March 10, 2016

Posted on March 12, 2016 by jgarrott

Genesis 20:7 “Now return the man’s wife, for he is a prophet, and he will pray for you and you will live. But if you do not return her, you may be sure that you and all yours will die.”

This is one of the strangest stories in the whole Bible. I personally think it shows how little, on some levels at least, Abraham knew of God. It certainly shows that Abraham was not perfect! In the first place, it is a bit shocking to learn that Sarah was Abraham’s half-sister; such a marriage would be illegal today. In the second place, it seems remarkable to say the least that she would have agreed to pass as his sister rather than his wife, since that would open her up to sexual molestation. And then we get to this verse. God certainly came through big time to protect Abraham and Sarah, speaking to Abimelech so clearly in a dream and scaring the wits out of him. That said, it strikes me that God claimed Abraham as His prophet, and said that he would pray for Abimelech. To me this shows that prayer is not dependent on the purity of the one praying, but rather on their relationship with the One to whom they pray. As a Psalmist said very clearly, “If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.” (Psalm 66:18) Unrepented sin blocks our relationship with God, but here Abraham was not even aware he was in the wrong. Rather, he was walking with God the best he knew, and God honored that. The biggest thing about prayer is not who prays or even the words we use, much less our posture at the time, but rather the One to whom we pray. When we know and trust God, our prayers get through, virtually regardless of other factors.

In my desire to teach people to pray I probably err on the side of trying to get them to pray like I do. Why should they, when they are different from me? I need to encourage them simply to pray, because God is One who hears prayer. I have a son in faith who starts every prayer with “Hallelujah.” For him, that is like a battering ram to break down barriers to prayer. I’m not sure I’ve ever done that! The point is to get our eyes off of ourselves and whether we are “worthy” to pray, but rather fix them on Jesus, knowing that, as it says in Revelation, “Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.” (Revelation 5:12) We don’t pray because we are worthy, but because He is. The better we understand that, the more God will be pleased to treat us as His representatives, just as He did with Abraham, for all of Abraham’s imperfections, and ours.

Father, thank You for having me consider this passage like this. I don’t think I’ve ever done so before, because it just seemed too weird. Help me be open to hear and receive everything You say to me, however off-the-wall it might seem at the time, so that I will grow more and more as Your agent, drawing others into genuine fellowship with You, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 9, 2016

Posted on March 12, 2016 by jgarrott

Matthew 6:7-8 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.

Living in Japan, I have always associated the sort of prayer that Jesus said not to imitate with the Buddhist practice of repeating set phrases again and again. It certainly applies to that, but just now I realized that even in some Christian circles, repeating certain rote prayers a given number of times is considered good practice. That’s rather sad, really, in light of what Jesus says here. I do not doubt such people’s sincerity, but their faith seems somewhat misplaced at best. As Paul said about the Jews of his day, “I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.” (Romans 10:2) Sincerity needs to be coupled with knowledge of the truth. Much of our religious practice is based on our projecting our qualities on God, rather than seeking to know Him through His Word and understanding that to whatever degree we are like Him, it is because He has created us that way (Genesis 1:27) and He works to transform us into the image of His Son. (2 Corinthians 3:18) Jesus certainly taught persistent prayer, (Luke 18:1-8) but that’s not at all the same as repeating rote prayers. Written prayers can be powerful at times, if they are appropriated fully by the one praying, and they can certainly be a good “kick starter” for when we don’t know how to pray, but too often they are no more than sounds with essentially no meaning because they have become too familiar. From the Buddhist side, I have a friend whose father and brothers are all Buddhist priests. She has quite a few sutras memorized, but she will confess freely she doesn’t really know what they mean; they are simply sounds to be repeated. (They are in Sanskrit.)

I personally pray the Lord’s Prayer regularly, but I rarely just say it as it is printed. Rather, I use it as a pattern, and flesh it out with details from my own circumstances. (Larry Lee did a very good exposition/expansion of the Lord’s prayer quite a few years ago, which with his permission I annotated with relevant Scriptures and put on our church website.) I find that I am praying the first part of the Lord’s prayer quite often, because with everything going on in the world, praying that He would be recognized as holy and that His kingdom would come as His will is done is about all I can do. I link that in my mind and heart with Jesus’ prayer in Gethsemane, because as much as I might want things to be a certain way, I know that God’s will being done is absolutely the best that could happen. As a pastor, my highest desire is that each person in my care develop a strong, intimate relationship with their heavenly Father, and I know that will not happen without prayer. That’s why it’s so distressing to me that so few seem to care about gaining a habit of prayer. The daily Bible readings from today on are on the theme of prayer, and I will be preaching/teaching on the subject as well, but I’ve got to back that up with my own prayers that the Holy Spirit would open their eyes and give them a hunger for more intimacy with Him.

Father, thank You for the home in which I was raised, in which prayer was as natural as breathing. Hardly anyone I minister to was raised in such a home. Help me understand where they are coming from so I won’t assume too much, but rather take them by the hand and walk them into Your presence, not lecturing but guiding, so that they may come into the relationship with You for which they were created, for their incalculable blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 8, 2016

Posted on March 9, 2016 by jgarrott

1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Hallelujah! Peter has so much good to say, I’ve got almost everything in both his letters underlined. This verse should give every believer great assurance and boldness. We are all aware of how imperfect, how incomplete, if you will, we are. However, God doesn’t leave us that way, and that is good news indeed. Every believer reads the Bible as aspirational, that is, as something to aim for, to anticipate. Christ’s work on the cross is complete and accomplished, but we continue to grow in the process of appropriating that for as long as we are in these bodies. This verse is encouragement that God will bring that process to completion. Paul famously wrote on the same theme in Philippians 3. As he said, we must not use our current imperfection as an excuse not to press forward. Rather, “let us live up to what we have already attained.” (Philippians 3:16) “Backsliding” is a Biblical term, and it is clear and easily understood. Sometimes our way is pretty steep, and we regress to something we thought we had left behind. When that happens, the devil tries to tell us we might as well give up, because we’ll never make it. That’s a lie! 1 John 1 is on exactly that point. We are never to excuse sin, in ourselves or in anyone else, but we are to understand that God’s grace is indeed greater than all our sin, and so not hesitate to confess our sins to Him in genuine repentance, knowing that He has already dealt with them on the cross. (1 John 1:9) As Peter says here, God’s glory lies ahead of us, and we have been invited into that by His grace.

It’s been 60 years since I was baptized, and I couldn’t begin to count the number of times I have sinned, sometimes very badly, during that interval. However, I have learned indeed that God’s grace is truly sufficient, and the blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:7) That teaches me to hate sin, in myself or in others, but never to let the sin seem bigger to me than God. When sin is in our face, it can seem that way sometimes! I am to remember, and teach, that God loves us even in our imperfection, and that’s why He has provided forgiveness for all who will repent and believe. That is good news indeed!

Father, thank You for this reminder. Help me communicate Your Gospel effectively to more and more people, so that they will be set free from the traps of our lying enemy to come into Your light and life, for their salvation and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 7, 2016

Posted on March 8, 2016 by jgarrott

Philippians 4:12-13 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.

Verse 13 is widely quoted out of context, which is to say, it is widely quoted and that is usually out of context. People want it to say, “I can do anything, period,” so that’s how they quote it, but that isn’t what it is saying at all. People would rather overlook verse 12 because it points out that life on this planet has lots of ups and downs; it’s not a bed of rose petals without any thorns. There are preachers who teach that “In Christ, everything is smooth sailing,” but they are charlatans. We are indeed “more than conquerors” in Christ, (Romans 8:37) but you can’t be a conqueror without having a battle! A careful, honest reading of the New Testament will tell you not to expect easy street. Tradition tells us that the only one of the original 12 apostles to die of old age was John, and that was after he had been exiled to Patmos and suffered various other things as well. Our goal is never to “have it easy,” but rather to do God’s will and grow closer to Him in the process. The point of what Paul is saying here is that life can be rough, but in Christ we can get through it. That is a message both of realism and hope, and it should make us rejoice.

I don’t think I have had a difficult life at all compared to many other people, but that’s not at all to say that everything has been smooth sailing. However, like Paul I have learned that in Christ I can get through whatever might confront me. When a problem looms up I may have no idea how I will get through it, but I can have complete peace that I will get through it. That’s a very good assurance to have! The past few months have been pretty rough at times because of my wife’s health issues, and we’re not completely through that yet. However, God has been present and He continues to be, so I have nothing to be anxious about. As a pastor I deal frequently with people who, because they don’t see how they will get through their current circumstances, have trouble believing they will get through them. My challenge is to help them see what I have seen, which is what Paul is talking about here. As God told me personally a few years ago, our task is to rest, relax, and rejoice, doing whatever the Lord directs but trusting Him to direct as needed, and leaving the results up to Him.

Father, thank You for this reminder. Thank You for all You did in the day yesterday. I forgot some pretty important things, so guide me in when and how to take care of them. However, You enabled me to do everything You knew was necessary at that time, so thank You. Thank You also for everything You have planned for today. Help me not be anxious about any detail of it, but rather flow with Your Spirit on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 6, 2016

Posted on March 8, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 21:34 “Be careful, or your hearts will be weighed down with dissipation, drunkenness and the anxieties of life, and that day will close on you unexpectedly like a trap.”

It just hit me that here Jesus is putting anxiety on the same level as dissipation and drunkenness. The more I think about it, the more that boggles my mind. Growing up in a Baptist missionary household as I did, dissipation and drunkenness were “automatic outs,” so to speak, but anxiety was a completely different matter. The thing is, anxiety displays a lack of faith, and “without faith it is impossible to please God.” (Hebrews 11:6) That’s just further proof that we all are completely dependent on the grace of God. The reason Jesus brings up anxiety here is that just as much as dissipation or drunkenness, it distracts us from God. The devil doesn’t much care what he uses, so long as he can get our attention off of God. Because to human logic it doesn’t seem as bad as a lot of other things, we tend to overlook it or even expect it. In a sense it really is part of the human condition, which is why Jesus specifies, “of life,” but here He makes it very clear that we must not let it consume our minds so that we can’t see God and what He is doing. When our hearts are truly tuned to God, we both rest secure in Him and are sensitive and obedient to all that He tells us to do. Anxiety keeps us from that, as much as anything else does.

Ouch! Like everyone else, I have let “what if” scenarios take over my mind more times than I could count. I am not to be blind to possibilities, but my attitude should be, “even if.” Faith and trust do not preclude common sense and preparation, but they should keep our focus on God who is the solution to our problems, rather than on the problems themselves. As a pastor I have dealt with people who were genuinely consumed by anxiety. It does no good to lecture such people, any more than it does to lecture an alcoholic. Rather, they need people to be “Jesus with skin on” to hold and comfort them and then assure them that God’s got everything in His hands. In practical terms, gender differences need to be observed in such things, because the devil will use anything he can to trip us up, but with that understood, actions are far more powerful than words. Also, how I deal with potentially anxiety-producing situations is a powerful testimony to those around me. I’ve had a lot of opportunity for that with my wife’s health in recent months! I am not to be dishonest about my reactions, but I am to let my struggles encourage others, because God’s grace is both essential and sufficient for every one of us, if we will only open up to receive it.

Father, thank You for this powerful Word. Thank You for how You have been carrying me through this season. Help me be an open channel of Your grace to all, especially those closest to me, so that together we may keep our focus on Christ Jesus our Lord, for our blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 5, 2016

Posted on March 6, 2016 by jgarrott

Luke 10:40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

This church had a running joke about Mary and Martha a few years ago, but it’s actually no joke. Different people have different gifting and so gravitate to different activities. That is exactly as it should be. Just yesterday I watched a video of a man playing Beethoven very skillfully on two different pianos. One was a normal piano, but the other had been specially modified so that every key played the same note. The English word that means “same note” is monotony! The whole point of the video,which had been made as an ad for some company which I don’t remember, was that unity doesn’t mean sameness, and that’s a very important point indeed. The problem in the story of Martha and her sister Mary was actually not in what they were doing, but in the resentment that Martha allowed to fill her heart. Resentment is a killer! It robs us of joy on several levels and makes us unable to appreciate people and events. The other side of the coin is that we are not to use our gifting as an excuse not to be kind or to help others. Don and Katie Fortune put out a very helpful book several years ago called Discover Your God-Given Gifts. Based on Romans 12:6-8, it not only has diagnostic tools to identify gifts, it also has lists not only of the strong points of each gift, but also of the weak points of that gift. When we know what our gifts are, we not only know where to focus our efforts, we also know what to be careful of so that we don’t wound and offend needlessly. In this story, Martha had the mindset that women were to take care of housework, and learning from a traveling rabbi was frivolous. Mary, on the other hand, simply wanted to absorb all she could of the words of life that came from Jesus. Under different circumstances, Mary had every reason to help Martha, but this situation was special. I personally think Jesus had some special blessing in store for Martha, but her resentment kept her from being open to receive it at that time. Later, when their brother Lazarus died, Jesus gave Martha the truth of His victory over death before he told Mary; (John 11) He wasn’t playing favorites.

As I was typing the passage in Japanese I could hear in my mind a particular lady in the church saying Martha’s lines. She has let resentment rob her of a great deal, and it is very sad. As a pastor I have to deal not only with my own gifting but also with those of every member of the church, and we are certainly diverse. Having Teacher gifting, I would rather not have to worry about all that! However, that is not an option, and I must not let resentment block the flow of the Holy Spirit through me. Sometimes I remind myself that Moses clearly was not gifted as an administrator, but God placed him in charge of His people, and with the help of his father-in-law and others he managed to get the job done. I would love to be able to wave a wand or say a few words and eliminate resentment from people’s hearts, my own and others, but it doesn’t work that way. I’ve got to receive the lessons God gives me and be His instrument in teaching others, so that together we may learn to reject the devil’s traps and walk in the light of God’s path for us, for His glory.

Father, it was striking how clearly I heard that lady’s voice as I typed. I ask Your mercy for her and for all who are tripped up by resentment, so that by letting go of resentment we may take hold of the peace and joy and life that You have for us, for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 4, 2016

Posted on March 6, 2016 by jgarrott

Mark 4:18-19 “Still others, like seed sown among thorns, hear the word; 19 but the worries of this life, the deceitfulness of wealth and the desires for other things come in and choke the word, making it unfruitful.”

I can’t help but feel this describes the majority of Christians today. They have heard the Word and accepted just enough for their salvation, but the voice of the world from outside and the voice of their flesh from the inside together drown out anything further. Whether such people actually are saved is something I have to leave in God’s hands, because I certainly can’t make the call. At the very least, just as Jesus says here, they have no fruitfulness, no results of their faith in their daily lives. I don’t recall the exact statistic, but a survey was done to try to determine the percentage of Christians in America who had ever shared the Gospel deliberately with another person, and the number was shockingly low. The “fruit” we bear is more than just evangelism, but that is certainly an unavoidable part of it. The devil tells us that sharing the Gospel is “too much trouble,” that it is embarrassing. Jesus had an answer to that: “If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.” (Luke 9:26) Presenting Christ is more than words, certainly. There are people who talk about Jesus but negate everything they say by their attitude and the way they live. However, living an exemplary life without talking about Jesus tells people you don’t need Him to be a good person. I have read a testimony of exactly that, where a person congratulated a coworker on becoming a Christian, and was met with this response: “You mean you were a Christian all along? I thought that if someone could be as nice as you were without being a Christian, then I didn’t need to be one either. That greatly delayed my commitment.” It is a constant battle to keep our lives “weeded,” not to let the things of the flesh and the world crowd out the fruit we are capable of bearing. Many people are convinced they can’t bear fruit, and so they don’t try. Anyone who has received the seed of the Word is capable of bearing fruit, but it requires our own will as well as the help of the Holy Spirit.

This is a somewhat painful topic for me, since I minister in a land that is noted for low return on investment when it comes to evangelism. It would be easy to use the past history of missions in Japan as an excuse for my own low rate of return, but I have to be honest about the weeds in my own life as well. I cannot make anyone commit to Christ, but at the same time I must not get in the way of their doing so. I must not be so sold on Christianity that I forget Christ. That actually is a real problem, and I have seen it happen many times. It’s easy to spot in others, but hard to recognize in myself. I need to live as a demonstration of the Gospel I proclaim, never inviting people into something I am not walking in myself. I have an opportunity today to cement the influence I have had on my nursing school and rehabilitation school students as I attend the graduation ceremonies, and the parties afterwards, of those two schools. I am to be fully sensitive to the Holy Spirit and not miss any of the opportunities He gives me, so that somewhere down the line these people may indeed repent and believe, for an abundant harvest to the glory of God.

Father, I’ve been teaching at these schools for 34 years now, and I have prayed this, or something similar, year by year, and yet I haven’t had direct feedback of anyone’s salvation. Frankly, that’s discouraging. Help me not be bound by the past, but let Your Spirit use me fully today, so that all of Your plans may be fulfilled on Your schedule for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 3, 2016

Posted on March 4, 2016 by jgarrott

HeWhoMakes

Jeremiah 17:7-8 “But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord,
whose confidence is in him.
He will be like a tree planted by the water
that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes;
its leaves are always green.
It has no worries in a year of drought
and never fails to bear fruit.”

This is a strong echo of Psalm 1:1-3, which has long been a favorite passage, particularly since in Japanese it has been set to music very delightfully. The image is perhaps not so strong for someone who has never lived in an arid climate (which I haven’t) but it is clear and even scientific. The whole point is that a person who depends on God isn’t destroyed by circumstances. There are many things that seek to tear us down, or at least have that potential, so the matter of roots is vitally important. When our roots are in God and His Word, we have stability and nourishment regardless of external circumstances. This also brings to mind Jesus’ parable of the sower (which I notice is the reading for tomorrow). The major difference in the two images is the depth of the roots. Since grain doesn’t have such deep roots, the soil is of great importance. However, there are trees that thrive even in poor soil, given a water supply, if they have opportunity to get their roots deep enough. The harsher the environment, the more important those roots become. Frankly, the world is going crazy, which is a pretty harsh environment. It is imperative that every child of God get their roots deep in Him and His Word, not being led astray by promises of instant success or no problems, much less by “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” (1 John 2:16) God has stability and fruitfulness for those who will put their roots down in Him.

I’ve been having my root system tested over the past few months because of my wife’s health, and a quick look at the news tells me that testing isn’t likely to end any time soon. I have indeed been blessed to develop a strong pattern of seeking the Lord through His Word every morning, and I must not waver from that. As a pastor, I desire this sort of a relationship with God for each of the people in my care, and it is painful to me when they betray the shallowness of their roots. I cannot force them to grow, but I can provide spiritual nutrients and continue to speak the truth in love. Colossians 3:16 (actually, 15-17) is absolutely excellent as a guide for living, but it is the word “admonish” that gives me pause. I don’t like to chew people out, to force them to look at what they are doing wrong, but sometimes that is needed, and failure to do it is less than loving. I don’t have the wisdom or temperament to do it right, so I’ve got to be totally dependent on and obedient to the Holy Spirit. If I will do that, God will use even me to help others put down the roots they need, and together we will bear fruit for our Lord.

Father, as I’ve been reminded a good bit recently, times of growth aren’t always pleasant. Help me not rebel against anything You are doing, but rather put my roots down even further into You, so that I may be an example and an inspiration to as many as possible to do likewise, for their blessing and Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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March 2, 2016

Posted on March 4, 2016 by jgarrott

Ecclesiastes 11:10 So then, banish anxiety from your heart
and cast off the troubles of your body,
for youth and vigor are meaningless.

That sounds like a bitter old man! In the first place, if we could get rid of anxiety and physical problems purely by force of will, then everyone would always be happy and healthy. The thing is, when Solomon was youthful and vigorous he didn’t keep his focus on God and what He wanted him to do with his vigor. Solomon used the abundant gifts and abilities God had given him to amass material wealth and a huge harem, and that was indeed meaningless. Many people today have the same goals that young Solomon did, and they will find them to be just as empty as he did. Youthful flings are enjoyable at the time, but as Solomon discovered, they have consequences. God did not give us His laws to punish or bind us, but to protect us from destruction and guide us into genuine satisfaction and happiness. To take just one point as an example, psychologists tell us that the spousal relationship is the greatest single source of subjective happiness in the long term. As Genesis 2 and Matthew 19 make clear, such a monogamous relationship is exactly what God planned for us from the beginning, but many, like Solomon, aim for as many partners as possible, and destroy their happiness in the process. Youth and vigor are not meaningless, but they are to be exercised responsibly as gifts from God.

Having passed 65 by a bit, I have a very different perspective on this issue than I had, say, 50 years ago. I indeed had the usual share of youthful foolishness, but God was remarkably gracious in protecting me from the majority of my fantasies, matching me up with a wonderful partner from age 20, and I’ll have to say that I agree with the psychologists on the source of happiness issue. Age indeed brings its challenges. As has been said, growing old isn’t for wimps. However, when my focus is on God, living in obedience to and fellowship with Him, then the bumps in the road are no more than that, and not bottomless pits of remorse, as so many find. Right now we have new and very real challenges, but as God’s grace has been sufficient in the past, it will continue to be so in the future. I am to live each day as a faithful steward of all that God has placed in my hands, including that day itself, for His glory.

Father, yesterday was a pretty rough day emotionally. Thank You for getting us through it, and that Your mercies are indeed new every morning. (Lamentations 3:22-23) Help me be a good steward of today and all it holds, moment by moment, for Your glory. Thank You. Praise God!

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March 1, 2016

Posted on March 2, 2016 by jgarrott

Ecclesiastes 2:24-25 A man can do nothing better than to eat and drink and find satisfaction in his work. This too, I see, is from the hand of God, for without him, who can eat or find enjoyment?

Solomon is a truly sad enigma to me. He was indeed blessed by God with a magnificent intellect, on the level of Newton or Einstein, but he still wandered off into idolatry with his multiple wives. I can’t help but think that if he had been smarter with women, his end and his legacy would have been very different. Here we have an example of real truth, but Solomon himself didn’t enjoy it, because he allowed the devil to blind him and suck all the joy out of him. That said, it is worthwhile to consider the truth in this passage. It is indeed true that there is nothing better than to recognize your purpose for being on the earth and to find satisfaction in fulfilling that purpose. Solomon saw that as labor, something hard and tedious, but there is intense satisfaction and even joy in accomplishing things by putting your all into them. That’s one of many reasons God doesn’t give us lives of ease, with everything handed to us. People who are raised like that generally have pretty pathetic ends. The truth in verse 25 is most ironic, because it is exactly why Solomon didn’t enjoy the latter part of his life, yet he is the one who recorded this truth for posterity. We can indeed not even live, much less enjoy life, apart from God. We tend to forget that, in practical terms even if not logically. Just yesterday I was watching an interview with an astrophysicist in relation to the confirmation of the existence of gravitational waves. As a believer, he was pointing out that God is outside of Creation, because otherwise He would be a created being Himself. Without Him, none of Creation would even exist! When we get a real hold on that fact, getting into right relationship with Him automatically becomes the highest and most urgent goal of our lives. The degree to which we enjoy the abundant blessings that God has prepared for us is in direct relationship to the level of our fellowship with Him.

This profound truth is something the devil desperately tries to keep us from grasping. As a pastor, I not only need to grasp it for myself, I am charged with communicating it to those under my care. It can frankly be very frustrating, even heartbreaking, when people stubbornly refuse to acknowledge this truth. I see so many who have “pierced themselves with many griefs” (1 Tim 6:10) because of their blindness in this area. At the same time, it is immensely satisfying and joyful when I am able to bring someone into genuine knowledge of the truth. Since that is what I am commissioned to do, it is only right that I would enjoy it, just as this passage says. I am not to give up on people, no matter how many times I am disappointed, but rather rejoice with the angels when one does come into the family of God. (Luke 15:7)

Father, You have not assigned me an easy task, but You have certainly blessed me along the way. Thank You for all who are in Your family because of what You have done through me. Help me never give up, either physically or emotionally, but rather keep fulfilling the commission You have given me, for the blessing of many and for Your glory. Thank You. Hallelujah!

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