 I was listening to a sermon by Francis Chan; love the way he speaks. He is very “real” and adds humor and just the right combination to keep me interested and focused. His way of explaining the miracle of just being alive impacted me. For instance, take a breath in…… let it out. Yep…. That breath you just took – It was from GOD. It is that simple yet that complicated. We have a tendency to think we are in such control, but we aren’t. If GOD is ready for us, he will make us, well…… stop breathing.
Mr. Chan went on to explain that one of his mentors was conducting a funeral and speaking on that very subject of how GOD decides when we breathe and when we take our final breath. And during the funeral, this minister fell to his death. Irony huh, no, not really….. GOD’S plan. I like to imagine those non-believers that may have been at that funeral…. If they did not start believing then, whew, I do not know what it would take. I am sure you have heard the saying “live to eat not eat to live”. Guess what, the same goes with your relationship with GOD. Live for Jesus, not JESUS living for you. GOD is not a big “sugar daddy” that we use and abuse and only go to when WE NEED something. GOD wants ALL of us. And in return we get ALL of HIM. And believe me, we get the better end of that deal. This past Sunday, I attended church as usual. I love my church. I have been a bit frustrated because things have been a bit unorthodox lately. The last two Sundays were spent on praise. NO sermon, no words to live by, just praise to our awesome FATHER in heaven! Me being the “go with the flow” type of person, accepted this with complete approval. (as if my approval meant anything anyway) NOT! Then the Holy Spirit lead me to Francis Chan. Now I do read a fair amount, and I do pray a good amount and I do praise a decent amount. But if I am to admit the truth, I did this all because I was putting JESUS into my life instead of having my life revolve around JESUS. GOD really gets so little of us. Does this look like you? It certainly looks a lot like me? I live my life merry rolling along. I pray when I see the need to pray, usually for others. (They are in need, after all, not me.) Occasionally, I have something that comes up, shortage of money, dispute with a family member, even a fairly sizable sickness. I place my faith and prayer in JESUS. All in all, life if good. PROFANITY WARNING ahead: Then the SHIT HITS THE FAN! Something big occurs; my world gets shaken and I start crying and whining like a baby. I start praying… OH MY LORD, please get me out of this…. HELLLPPPPPPP!!!! I am going through a fairly sizable event currently. Actually there are a number of things hitting me at once. I did hit my “2 year old tantrum” moment, ok it may have been more like a week or so. Fast forward…… I started to thank GOD, I cried to GOD, I prayed for others more. I asked GOD for more of HIM and less of me; I chanted that over and over. I chanted back GOD’S promises to HIM. I told the devil to get out of my head and that my heart, brain and soul belongs to JESUS and therefore he has no domain in my life. I got down to the nitty-gritty. I was in the trenches. And you know what? GOD not only is sustaining me BUT I have been enabled by the GRACE of JESUS to have a deeper relationship with HIM. I can say now, that when I breathe in, and I breathe out, I know who is in control. THANK GOD! IF my FATHER decides to take me now, I am ok. IF my FATHER does not, I thank HIM. Either way, I am in a win-win. If I take my last breath, I am with GOD forever. And you know what, if I continue to breathe, I am still with GOD. I fall so short (no short jokes here) of any kind of gift of a breath let alone a walk with JESUS hand in hand, however, GOD gives me that. There is not enough time to worship GOD in the way he deserves and I receive way more blessings than I will ever deserve. PRAISE JESUS!
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