Yield yourselves to God, as those who are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Romans 6:13
I went one night to hear an address on consecration. No special message came to me from it, but as the speaker kneeled to pray, he dropped this sentence: “O Lord, Thou knowest we can trust the Man that died for us.” And that was my message. I rose and walked down the street to the train; and as I walked, I pondered deeply all that consecration might mean to my life and—I was afraid. And then, above the noise and clatter of the street traffic came to me the message: “You can trust the Man that died for you.”
I got into the train to ride homeward; and as I rode, I thought of the changes, the sacrifices, the disappointments which consecration might mean to me and—I was afraid.
I reached home and sought my room, and there upon my knees I saw my past life. I had been a Christian, an officer in the church, a Sunday-school superintendent, but had never definitely yielded my life to God.
Yet as I thought of the darling plans which might be baffled, of the cherished hopes to be surrendered, and the chosen profession which I might be called upon to abandoned—I was afraid.
I did not see the better things God had for me, so my soul was shrinking back; and then for the last time, with a swift rush of convicting power, came to my innermost heart that searching message:
“My child, you can trust the Man that died for you. If you cannot trust Him whom can you trust?”
That settled it for me, for in a flash I saw that the Man who so loved me as to die for me could be absolutely trusted with all the concerns of the life He had saved.
Friend, you can trust the Man that died for you. You can trust Him to baffle no plan which is not best to be foiled, and to carry out every one which is for God’s glory and your highest good. You can trust Him to lead you in the path which is the very best in this world for you.
—J H. McC
This devotional from Streams in the Desert just really hit me hard. Am I trusting the Man that died for me? With the economic state that our Country is in and major happenings transpiring around the globe, I believe "the handwriting is on the wall" and America as we know it is about to face some major changes in the near future... perhaps much sooner than any of us want to think or believe. In some ways, the future seems dim and the reality sinks in once again that I am living in a world of things beyond my control and my life is not my own, and I must trust the Man that died for me. Trust Him enough to accept thwarted dreams, hopes and aspirations, trust Him enough to surrender earthly cares, joys and pleasures. Trust Him that His ways are good. That no matter what transpires in my life, He IS good! And how can I trust Him unless I intimately know Him? How can I intimately know Him except I get alone and spend time with Him in prayer and in the Word?
The days are growing dark, my friends, and the only thing that will bring us through the uncertainties of the future is our steadfast faith and trust in the Man who died for us.
God's blessings to each of you!