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CHRISTIAN LIVING TODAY
In the 1960s, Bill and Gloria Gaither wrote the beloved hymn “Because He Lives.” The different verses of this hymn reflect some of their personal journey and allow us a peek into their reasons to trust God amid adversity and challenge.
We can also have a list of why to trust God, for the truth of “Because He Lives” enables us to face life’s challenges.
Revelation 19:11 calls Jesus “faithful and true.” He is true to His word and promises, reliable and trustworthy. He is the opposite of fiction, counterfeit or pretend. He is God.
Remember, we each have a unique faith story. You may quietly think “my story isn’t powerful or outstanding,” or “my story is not compelling or interesting,” but you are wrong.
Your story is powerful because it is your story. We have a story, because the faithful and true One lives.
Our lives affect others, and we are not little replicas of one another. We each have a unique personhood that God says is valuable.
Matthew 10:30 says even the hairs on your head are numbered. Luke 12:7 repeats our worth, adding that we are even more valuable than the most common of small birds.
Our unique faith story is compelling. Learn to speak about what the Lord means to you — not in churchy words, but in common words that communicate to ordinary people. Briefly describe what life was before your encounter with God and express that in a sentence or two.
What caused you to think about God and want to be part of His family? How has life changed since that time?
One dear to me shared about realizing his need for God and tried bargaining with God. Finally, he just stopped and said, “I surrender to You.”
God knows us intimately, even our thoughts before we voice words. He numbers the days of our life. No other person on the planet has your exact DNA or your children. T There is none like you. And, our Heavenly Father loves us continually, even knowing all about us. There is nothing hidden from Him.
What reassurance that is. What confidence we have.
Pray with me as I recall my list. For Jesus is faithful, and He is True.
Because He lives, we can face each new day. Until next week, Anita
Onarecker, an Elgin resident, author of “Divine Appointment: Our Journey to the Bridge” and minister to women and adults, earned a Master of Christian Education from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2007.
