Dear SCC & Friends,
I have been young… ~Psalm 37:25
Reflection #327
A relationship with Christ is a sacred bond that no one can have for you… Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” ~Matt. 16:13 followed by a very specific question requiring an answer, “Who do you say that I am?” ~Matt. 16:15 I remember praying as a teenager, “I may leave you, but please don’t ever leave me.” Even then, I knew I’d fall short, and I certainly did. My teen years, college and military were filled with “the good, the bad and the ugly”, and the good was my standard of good, not the Lord’s. At twenty-four, Jesus brought me back to Himself once and for all…no more half steps, or being lukewarm…no more “directing and starring in my own movie”… By His grace, I surrendered my life to the Lord… How that happened I cannot fully explain… The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is every one who is born of the Spirit.~John 3:8… It was my time… You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until they find their rest in you. ~Augustine~ ~Selah~
When I received the Lord, I didn’t feel “called to the ministry”. The thought of being “a Reverend” was as far away as I could possibly imagine. Yet, I loved sharing my new-found faith to challenge and encourage others in the Lord. I went from never reading the Bible to reading for hours on end. I went from rarely going to church to five nights a week and twice on Sunday. I went from my plans to His plans. An old hymn says it well, “Heaven came down and glory filled my soul, when at the cross my Savior made me whole…My night was turned to day, my sins were washed away. Heaven came down and glory filled my soul.” My story, like your story, is deeply personal and uniquely orchestrated by the Lord. Our ongoing relationship with Him remains the most important issue in this life. We can look back with gratitude as we look forward in faith… I have been young, and now I am old; Yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, or his descendants begging bread. ~Psalm 37:25 Keep up the good work!
Made for these days,
Kevin