Grand Sweep Daily
Jeremiah 45:5 (NIV)
5 “Should you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people,” declares the Lord, “but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.”
Matthew 16:24-25 (NIV)
24 Then Jesus said to His disciples, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”
Good morning!
In 1909, Rhea F. Miller penned the words of his heart song onto a slip of paper and gave it to the mother of George Beverly Shea. She had been praying for her son’s career choice, knowing that it would shape the course of his life. At age 23, Shea had received an offer to sing with a secular band in
I’d rather have Jesus than silver or gold; I’d rather be His than have riches untold;
I’d rather have Jesus than houses or lands; I’d rather be led by His nail-pierced hand.
Than to be the king of a vast domain, or be held in sin’s dread sway;
I’d rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.
Baruch, Jeremiah’s faithful scribe, had more than enough. The unpopular prophet and his message of gloom and doom had begun to weigh heavily on Baruch’s heart. Have you ever offered your life’s work in service to the Lord? Maybe He has called you to teach children, cook and serve food to the hungry, or preach the Gospel message to those who are starving to know God. No matter what your vocation, we all have moments of despair and regret. You may find yourself asking the hard questions: Did I make the right choice? This is much harder than I thought it would be. I’m tired of getting spit on, kicked around, and treated with no respect. I work hard, receive very little in return, and I have nothing to show for my effort. Baruch was having a pity party and the Lord God Almighty wouldn’t stand for it. Baruch had forgotten whom he was serving. It is easy to forget the reason we sing when we feel as if our very lives are slipping away, like grains of sand through our fingers.
God spoke to Baruch through the prophet Jeremiah. He speaks to you and me today. “Should you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people, but wherever you go, I will let you escape with your life.” Jesus said, “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will find it.”
Are you losing your life today for the Lord? Jesus said “I am the way, the truth and the life.” Just like Baruch and Jeremiah, we find life in Jesus Christ. Life in Him is worth more than anything money can buy. A relationship with Jesus is worth more than anything the world affords. Rhea Miller understood the priceless, precious gift of the Lamb, and because he was willing to write his testimony down, George Beverly Shea’s life was forever changed.
If you have found abundant life in Jesus Christ, do not be afraid to tell others what He has done for you. It may be your words that will make an everlasting difference in the heart of another human soul. There is nothing more precious than the love of God through Christ Jesus our Lord. Won’t you tell someone just how much He means to you?
Grace and peace,
Deb Spaulding
Pray for: the courage to let go of your life as you know it so that you may find abundant and everlasting life in Jesus Christ. He is the only life worth holding on to.
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© Copyright 2007, Deb Spaulding
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