Before I spoke a word
You were singing over me
You have been so, so
Good to me
Before I took a breath
You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so
Kind to me…
Do you know that God loves you, and that every life is precious in His sight. Do you know that you are of great value? He created you, and desires to save you?
With permission from our 15 year old son, I write this to you. He recently started a Discipleship class at our church. This week he was challenged to write in one sentence a summary of his life. Also, challenged to write what he might want his tombstone to read when the day comes for his earthly body to go back to the dust of the earth and his soul live on (should the Lord tarry and the rapture hasn’t happened yet).
We studied in 2 Chronicles 26 about a 16 year old King. Uzziah. He sought after God diligently and he prospered, it said. Then one day, his heart was exalted and his pride took him outside of God’s will, anger and more pride, and destruction. His death leaving only the legacy of “he was a leper”.
The strength of humility. Something we must fight for daily.
We were helpless and so was Isaac when he was born. We could do not a thing to give him life at this point, except pray. It was Jesus Who would heal him and lift him up. Only Christ alone could do this. “after 30 years of delivering more sick babies in this kind of condition than I can even remember, I only saw two survive. One other child, and your son”.
Just as our son, lay helpless, so every human soul lays helpless in itself and power to be saved. There is a desperate need, as our son’s physical was in need, of a spiritual need for every human being. We will die on this earth. The soul within will live forever. Either in heaven or hell. No matter how many wonderful works any of us do, like King Uzziah, it will not matter one single bit at the end of our life, if God is not acknowledged and exalted above all. No matter how many achievements, they all will crumble and so will our soul, into a decaying, ugly, of no purpose or value and death, without the saving working of the Savior.
1). In one sentence describe your life –
“I was born almost dead, but God healed me and now I live for Him”. Isaac 15 years (because he has come to know the God Who not only healed him physically, but spiritually).
2). What legacy do you want to leave, written on your tombstone?
“I am a sinner, I have fought the good fight, and finished the race, I am with Jesus in heaven” – Isaac
We don’t want this to be about Isaac. We want this to be about Jesus!
Do you know that God chose you to be here? That you are a sinner in need of a Savior? Do you live for a purpose to leave a legacy behind of eternal value? Do you think about that the things, activities, achievements done for our pleasure only, will not carry on with you into eternity? Do you understand you could be living with a passion and purpose, that will go with you into eternity, as well as leave something more valuable than anything, HOPE for others to join you in relationship with Jesus Christ the risen Lord? Do you understand you can have relationship with Him today that far exceeds any special relationship we have on this earth?
We hope you do and if you don’t and haven’t comprehended the love of God, that you will think about all that God has done, and all He desires to do for you.
Will you receive His gift of life? Will you fall on your knees as if today, this moment, you are faced with it being your last breath on this earth, and plead with God for forgiveness of sins, and thank Him with a committed heart to use each breath to live for Him. Thank Him for His faithfulness to you as you fall and get back up in His power to keep moving on? We do not know how many breaths we have to breathe. How about making it matter and count for eternity.
How many times we are humbled in our own hearts. Realizing again and again the grace of our Lord in His faithful work to rid us of ourselves and foolishness and lead us onward to a better life! Relying on Him.
His love is overwhelming. We do not deserve it. Yet, He gave.
“rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” Phil. 2