DELIVERANCE

John 10:27,28—My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.

Recently before going to sleep one night, Bryan asked his mom, about the seriousness of his brain-stem tumor. Through tears, he asked her, "does this mean that I am going to die?" And so, we had the opportunity to share with our wonderful son the reality of death. He voiced the hope that Jesus would return before anything ever happened to his tumor. As best I could, I shared with him that even if his tumor were to grow, the reality is that he will be with Jesus and that is a wonderful thing to look forward to. Meanwhile, each day is a gift.

David Widerski, a pastor and friend, wrote as one of his resolutions before starting a new year, "To live each day as if it were my last."

Life is challenging, dreams are not always realized and aspirations sometimes litter the highway as unfinished monuments. We live in an age where change is the norm and chaos seems inevitable. But wait! We don’t have to scream though each day at 90 miles an hour. We can avoid the rat race syndrome.

Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." In a world of constant flux, those are words to live by.

We don’t know how many more days we have on this planet. We ought to live each day as if it were our last. We should be careful not to chase selfish fantasies, for in doing so, we jump on the treadmill again and can never be satisfied. As a new year dawns, let’s resolve to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.

Inspiration

Only when God takes a life in hand can there come deliverance from the blues, deliverance from fits of depression, discouragement, and all such moods.—Oswald Chambers in Workmen of God