A WORD FOR TODAY, August 1, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, August 1, 2025
“[Jesus said,] ‘But when the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then he will sit on the throne of his glory. Before him all the nations will be gathered, and he will separate them one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then the King will tell those on his right hand, “Come, blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; for I was hungry and you gave me food to eat. I was thirsty and you gave me drink. I was a stranger and you took me in. I was naked and you clothed me. I was sick and you visited me. I was in prison and you came to me.” Then the righteous will answer him, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you a drink? When did we see you as a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?” The King will answer them, “Most certainly I tell you, because you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.” Then he will say also to those on the left hand, “Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels; for I was hungry, and you didn’t give me food to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me no drink; I was a stranger, and you didn’t take me in; naked, and you didn’t clothe me; sick, and in prison, and you didn’t visit me.” Then they will also answer, saying, “Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and didn’t help you?” Then he will answer them, saying, “Most certainly I tell you, because you didn’t do it to one of the least of these, you didn’t do it to me.” These will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.’” Matthew 25:31-46, WEB
Mission trips can take on a different character depending on the people, places, and activities. Most short-term mission trips include some sort of service, like building or repair work. A group from our church went to North Carolina a few weeks ago to help rebuild some homes destroyed by Hurricane Helene. Thousands of people are traveling to Kerrville to do similar work. Other mission trips include providing medical care. There was a group in the same area we visited with doctors and dentists who were serving the local community. Many of those missionaries joined us in church. My children traveled south when they were younger to do Vacation Bible School with local children on the border. Christian missions always include some sort of evangelism.
My children slept on the floor in a church when they traveled. Other groups stay in hotels. We were housed in a building at the site where we did most of our work that was specifically set aside for visitors. It wasn’t a five-star hotel, but it was comfortable, and it gave us a place where we could host the families on the farm for dinner several nights during the week. We played with the children, visited with the moms, and shared devotions on the fruits of the Spirit. Our service work included renovating an old kitchen/dining hall, changing it into offices and space for a preschool. We did outreach evangelism at two places, serving over two hundred children and dozens of adults. Our time there included carnival games and treats, plus we all gave testimonies about our life with Jesus. We shared the Gospel in word and deed during our week with strangers and friends.
Mission trips are about being God’s hands in a world that needs to see Him at work. The thing to remember is that trips to other places, whether domestic or foreign, are not always possible for everyone. There are many reasons why some people can’t go out into the world, from health issues to financial constraints, documentation and family responsibilities often stand in the way. This does not mean that you can’t be God’s hands in the world. As a matter of fact, sometimes the greatest mission fields are right under your own nose. Does your neighbor need a helping hand with a construction project or a meal during a time of difficulty? Does the school down the street need someone to volunteer in the library or on the playground? Does the food bank need someone to pass out bags of groceries? Does the mom struggling with three children at the store need someone to open the door for her?
See, we don’t have to do anything spectacular to be God’s hands in the world. As a matter of fact, one of the most poignant moments for me last week was when I was walking to the playground with some of the children. Two of them reached out and grabbed my hands, walking with me, pulling me along so that we could play. It was in moments like that when I really felt like God was using my hands in a real, touching way. Was it that my hands were God’s? Or was God holding my hand in the form of those tiny fingers?
Whether we go out into the world to serve, or we are just going about our normal day, Jesus reminds us to keep our eyes open for opportunity to be God’s hands for our neighbors. It can be a simple as giving a glass of water to a thirsty person. God notices our kindness and our service. He sees every moment when we share His grace in word and in deed with our neighbors, whether they are strangers or friends. He also notices when we ignore the opportunities to share our time, talent, and treasures. Thankfully, He is a God of grace and forgiveness, but He calls us to do as much as we are able. We may have reasons why we cannot do what He is calling us to do, but He warns us not to make excuses. He is generous and gives us an overabundance of resources. Find some way to be God’s hands today. He doesn’t need you, but He has invited you to be part of His work in the world. He will be glorified by everything you do in His name, even the things you don’t realize you are doing for His sake.
A WORD FOR TODAY is posted five days a week – Monday through Friday. The devotional on Wednesday takes a look at the scripture from the Revised Common Lectionary for the upcoming Sunday. A WORD FOR TODAY is posted on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/A-Word-for-Today-Devotional/339428839418276. Like the page to receive the devotion through Facebook. For information and to access our archives, visit http://www.awordfortoday.org