A Life Marked by the Faithfulness of God
It’s so awesome to step back and see God’s hand at work in my life and that of those around me. Right now life is going so well and I don’t want to lose this place of reliance that I have on Him. I’m afraid that one of these days I’m going to subconsciously think that my life is what it is because of something that I did, when it was really His doing! He is so good! I don’t want that pride of thinking that I made my life this way to creep in, because I know that as soon as that happens, it will start crumbling to pieces. May it not be that things are going so well that I forget that all I am and live for is because of Jesus. These past few weeks, I’ve been reading through the Exodus and while it drives me crazy to see the constant cycle of the Israelites as they mess up and cry out to God for help, I know that’s me. It makes me upset to realize that I’m a modern-day Israelite! God in His great mercy and faithfulness is so patient with us that it’s almost unfathomable to me. I don’t know why He reached out to me, or gave me this great gift, but I am wholeheartedly grateful for Him that He would make me His child.
There’s this song that we sing here that describes my thoughts pretty well...
What would I be if you had not forgiven me?
There would be a void in my heart,
I would be wandering without a way or direction,
If it were not for your grace and love.
What a great reminder this song is to me each time I sing it. It is so incredibly true for me to say, “I don’t know where I would be without Jesus.” The other day as I was walking around Buenos AIres, enjoying this big city, I was able to see a whole bunch of different types of people, with different walks of life ranging from the homeless to the thriving businessman. It just makes me wonder, “Don’t they ever ask themselves what the true meaning of life is?” Seeing these poor, dirty children begging for money, I think, “That could have been me... God why have you given me such a blessed life?” On the other end of the spectrum, I see the success and wealth and I say, “Is this life not more than money and possessions?” These things will never satisfy. The thing is, that both of these people have the same exact need, whether they know it or not. They’re both longing to fill a void that will just not be satisfied by anything on this earth. With complete confidence, I can assure you that they won’t find what they’re looking for until they have a personal encounter with Jesus. It saddens me to think that these kids probably feel like there’s no hope or even a future. Even just walking around Buenos Aires, I was faced by a great conviction, and longing, especially for those begging on the street. Who knows how many times I have just walked by and looked on them with pity, but pity that brings no action. I think to myself, “Why have I never shared the love of Christ with them? Here I possess the greatest gift, I have the answer to the question the whole world is asking, and yet I walk by, staring blankly and silently, unmoved with compassion.” It’s so completely shameful. I could have been in their situation physically if it were not by God’s grace, and before trusting Christ as my Savior, I was in their position spiritually- I was on my way to hell. This great reality of the world has been hitting me lately because life is not bad and it’s time to count my blessings. For those of you reading this, I think it’s time for you to make some decisions as well. For those who have been saved through the precious blood of Jesus, it’s time to show the love of Christ and the awesome gift of Salvation to others that have never heard. This is my encouragement for you... lots of times actions speak more loudly and more clearly than words. For those who have not yet trusted Christ, this is your time. Stop running from the greatest decision of your life. You are not promised your next breath, don’t hold off because you may not be here tomorrow.
Philippians 2:5-11
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
thank you for sharing such great insight!
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