Judges 4:14
Deborah shouted, “Barak, it’s time to attack Sisera! Because today the Lord is going to help you defeat him. In fact, the Lord has already gone on ahead to fight for you.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
When I was a little girl learning to sew, my grandmother would often get a garment started for me, and then say, “Now, you finish it.” Perhaps you have had someone “make a few calls for you” in regard to a job search or getting into the college of your choice. Maybe you have a relative or friend who has “gone to bat” for you and defended your character, co-signed on a loan, or actually “sponsored” you in some way.
This person’s confidence in your ability to follow through and get the job done should never be taken lightly. When someone is willing to put their own money, time, or reputation on the line for us, we should honor this commitment with one of our own… a determination to do the very best we can to live up to the other person’s expectations or hype!
As Christians, we often fail to recognize that God “goes to bat” for us each and every day. He steps out ahead of us and “gets the garment started.” He vouches for us. He does more than co-sign our loan… He has already paid our debt! So when it is time to fight for Him… when we need to step up and serve with honor and gratitude… nothing less than our best is acceptable.
Our salvation was the biggest turning point we will ever experience, because in that single moment when we gave our hearts to Jesus, everything changed – forever! Our debts are paid… God walks ahead of us forevermore. He fights for us and paves the way for our success and blessings in all things. There will be other defining moments in our lives… other crossroads… but none will be more profound and impactful than this one.
Few among us would want to disappoint someone who vouched for us… to come up short or fail to honor this person’s commitment to us. So why do we do this to God? Why do we fail to step up and finish the fight He starts on our behalf? Why don’t we eagerly serve Him? Why don’t we ask, “What next?” instead of “Why now, LORD?” If we are earnest about our life as a Christian, we need to take a hard look at how we treat God and His tremendous gifts in our lives. We need to ask ourselves, “Was my salvation truly a turning point… or am I merely playing around at my Christian faith and witness like it’s some sort of game?”
The time has come to get serious… to say, “I’m in this all the way. I will fight for my God and serve Him as He wishes. He has paved the way for my redemption… He has paid ALL of my debts. Now it’s my turn to share His love, grace and mercy with others. I can’t work long, hard or fast enough to ever repay Him… but I can die trying!” Are you ready to step to the front of the line and fight for the God who fought – and won – for you?
©2012 Debbie Robus
No comments:
Post a Comment