By Dr. Charles Burton

Psalm 85:6: Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
How about this? Give us another chance to get it right.
You ask, what in the world is he talking about. Look at 1 Timothy 1:12-15
12: And I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who hath enabled me, for that he counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry;
13 Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief
14 And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.
15 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.
Here is where we remember who we really are. Saved sinners… No, chief sinners. But wait: We are saved to serve. “In great measure, according to the purity and perfections of the instrument, will be the success. It is not great talents God blesses so much as great likeness to Jesus. A holy minister is an awful weapon in the hand of God.”—Robert Murray McCheyne.
So, we remember where we came from and look to the future to be His servant.
Romans 12:3-8: 3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
4 For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office:

5 So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;
7 Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering: or he that teacheth, on teaching;
8 Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation: he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness.
How? As my old Buddy, Pastor Bill would say; PICK UP THE FRAGMENTS.
Broken parts…. Bits of stuff.

A missions director once met with the mother of one of his agency’s missionaries and spent some time getting to know her. She prepared tea for the director in her parlor and as they drank the tea, she explained to him the difficulty of having a daughter on the mission field of China and a son as a missionary in Sudan. She loved and missed them dearly, but as she explained, her love for God allowed her to let them follow His will for their lives. The mother went on to describe the burden her son had for the Sudanese people. That is picking up the fragments.

Here is what Jesus told His disciples.
John 6:12-13
12 When they were filled, he said unto his disciples, Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost.
13 Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.
Here is the meat of what I am saying.
Whatever you did not get done before … Do NOW. Pick up where you left off.
In the Christian life, we need to learn to pick up the Fragments.
Let me share a few.

1 Prayer

Pick it up.

2 Soul Winning

Pick it up.

3 Visitation

Pick it up.

4 Giving

Pick it up

5 Others

Pick it up

6 Church youth

Pick it up

6 Church youth

Pick it up
Just to name …VERY FEW.
Remember: tomorrow does not matter… but today does.
Matthew 6:34
34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
D. L. Moody wrote the following words next to Isaiah 6:8 in his Bible: “I am only one, but I am one. I cannot do everything, but I can do something. What I can do, I ought to do, and what I ought to do, by the grace of God I will do.”
Isaiah 6:8: “Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
Habakkuk put it into focus for us for the day.
Habakkuk 3:19
19 The Lord God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.
Again, let me quote my old Buddy, Pastor Bill. “Only one life to live and only what you do for Christ will ever last” (not exact).
After we have picked up some fragments, we need to read His word when He says:
Mark 9:24
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
Let’s look into 2024 and say to our gracious God:
Psalm 85:6
6 Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee?
So, with the Blessing of our Lord, we will go forth and do His work in 2024.
Romans 14:7-12
7 For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself.
8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord’s.
9 For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living.
10 But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.
11 For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
12 So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God.
My HOPE and Prayer is that Christs people go forth in 2024 with a new and renewed outlook on who they are.
Timothy Stackpole was a New York Firefighter, who was severely burned in a 1998 fire. After he recovered, he returned to the force despite the advice of some friends and family and the fact that he could retire comfortably.
He was a great fire fighter and passionate about his work and was soon promoted to captain. Timothy was one of the fire fighters that ran into the second tower to try to save some people. When he did, it collapsed and took his life. He knew his calling—to save people. The Holy Spirit has called us to a life of service. We should live for Him.
Get this: The answer for America is not who is in the White House. The answer is: “Who will spread the Word to this Nation”. So pick up some fragments and and be His chosen vessel for SERVICE.
As Bro. Ed says, “That some would get it”.
Doc