ahead of your fellow Israelite's. You are to help them until the Lord gives them rest, as he has done for you, and until they too have taken possession of the land the Lord your God is giving them. After that, you may go back and occupy your own land, which Moses the servant of the Lord gave you east of the Jordan toward the sunrise.”

I pray that we all leave no man behind, that we lift up every brother and sister in Christ to lead and walk with them into the fullness of God's promises, and to enjoy the abundance that The Lord has given us already.  If this word put someone on your heart, call them, reach out to them, pray for them....lift them up with words of life no matter the circumstances or the status of your relationship when you last spoke to them.   

Blessings to all of you...In the name of Jesus!

gary