Thursday, July 28, 2011

only God.

last night i physically saw some things that only God can do.  every year we host the millington central football team summer camp at our church.  they have services for the guys every night, and on wednesday night the guys join us for our weekly youth service.  a few weeks ago drew had asked a guy in our church to come in and speak to the guys.  on tuesday night the guy's mom passed away.  on wednesday night he still came and spoke to our youth group.

the guy spoke to our group about his "hard" past, about how he had fallen away from God into drugs, alcohol, a failed marriage, and all manner of sin...he was in prison for 6 months.  he was almost killed once while doing a drug deal.  he explained to them how his sin started so small...dating a girl whose parents socially drank...little by little, he began to take a drink, as well.  reminds me so much of that saying "sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay."  he was not inappropriate in what he shared with the guys; he just shared that sin cost him so much!

he pleaded with the guys to hear his heart.  his passion for the Lord was evident.  i saw a changed life...so many times we want to see "miracles" and forget that this, too - salvation! - is such a miracle.  the fact that i was dead in my trespasses of sin and God brought me into marvelous light is such a miracle!  after he was done with his testimony, he told the guys he wanted to share something else, too...he told our group about his momma passing away on tuesday night.  he said he was certain he was only standing before us because of her prayers...he said she was the "rock" of their family....she had prayed him back to Jesus...she had loved him when he was so undeserving...and then he said something that just hit me...he said, "if this were you, and this were your momma, could you stand here and do this?"  i thought then, 'could i?'  he was unwavering as he said, "God is good...He has given me more than i ever deserved."  there was no hesitation, no question about why this would have happened to him and his family...no, just "God is good."

He then pointed us to the verse John 16:33:

"These things have I spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. 
In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

only God can do that...give you peace in the midst of trouble.  when your world seems to be falling apart - and his most certainly seems to be, he has faced even more tragedy since tuesday night! - only God can keep you in perfect peace (of course, the rest of that verse says that our minds must be stayed on Him for that peace!).  my prayer - and i challenge you to make it yours, as well! - is that my heart and mind will stay on God...only God.

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