So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth;
it shall not return to Me void,
but it shall accomplish what I please.
—Isaiah 55:11
As a workplace chaplain, I’m privileged to be in conversation with many different people. Some are skeptics of the Christian faith. I’ve discovered three major hurdles that keep them from trusting in Christ for salvation.
The first barrier, surprisingly, isn’t an unwillingness to believe that God exists; instead some doubt that they’re important enough for God’s attention.
Second, some believe they are unworthy of His forgiveness. People are often their own harshest judges.
The third hurdle? They wonder why God is not communicating with them if He is out there.
Let’s work backward through the hurdles to see what God’s Word says. First, God doesn’t play head games. He promises that if we read His Word, He will make sure it accomplishes His purpose (Isa. 55:11).
In other words, if we read it we will discover that God is communicating with us. This is precisely why the Bible speaks so often of His grace and mercy toward all (v.7). His willingness to forgive surpasses our own. Once we learn that we can hear God in the Bible and once we see the emphasis on His mercy, it becomes easier to believe we have His attention when we cry out to Him.
God’s story is amazing.
It can give hope for all of us.
—Randy Kilgore
There can be times when one’s mind is in doubt,
Times when one asks what the faith is about;
But we can believe Him, we know that He cares—
Our God is real, as the Bible declares. —Fitzhugh
I read this book every day, and I love it and the odd thing is, each time i read the message pertains to ME on that day at that time.. and it is a miracle that our hubbies can hear. i told bob, imagine back in the 1700's when people went deaf or could not see, they just had to live with it. i have a sinus headache for 3 days now, i said wonder how they dealt with sinus headache in 1700. the reason i picked that is we just re watched The Patriot this week.
ReplyDeleteYou have a strong faith and I can feel the comfort it brings to you!! I believe differently but always admire everyone what any Christian believes in!!
ReplyDeleteDid I know that you are a chaplain? MyHero is also full time chaplain at a local hospital and psych center. Anyway, wonderful post We love The Daily Bread, too. You are still No Reply when you leave a comment on my blog so I wanted you to know that you are MOST welcome to use SweetCheeks word STOOPIDICIOUS. LOL
ReplyDeleteHi everyone, this was taken from my email from "OUR DAILY BREAD" I get one each morning and try to start my day on a positive path. I didn't write any of this, I copied it from their site which is linked at the very beginning of this post. This one just seemed to be speaking to me, it opened my eyes to another way of thinking about sin and my own personal relationship with God. I will be keeping this one, and plan to read it often.
ReplyDeleteIsn't it amazing how the devil works on people to make them think they are so unworthy or not important enough? He speaks to us every day in so many ways. We just need to learn how to listen to Him. I did a post on this before, about during prayer, to spend as much time listening as we do talking. It makes such a difference. Love your post. Wise words in a confusing land.
ReplyDeleteHi Jackie,
ReplyDeleteBlessings to you! Thank you for following me at Harvest Lane Cottage.
I remember the very feelings you wrote of above. I came to Christ as a teen, but I didn't think I was good enough. I remember feeling ashamed around "religious" people.
Have a blessed Christmas preparation week!
Laura