This is undoubtedly the most profound prayer of my heart. It’s a simple little sentence found at the top of Psalm 25 — “O Lord, I give my life to you.”
Christian, is there anyone (or anything) more wonderful, more powerful, more satisfying than Jesus to give our lives to?
“And the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” So Philip ran to him and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet and asked, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “How can I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him.” — Acts 8:29-31
Last year, I took my family to a popular ice cream shop in Logan. The store was particularly busy, and the line snaked out of the shop. I grabbed a bench outside, and Krista and the kids got in line. As I sat, I noticed another dad claim a nearby seat as his family also got in line.
“Do not fear, for I am with you; Do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, Surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” — Isaiah 41:10 (NASB)
What an absolutely beautiful promise from our Father!
When my oldest son was just a few years old, my family and I went to Lake Havasu for a boating trip. As we stopped in some coves while riding the boat, I took my son Abel into the water to swim with me. He had always been pretty hesitant when it came to water. After I put on my life jacket, I grabbed a floating swim noodle. Then, I picked up my cautious son (in his life jacket) and gently got into the lake. Abel safely floated in my arms with his head high above the water.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” Romans 1:16-17
We absolutely live in an age when everyone is right in their own eyes. Most people don’t even consider that their decisions could be wrong or their actions harmful. At the same time, everybody is on their own path, trying to figure out how to navigate life. Also, endless resources and influences are waiting to tell them exactly what they want to hear.
I have a love/hate relationship with snow. The lovely song that Frank Sinatra made famous, “Let It Snow,” brings a certain whimsical set of emotions. Yes, the snow is beautiful! Yet, my back is aching, and driving is stressful. When pondering the statement “let it snow,” I can’t help but be reminded of the One (and only One) who controls the snow.
“Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.” (Psalms 37:3-4 NIV84)
I’ve recently been reading Exodus; I saw a great dichotomy — the balance between patiently waiting and taking action. Sometimes it’s hard to know which one to do. Moses and the Israelites were “pinned down” between the Egyptian army (bent on destroying them) and The Red Sea. They had nowhere to go.
So, the Hebrews did what I often do — they started whining and grumbling! We are told in Exodus 14:13-14 that, “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’”
“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him. He only is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be shaken. On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God. Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us.” — Psalm 62:5-8
I’m not exactly sure what each of you is going through. But I know that, most likely, we are staring something in the face that brings us to a place of needing to trust Jesus. Perhaps in the past weeks (or in the coming weeks), you are wrestling with trusting Jesus.
“And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” — Philippians 1:6
Right now, there are no doors in the upstairs of my home. As a matter of fact, there is also no furniture, functioning bathroom, pantry, bedroom, or living room. We are walking on “ram board” floors, and wiping drywall dust off our clothes every few minutes. None of this is surprising since we’re blessed to be smack dab in the middle of some home renovations.
“These patriarchs were jealous of their brother Joseph, and they sold him to be a slave in Egypt. But God was with him and rescued him from all his troubles. And God gave him favor before Pharaoh, king of Egypt. God also gave Joseph unusual wisdom, so that Pharaoh appointed him governor over all of Egypt and put him in charge of the palace.” — Acts 7:9-10
Bad news seems to be everywhere. Without a doubt, it’s hard to have faith when things look bad. There’s tremendous turmoil in the world around us, complicated health troubles, and incredibly hard days.
“Finally, brothers, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, as happened among you, and that we may be delivered from wicked and evil men. For not all have faith. But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.” — 2 Thessalonians 3:1-2
I have really appreciated studying 1 & 2 Thessalonians this summer. As he concluded his second letter, Paul asked the Thessalonians (and us) to pray for some specific things.